I highly encourage anyone with strong opinions of Reed Kessler to take the time to sit down and watch this interview she did a few years ago at the University of Kentucky. I know it looks long, when I first started watching it I thought there was no way I’d actually sit through the whole thing, but I sat through the whole thing and was sad when it was over.
You can definitely tell she was a little nervous at the beginning, but as it goes on she quickly becomes very relaxed and personable.
We removed some inappropriate comments and reactions to them.
Thanks,
Mod 1
Ahh censorship, what a great American age we live in.
Can’t we at least be free to make jerks out of ourselves on the Internet? Spare me that one luxury before I get force to make calls of “long live the people’s republic!”.
Where’s the laughing crying emoji when you need it?
If show jumping will “never be a popular spectator sport” how do you explain the routine 40,000 and 75,000 spectators at Spruce Meadows? I say that is can be very successful but it’s in the hands of the actual show organizers… Make it attractive and cheap to attend and people WILL come to watch in droves!
[QUOTE=hunterrider23;8204588]
Ahh censorship, what a great American age we live in.
Can’t we at least be free to make jerks out of ourselves on the Internet? Spare me that one luxury before I get force to make calls of “long live the people’s republic!”.
Where’s the laughing crying emoji when you need it?[/QUOTE]
Although “free speech” in the USA has NEVER included saying anything you want at any time and any where…both before the internet and after. Still…we have a hell of a lot more freedom than most in that area.
FWIW what was edited was snarking between posters-- NOT anything germane to the topic or even about RK.
[QUOTE=hunterrider23;8204588]
Ahh censorship, what a great American age we live in.
Can’t we at least be free to make jerks out of ourselves on the Internet? Spare me that one luxury before I get force to make calls of “long live the people’s republic!”.
Where’s the laughing crying emoji when you need it?[/QUOTE]
Really? You want to fight for the right to make ad hominem attacks via a free speech argument?
Go cry “Fire!” in a crowded movie theater somewhere else.
I like it that this (privately owned) corner of the interwebz is moderated.
Oh please, it’s a joke, pull your wedgie out.
Holy cow this thread is nuts now! I think the only thing I could have said that would have inspired anymore hate is if I had talked about how wonderful Paul Valliere is :lol:
(Which is an opinion I do not hold, but has been a super hot topic in the past 
)
Eclipse Wrote :
“If show jumping will “never be a popular spectator sport” how do you explain the routine 40,000 and 75,000 spectators at Spruce Meadows? I say that is can be very successful but it’s in the hands of the actual show organizers… Make it attractive and cheap to attend and people WILL come to watch in droves”!
I was speaking about the US , your talking about CANADA , where indeed riding is cheaper as is horse boarding and sales in many parts of Canada , It’s why the US purchases many of the resale stock from Canada
Vegas does get a crowd for the World Cup and the Garden use to , Rolex does to some degree and the WEG , But in all of these instances the Canadians , Europeans and other Non USA spectators make up a Large percent of the grand stands
[QUOTE=MIKES MCS;8205164]
Eclipse Wrote :
“If show jumping will “never be a popular spectator sport” how do you explain the routine 40,000 and 75,000 spectators at Spruce Meadows? I say that is can be very successful but it’s in the hands of the actual show organizers… Make it attractive and cheap to attend and people WILL come to watch in droves”!
I was speaking about the US , your talking about CANADA , where indeed riding is cheaper as is horse boarding and sales in many parts of Canada , It’s why the US purchases many of the resale stock from Canada
Vegas does get a crowd for the World Cup and the Garden use to , Rolex does to some degree and the WEG , But in all of these instances the Canadians , Europeans and other Non USA spectators make up a Large percent of the grand stands[/QUOTE]
I would definitely disagree with you there. Yes, there are areas in which keeping horses is cheaper, but there are large metro areas in which it can be just as expensive as the US. While boarding is likely cheaper in say, Saskatchewan than New York, it can be quite comparable to the less “horsey” areas in the midwest. Go to Vancouver, Calgary or Toronto, and you will find similar prices to the US metro areas. We also don’t have the big AA shows like the US has. I think a large part of that is because with a significant portion of the A/AA scene being in Ontario that’s quite close to the US, many Ontario-ans end up showing at the big East Coast shows.
Mike MCS: you don’t think that if the large shows like WEF made it more attractive to the average Joe Spectator they wouldn’t come? I think they would… In general a huge amount of the public are fascinated by horses and naturally drawn to them, plus the average person really has no idea of the prices of these horses but after listening to them in the stands they really do like to watch them jump. BUT, I still maintain, even in the States, show organizers need to make these shows known and accessible to the public.
And, contrary to what you’ve heard, while our hunters are cheaper to buy our jumpers probably are not (thus why many Albertans look elsewhere inc the USA) and in Calgary board at a good barn is not cheap and can run into the thousands per month if your with a BNT (yes we have some Olympic caliber ones). I also wouldn’t say our shows are cheaper… We only have a few places to show and I believe the comparable AA shows are priced similar.
When the Buschs sold Budweiser, English horse sport in the US took a huge hit. The Buschs had supported show jumping for more than fifty years, as had their corporation. Then BOOM, that support was gone. None of the other super rich folks that do horse sport today seem to invest in the sport itself in the way the Buschs did. They instead invest in self-promotion, competition, and getting on Teams. It’s as if they weren’t interested in what they could do for the sport but what the sport can do for them.
Getting Sponsors that an everday non riding person can relate to isn’t in the cards… Mercedes, Longinnes (sorry Sp) , Rolex , there all on board because they appeal to the elite …their customer base. when we lost Budwiser we lost big time…
Our small C and B rated 2 and 3 day shows are disappearing , Many who used to show can no longer afford 6 nights in a hotel or 6 days of schooling fees or $275.00 stalls per week sad fact is those are the people that were the bread and butter of the “SPORT” those were the Budwiser drinkers the ones who can no longer relate to a sport they grew up in, they can’t afford it . I watched that interview with RK that someone posted , the most rediculous thing she said ( and I am not dissing her because I think she actually believes it ) Is the it isn’t talent and money that get you to the top , it’s working hard… Um NO , if they took away her money and her connections to ride with the best and ride the best she would not have gone to the Olympics at 18 , reality check , In this Country there is no longer a chance for that , we have a system now that makes it simply impossible .
[QUOTE=vineyridge;8205267]
When the Buschs sold Budweiser, English horse sport in the US took a huge hit. The Buschs had supported show jumping for more than fifty years, as had their corporation.[/QUOTE]
I was thinking the same thing. They supported the hunters too.
[QUOTE=MIKES MCS;8205325]
Is the it isn’t talent and money that get you to the top , it’s working hard… Um NO , if they took away her money and her connections to ride with the best and ride the best she would not have gone to the Olympics at 18 .[/QUOTE]
I believe that to succeed at this sport, you need at least three of the following four things: money, talent, hard work, and luck. Of course, if you have money, you by definition are pretty lucky
WEF is already drawing spectators. They often have a big crowd there for the Grand Prix classes on Saturday nights, and many of them are not horse people.
[QUOTE=MIKES MCS;8205325]
Getting Sponsors that an everday non riding person can relate to isn’t in the cards… Mercedes, Longinnes (sorry Sp) , Rolex , there all on board because they appeal to the elite …their customer base. when we lost Budwiser we lost big time…
Our small C and B rated 2 and 3 day shows are disappearing , Many who used to show can no longer afford 6 nights in a hotel or 6 days of schooling fees or $275.00 stalls per week sad fact is those are the people that were the bread and butter of the “SPORT” those were the Budwiser drinkers the ones who can no longer relate to a sport they grew up in, they can’t afford it . I watched that interview with RK that someone posted , the most rediculous thing she said ( and I am not dissing her because I think she actually believes it ) Is the it isn’t talent and money that get you to the top , it’s working hard… Um NO , if they took away her money and her connections to ride with the best and ride the best she would not have gone to the Olympics at 18 , reality check , In this Country there is no longer a chance for that , we have a system now that makes it simply impossible .[/QUOTE]
Funny thing is, Reed never has necessarily been riding the “best”. Cylana is obviously a very very nice mare, but she was not anything special when the Kesslers purchased her, and while I’m sure she cost twice what the house I’m sitting in right now cost, compared to the mounts of other top young riders, she was a relatively “cheap” horse.
Most of the young international stars that many of you here are so fond of are riding horses that cost quite a bit more than any horse of Reed’s, and came with a significant amount of international mileage already under their belts.
I have to say without the big money no rider is going to the Olympics --I thought that was a complaint the US BNRs had the last few years is getting hold of that top horse because without that top special horse not even the best of the best rider is competitive at the level – you do not jump a course on two feet. Without a top horse horse a rider is nowhere.
(It is not the system-it is the astronomical price of the asset needed to compete.)
[QUOTE=omare;8205486]
I have to say without the big money no rider is going to the Olympics --I thought that was a complaint the US BNRs had the last few years is getting hold of that top horse because without that top special horse not even the best of the best rider is competitive at the level – you do not jump a course on two feet. Without a top horse horse a rider is nowhere.
(It is not the system-it is the astronomical price of the asset needed to compete.)[/QUOTE]
You seem to be implying that show jumpers today can no longer make their own horses. Or perhaps you’re implying that they don’t have the time or patience to make their own. That’s a sad thought for the state of horsemanship today.
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