A junior rider that I know of show recently fell into a situation ( dont get me wrong …a pretty nice deal ) to show the horses at a private barn. The barn has been through several trainers and the horses ( which are VERY nice ) have been shown in various divisions/ disciplines … ie: jumpers , eventing etc.) it lt looks like they have been advised that the best way to maximize their investment in these horses (at least $500,000 +++)is in the Junior hunter and Eq divisions. The junior has received a range rover, a rolex , and many other very high dollar gifts from these owners… I was just wondering how that is viewed …kind of sound like the old days of college athletics
Ummm…I would like to ride for these owners?? :lol:
This seems like a classic MYOB situation. Juniors can accept money. Juniors can accept gifts. Sounds like this junior fell into one hell of a working student-type position. I have no thoughts about it except what I said above. Though with that being said, I’ve never met a barn with $500k hunter/eq horses who also shows in the eventing world? That seems a little far-fetched and makes me think that this post could be just a wee bit dramatic?
And from someone who sells her horses, finding a good junior rider is HARD! I’ve struggled to find kids who could ride my horses well in the eq/medal/hunter divisions. Most of the really good junior riders have their own horses, and they can’t ride multiple horses in equitation or medal classes. I have no money to pay someone, but if I did, I could easily see doing what I could to keep the junior rider focused on my horses.
Fortunately, I made my own junior rider. And I will be providing her with all sorts of gifts and incentives (you know, little things like “LIFE”) to keep her riding for me. 
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If they’re not seeking NCAA teams, they can do whatever they want as far as reimbursement. Until December 1st following their 18th birthday.
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That’s a little mind-blowing. The junior is an amateur until hitting 18 but at those kinds of levels I imagine the IRS would be starting to notice and I’d be wanting a real tax advisor to be involved.
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So yes, PNWjumper, point taken, I probably should MYOB … but …I’m not being a wee bit dramatic … so, the couple or owners had no experience in horses but wanted to buy a horse farm … which they did … had a trainer that help them purchase horses to filll the barn … so they were all VERY nice horses.from well known trainers. The original trainer ( not me…just sayin) left … and they were without a trainer … and a barn full of horses with no I training … so they brought in someone who was a trainer in eventing …just to ride the horses and they did a little eventing . The junior rider they found was a pony rider … now in juniors … does medal classes and equitation and was ranked top in the zone . I guess they should also pay her big bucks too since they can !
Well, unlike college athletics, there’s nothing against the rules about it. Honestly, that was the only reason some college basketball players I knew when I was that age got the side eye from time to time for what they were driving. I mean, good for them, but maybe you don’t want to be so blatant with the gifts? No rule here being broken, so why not?
Im sure the jr. rider’s parents are loving having to pay auto insurance on a Range Rover… not to mention having to pay taxes on it when they went to register it… If I were the Jrs. parents I would refuse to accept an expensive car or watch. That’s just too over the top.
Are there open job positions? Sounds like a sweet gig, sign me up. 
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There’s nothing illegal here. And I bet the vehicle is a lease that will evaporate when the job is over and it is being insured at fleet rates with the rest of the farm vehicles.
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Anyone know how to fudge the date on a birth certificate?
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Anyone else feel like certain threads are really someone’s effort to test an outlandish plot for future rider fiction on us? Between this one and the one about the “older person” who called a trainer on a Monday to ask for advice on dealing with a snotty girl who said you had to show at AA shows with a CWD saddle or else you were doomed. I mean what horses get shown in the jumpers and eventing and then out of the blue a top Junior rider stumbles upon the little barn owned by non horsey people and they decide she is their ticket to recoup their $500000 horse costs and so they spend 7500 plus on a watch and $89000 on a vehicle for this up and coming Tori Colvin?!
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rather than giving luxury gifts for junior rider start with second-hand ride, so he or she could practice on it, also the maintenance cost would be much lower than the expensive one.
I’m sure the vehicle is the owners and for the use of the kid. And that either this is fictitious or OP is a junior rider blushing green…
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Sounds like a character in one of Georgina Bloomberg’s books. I always wondered if that stuff actually happens in real life.
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Yep…see the thing is, if this were actually true, the show world is not that big in the grand scheme of things! Surely in any zone, some unknown pony kid, suddenly showing up on top top dollar horses at big shows would cause a stir? Add in the fancy watches and vehicles and big time new owners that haven’t hired a Grand Prix rider but instead taken advantage of a pony kis because they’ve apparently gone through other “trainers” in this “sweet deal” and the gossip would be a
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Especially if the OPs location is correct and this is happening in the North East. I won’t limit the story to the tri-state area.
Whats worse lots of far fetched stories or lots of far fetched stories posted by adults?
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I’m voting with the “sounds like a YA novel” group. At one point DD was riding a highly talented horse (lucky purchase) and playing in the Major Leagues and doing very, very well —we attended some pretty major venues and she had clear success. Yet at no time was she or we, her family, approached by sponsors, trainers, stable owners. She palled around with other kids her age who were less successful but more financially supported by parents who flew the family plane in for shows, and rubbed shoulders with international talent. Everyone we met was unfailingly polite, spoke well of kiddo and her horse, admire her talent and at times invited her to visit their beautiful homes/ranches/stables in US and other countries. Very nice. But again --no one ever stepped out of the woodwork and said, “Let me give you money or gifts to help you be more successful.” [Kid grew up, horse got older, and she went to law school and now is an attorney --who still rides but not at that level.]. The closest thing I ever heard to what OP has posted was Leslie Law’s rise to equestrian fame —a well-to-do family supported him --he said during a clinic kiddo attended, when he was just a young boy from an impoverished area of England. That got him into horses and eventually to the Olympics. Don’t know how true it is, but that’s what he said at a clinic years ago.
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One of the things that weirds me out about this proposed scenario is… does a junior rider even want those things?
Also, if I were the parent I’d be pretty creeped out.
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IIRC, Juniors actually aren’t considered “amateurs” and CAN accept payment and gifts…once they hit 18, different story.
In any case…I do find the story a bit far-fetched, but I do know a few SMALL barns where there are some very nice animals (not $500k, but more like $150-300k) all for sale and for a lucky junior, there’s a catch ride opportunity if s/he can ride the pants off 5 or 10 different animals to help get them sold. They exist. But they definitely aren’t handing out Rolex watches 'cause they’re trying to spend any and all money on getting these horses sold and bringing in more to continue the sales cycle. Lucky kid, if your story is true.
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I’m not thinking horses valued at $500K doing the jumpers and eventing? would make a $500K hunter - not saying it’s impossible after all the PIE did win the Grand National with a 13 year old girl… I just have to wonder if the Jr. rider’s parents watched Never Never Land… if they had, they might not be holding on to that Range Rover and/or the Rolex, such appropriate “gifts” for a high school kid. I’m liking the movie plot scenario though - it’s a different twist from the usual untamed/extra-ordinarily gifted pasture horse who comforts the girl who’s lost her parents and is now living with random relative and manages to beat out all the snotty rich kids at a competition or gets a Gold Medal at one of their first few competitions which happens to be the Olympics. This plot takes on known talented horses who are worth thousands, who under the capable hands of a unknown wunderkind Jr. Rider who turns wiley jumpers and eventers into gorgeous floating hunters and Medal McLay winner under her light seat, capable hands and of course her ability to communicate and undying love of equines…
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