Rather be at "The bottom of the top....."

[Cactuskate]

I had a saying way back when about competitiveness.

[I]“I would rather be at the bottom of the top, than the cream of the crap.”[/I]

And if I need to translate, it meant that I would never complain about being beaten by really good horses, and I could never feel right “bragging” about winning a class with bad horses or only 4 in the class.

Thus my favorite ribbon is a red from Country Classic ‘84 on Clownin’ in a class of 40 or 50 horses.

That said this last BB Horse show gave me an opportunity to show against, EXCUSE ME, Rox Dene. Well somehow I don’t mind being beaten by her or any of the rest of the gorgeous horses in the A/O. Although I’m not sure anyone will understand when I say I competed with Rox Dene, but that will keep them thinking.

No sour grapes here, just tooo much fun.

“The older I get, the better I used to be, but who the heck cares!”

[InWhyCee]

Okay, I see where you’re coming from… I agree with you that we all should strive to compete at the highest level we at which we are able and to look as professional as possible doing it.

However, undertand that striving isn’t necessarily going to pay anyone’s way to the big show. Some people can’t always afford to compete “at their level”. Occasionally, we just have to strive to beat our own personal best (or, to make a yucky metaphor, to be the cream of the milk at the bottom of the barrel).

[AAJumper]

OMG…college dorm fire drills…aaahhhhh!!! You just brought back a flood of BAD memories, LOL!!!

I totally agree with you Cactuskate…I would much rather get a lower ribbon at a better show than a better ribbon at a less competitive show. My favorite ribbon is still my 4th out of 16 AA jumpers at my first time (and first class!) at Indio. And I take much more pride in my ribbons won in my AA classes vs the low AA classes.

[InWhyCee]

Yes, I know about the “irregardless” thread of a few months ago because I started it. My response, as was then, is taken from the Second Revised and Updated Random House Edition of the Random House Webster’s College Dictionary (April 2000), as follows:

“Those who use [irregardless], including on occasion EDUCATED speakers, may do so from a desire to ADD EMPHASIS.”

Should I run down the hall and ask my copy editor what her dictionary says?

PS: Please “both rider and horse is” to “both… are” before pressing.

[Merry]

Maybe I can put some perspective into this:

I’ve won tons on the local rated circuit. Then I went to Indio and sat on the rail on this great mare and watched round… after round… after round… of wonderful go’s in the amateur division. I found myself saying to my sister, “Well, that was a perfect go. And that was another perfect go. Oh, and by the way, so was that round.”

I’m more proud of the 5th I got that day than just about all of the blues I won closer to home. For me, it had nothing to do with snobbery. It was just that it was quite apparent that I was competing against the best of the best. To just be “in the hunt” was a great personal accomplishment. I think that’s what the posters here meant.

“Friends don’t let friends eat fish tacos.”

[InWhyCee]

Oy vey, I’m becoming lost here… Yes, no one should go to a “lesser” show solely because they know it’s the quickest route to a blue ribbon. That’s ridiculous.

However, please keep in mind that some people (granted, most of them probably don’t post here) attend these “lesser” shows because they lack the money/time/support/horse to compete with “the cream.”

Does this make them LAZY? Not necessarily; sometimes you just have to set your OWN goals (and set them high) irregardless* of the level of competition or judging.

PS: “Irregardless” is a word; it’s in the Random House Webster’s College Dictionary.

[DMK]

Am I being overly sensitive, or were you not getting that I was making humor-haha? Or was I just doing it badly?

[Cactuskate]

I had a saying way back when about competitiveness.

[I]“I would rather be at the bottom of the top, than the cream of the crap.”[/I]

And if I need to translate, it meant that I would never complain about being beaten by really good horses, and I could never feel right “bragging” about winning a class with bad horses or only 4 in the class.

Thus my favorite ribbon is a red from Country Classic ‘84 on Clownin’ in a class of 40 or 50 horses.

That said this last BB Horse show gave me an opportunity to show against, EXCUSE ME, Rox Dene. Well somehow I don’t mind being beaten by her or any of the rest of the gorgeous horses in the A/O. Although I’m not sure anyone will understand when I say I competed with Rox Dene, but that will keep them thinking.

No sour grapes here, just tooo much fun.

“The older I get, the better I used to be, but who the heck cares!”

[horsesrlife65]

I know what you all mean, but in my terms, it’s about group lessons. In my last lesson, which was Saturday, I was riding with a few less experienced riders, which (honestly) was somewhat fun to be the one setting the “tone” for a change. HOWEVER, I still prefer riding with my trainer’s more advanced students, because that gives me something to work towards, and I can THEN feel proud of myself for a job well done when I’m riding with the best (at our barn, anyway )

[Janet]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> However, please keep in mind that some people (granted, most of them probably don’t post here) attend these “lesser” shows because they lack the money/time/support/horse to compete with “the cream.” <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Oh, I think lots of “them” post here.

[InWhyCee]

DMK… I know you weren’t being 100-percent serious; neither was I! Irregardless of what I wrote about noun-verb agreement. Proper grammar… I’ve found that proper grammar and $2 will get you a real good cup of coffee!

[CS]

Kinda like saying…
I’d rather be the little fish in the big pond… then the big fish in the little pond!!!

[findeight]

Merry you said it better then I did. I always pin well at the next level down. My occaisional ribbons at the top are prized indeed and I know I will continue to work toward laying down that 80 consistently instead of accepting a 74 just because it came with a blue ribbon. It is not good enough.

From Allergy Valley USA

[ccoronios]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>I also hate fire drills which I just had in the beginning of writing this at 11 pm…we are in college not kindergarden! ahhh!!! lol <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

that is taking them a lot more seriously these days???
And one of my first thoughts after hearing reports of the evacuation of WTC towers was “All those years of fire drills came through when needed.”

[DMK]

OK, kewl Ive fownd the saym thing too be tru ov speling, myselv

[findeight]

Or should. By showing where you need an 80 to ribbon and an 88 to win it you put your personal bar up so much higher. This is what makes you a better rider not a late lead and some funky distances or shaky corners that in the top crowd would be a 66 but against a bunch of kids in borrowed clothes and rubber boots looks like a 90.
Challenge yourself to be better against better competition. At least when you lose you know they were better and probably cost 4 times what your’s did. When you do pin it is a real accomplishment.

From Allergy Valley USA

[Midge]

It always seemed to me, as a rider or a trainer, that I or my students came home with approximately the same ribbons, no matter what the level. My last teaching job, I worked for a private family and took the daughter to shows. She’d win a class, get a good piece of two more, blow it in one and occasionally get a hack prize. It didn’t matter where we were. A local schooling show and the kid couldn’t find the ingate, yet alone a jump, but she’d blunder along well enough to be the best of the worst and win a class. Florida? Trip of her life and she beats 30 of the top kids in the country. Indoors? Same thing. Puts it together to win one, then misses seven out of ten jumps in the winner class.

[BB1]

In most things, especially riding, I’m better when challenged. Although it can be nice to be the best rider in a group lesson, I’d much rather be with people who made me rise to the occasion. Same goes for private lessons-- I may get a little lazy when the jumps are low, but when they go up I wake up and ride a heck of a lot better!!

I think the same goes for horse shows. At a big competitive show, I think the tendency would be to ride even better among the stiffer competition.

[Cactuskate]

Well I was fixin’ ta tell ya’ll ya dint know whatch were talkin about. Ya’ll ain’t got no idear about grammer. DMK, you aught to know bestest since yer from the south and all.

Ya’ll come back ya hear!

Oh how I miss Nashvulle, Tensee!

“The older I get, the better I used to be, but who the heck cares!”

[InWhyCee]

Are you implying that only riders in puke-green TS and calf boots can be considered “cream”?

The impression I get from the COTH boards is that there are some EQ stars who couldn’t find their own horse’s ass without the help of their grooms… PLEASE, no more snobbery, even if you didn’t intend it. We all have to start somewhere. Some of us can’t even afford to ship our horses to the next state for a five-day show, let alone an extra pair of custom boots.

Signed,

I may have not been a Circuit Queen but I’ve won on borrowed horses and in borrowed clothes and (at least on one rainy day) in those hideous rubber boots

PS: If your horse cost say, one-fourth of what Rox Dene cost, what is that? $125K? $250K?

[This message was edited by InWhyCee on Sep. 25, 2001 at 05:18 PM.]