Selectivity of the BigEq programs?

[SnicklefritzG]

I read an article just over the weekend about the fundamentals program, but I think it was written just around the time it started. It still sounds very expensive. Although they did not quote prices, the article said that people in the program would have their horse in full care, work with Andre on a “clinician basis”, but receive daily instruction from his assistants. The article also mentioned attending local shows.

I’m guessing that the price would still be a minimum of several thousand per month based on information that others have cited in the thread. Westchester county is not an inexpensive area in general due to property taxes, so I can’t see board being anything less than $2-2.5k/month. Then there is the training on top of that. I think the advantage for the fundamentals program would be receiving excellent instruction and some oversight from Andre, but without having to commit to multiple horses or away shows.

https://theplaidhorse.com/2016/09/12…ntals-program/

[RugBug]

@Snicklefritz

How selective are these BNT’s when it comes to accepting riders into their programs? The financial commitment alone I imagine might decrease the pool of people that have serious interest. However, in their respective regions, there is enough wealth near those BNT’s to provide them with an ample supply of potential program participants. Do these places typically accept anyone who wants to join, at whatever level, provided they have the money to spend on the training, the horses/ponies, and the showing? Or do they select for only people whose riding is already at a certain level, whether that be height, show results, or other criteria?

I would imagine that these programs are deep in structure and while aren’t necessarily taking on up-downers, they have various levels of assistants, etc to handle the less advanced riders that have the funds. From there, ability certainly weeds them out for who makes it where. I would imagine as the kids progress they have to meet certain milestones before moving to the next…and thus you see the best of the best in the finals with a pipeline of competitors coming up every year.

Or maybe that’s just they way I would run a barn like that.

[SnicklefritzG]

^^^That makes a lot of sense. Andre and the Heritage team are very good trainers, but setting the bar high in terms of financial expectations (training, full care, showing) ensures you have people with the funds to move up the levels and compete on a national level. Same with what you suggested on how they might filter people from the fundamentals program up to the regular one. It ensures you have people with the funding and the drive to do well, making your stats look better.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

@findeight

They do have working “students” but their definition of that is not what some are imagining. They aren’t there to teach low jump basics.

Oh, of course not! I just meant that I always assumed that some of the working students who were talented phenoms worked something out financially to reduce the astronomical cost of competing. (And even then it’s still a financial sacrifice for the family to enable the child to be a working student). There are certainly Big Eq finalists who aren’t the children of rock stars but they do come from very, very horsey families (in some way or another) who were very, very committed to the child’s career.

And obviously, it’s always better to be phenomenally talented and phenomenally wealthy if you have a choice.:lol: