I agree. It’s about $350 a year for all the required numbers that you need for qualifying. Even if you don’t want to qualify, the non member fees add up to the membership after 2 shows. I don’t know why the GMO membership can’t count as a full membership, or why USEF can’t be reciprocal with USDF. It sure doesn’t cost $75 to print my USDF connection that could be provided online or just…not bothered with.
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That’s no excuse, no excuse at all.
Most of our GMO’s board of directors, not to mention the membership at large, are people who work full time, or did when they came onto the board. Some have served for such a long time (having been elected in member-wide elections every two years) that they retired during their tenures on the board. We are constantly asking for input and participation from the membership at large, but few people step up. Our meeting dates and times are published in our monthly newsletter, and are open to all membership. Very rarely does anyone come. Your GMO would likely welcome you with open arms.
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I did for sure not accuse you of not supporting dressage… That shoe you seem to put on yourself…
This is a thread about making dressage more affordable…
There are a couple of ways to make dressage more affordable and I admit I picked the showing part of dressage because I think that is a very essential part of improving in Dressage.
I think the pro Amateur separation is one important factor…
The US has a very special definition and we learned why… has nothing to do with dressage, but Dressage still is included… It simply prevents people from supporting their hobby… So the riders (and I am not using the term “rich AA”) are protected from Professionals who have to ride in open class and from people who cannot afford to show because they would need some additional money to pay the fees in their classes…
By eliminating this rule for Dressage, it would help people to make a few extra bucks to be able to show…
Another thing is and that’s only possible if the AA rule is eliminated that it would be nice to get money prizes in rated shows… Not only ribbons… That would give riders the chance to earn at least their class fees back if they win a ribbon… I don’t care who sponsors money prizes for the classes… I think it would be nice if riders who can afford it would do it for their hobby… Because this helps to encourage more participation in rated shows… but whatever…
I believe these two things would be big steps in making showing more affordable… Of course it would be nice if a show on one weekend would be only one show and not 2 shows with 2 office fees and 2 drug fees… And I don’t want to hear this ridiculous argument that you need 2 shows to qualify… I believe this rule was created to rip off the competitors…The important part is the 2 different judges, which you need anyway…
From the USDF website (bolding mine):
To qualify for a Regional Championship, horse/rider combinations must earn a total of two qualifying scores at two different USEF-licensed/USDF-recognized Dressage Competitions, from two different judges.
Two separate shows on one weekend is a godsend for people who want to qualify and don’t live in an area where there are lots of shows.
Sorry if you don’t want to hear it.
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I don’t think this is just how to make Dressage more affordable. Hunter/Jumpers aren’t very affordable, neither is showing Reining, Cutting, AQHA (and they have far bigger membership). A lot of the horse world has become unaffordable to many.
Dressage is a small discipline comparatively, it has moved itself into the realm of unaffordable when it expects WB’s in the ring or at least WB movements which many backyard horses will never achieve (H/J has gone that way too); tack, lessons, shows you name it. I was just looking at new dressage saddles, I don’t know many that affords $5,000 for an off the rack saddle, $1,000 for off the rack boots, and the list goes on. The very nature of riding has become expensive, I’m not sure there is a way to fix that.
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As I said… this specific rule was made to rip off people… Who cares whether it is two shows… The important part is the 2 different judges… If I travel to a show location on Friday and stay there til Sunday and ride tests on Saturday and Sunday. it is a pretty big stretch for me to imagine that I really attended 2 shows…
But glad that you like that rule…
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Nothing is preventing you from relinquishing your amateur status and earning extra money to afford showing while riding in the open classes. As you say, the amateur distinction is less important in dressage than h/j where there often no classes available on weekends for non-amateurs. Since you don’t believe there should be a pro/amateur split at all, I guess I don’t understand what’s preventing you from earning extra money through teaching or training and showing in open classes.
(Bold mine) Nothing in the amateur rule prevents the rider from earning prize money at shows. H/J amateurs earn prize money at shows all the time.
I would be careful what you wish for. At H/J shows prize money classes often have a higher entry fee. It’s not always possible to have a sponsor for the prize money and the cost has to be covered by having enough people paying for the class who won’t receive their entry fees back. Even with sponsors there is rarely a discount on the entry fee itself.
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It is cheaper to do it this way since you only pay one stabling fee, one set of expenses for shipping (whether you do it yourself or pay someone) and you have to take less time off work. Not doing it this way makes it MORE expensive, not less. The show only has to pay one airfare instead of two for each judge, it is easier to get judges if they can get multiple days in at once - there’s a lot of economies of scale running concurrent shows.
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and hauling/housing (hotel or RV spot) etc is cheaper , because you don’t need another weekend shows to qualify. Pay for it on one weekend OR pay the SAME fees at a second weekend PLUS housing and feeding yourself.
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ANd just by the way - you MAY accept prize money as an amateur and not lose your AA status.
GR1306.33. Permitted activities by Amateur. An Amateur is permitted to do the following: a. Accept reimbursement for actual expenses associated with conducting classroom seminars for a not-for-profit organization, therapeutic riding programs, or programs for charitable organizations approved in advance by the Federation. b. Act as a camp counselor when not hired in the exclusive capacity as a riding instructor; assist in setting schooling fences without remuneration; give instruction or training to handicapped riders for therapeutic purposes. c. Appear in advertisements and/or articles related to acknowledgement of one’s own personal or business sponsorship of a competition and/or awards earned by one’s owned horses. d. Accept prize money as the owner of a horse in any class other than equitation or showmanship classes.Accept prize money in Dressage. e. Accept a non-monetary token gift of appreciation valued less than $300 annually.
Also, this “rich AA” has paid her stabling fees at almost every show by braiding or clipping for others. As long as you’re not riding, you can work and earn money. I rent out my PEMF blanket to help cover some of those supplemental costs as well. All of these are “legal.”
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Hmmm I get the distinct impression that someone on this thread has blocked me. Oh well. Won’t slow me down.
Seems to me all that encourages is more threads like these about how the rich AAs with expensive horses are the ones winning all the prize money and not the ones who “need it.”
I showed jumpers for a long time. A nomination fee for a money class, not even a big money class, can be $1000. That’s how they raise the prize money. Dressage is, comparatively, cheap and accessible.
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Yes, there is certainly the same feeling in the jumper world that those winning the money are not there ones that “need” it. There’s never going to be a completely level playing field.
I’ve never seen a $1000 nomination fee (maybe you’re referring to the big FEI classes?). At the national level jumpers usually pay a $150-300 nomination fee per show plus individual class entry fees of $50-500 depending on the prize money offered. If you don’t ride in classes offering prize money you don’t have to pay a nomination fee, but those are generally lower level or schooling classes.
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I don’t think the “ignore” feature has functioned since the BB made the switch several years ago…
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Why award ribbons/trophies ?
I really do not remember any show just handing out participation awards to all. I did see one Hunter class once where a judge refused to place a horse first since she said they all were terrible
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Clanter…you misinterpret my point.
The discussion here asks, “what can be done to make dressage more affordable?”
The OP did NOT ask what can be done to make dressage competition more affordable…so my remarks were to address the question of “dressage as training.”
My point is that dressage is fundamentally about training a horse, dressage is NOT competition, though that is one facet of what people do.
My point is that if people are interested in horse training, that opportunity is available in a lot of places for reasonable prices.
Riders can band together to bring the O-judge to give a “clinic”…eg., lessons for a private group. Riders can get good advice and training opportunities for a lot less than it costs to show. THAT is my point.
I have no problem with dressage competition. When I have shown, my goal in entering a show is to WIN my class. I do not go to a dressage show to get “feedback” on my riding.
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:eek::lol::lol::lol:
There is NOTHING that prevents someone from making money in the horse business and showing as much as their heart desires right now. That is what OPEN classes are for… to give people who are good enough at the horse business to earn money doing it a place to show against each other.
And be careful what you wish for when it comes to prize money. It mostly does NOT come from sponsorships. It comes from… wait for it… ENTRY AND SHOW FEES.
You can check any rated hunter/jumper show prize list for this if you don’t want to take my word for it. Here is one that is current (scheduled for June 2020) with fairly typical fees. https://www.countryheir.com/PDF/june_pl.pdf
Note that even the kids’ classes pay the winners… but the entry fees are in the several hundreds of dollars. For example the small pony hunters - these are the kids jumping around 2’3" jumps - pay out $400 per class. (Normally they pay to 12th place, though in the “pastel ribbon” range you will get 2-3% so not much cash.) To enter that division is $240.
Jumpers pay more, but will have nominating fees in addition to (substantial) entry fees. Think $300+ …
I am not even going to address the notion that the better off riders should subsidize those that don’t want to pay their own way. I really don’t get why people think others should subsidize their hobbies.
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Some people seem to be under the impression that showing as an amateur in dressage means that winning prize money is not an option, or that it jeopardizes amateur status. That is incorrect.
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