Remember, the first line of the Amateur rule
GR1306 Professional/Amateur Status
says
1. Amateur. Regardless of one’s equestrian skills and/or accomplishments,…
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According to the rules, they should be splitting those randomly.
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I do think a combined BN Horse + Rider division would be interesting, and perhaps more welcoming to some people. At least it would guarantee no recent Olympians (either horse or rider) in your division.
yeah - it would be like mule riding at the racetrack. People would bring popcorn! 
(j/k - I’d be entering…)
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This is very interesting as I’ve always wondered how lower level divisions are split since they are usually the biggest entries at USEA shows I go to. I teach beginner dressage lessons at a Hunter/Jumper barn so registered as “Pro” in my membership. Most of the 5th graders here have more jumping experience than I do! I did beat a Rolex rider once when I accidentally registered for a Novice Horse vs Novice Rider. Everyone gets lucky now and then!
It is the horse that goes up the levels, not the rider. It could be an Olympian on a first time greenie vs a competent amateur owner on a former 5* schoolmaster that has dropped down. The PC rider has as much chance as a BNR in the competition - and I have seen the pony win often enough. That is one of the unique things about Eventing that makes it such a great sport.
ETA the pro v amateur debate isn’t as heated in UK eventing: a prize of only £80 to the winner is pretty common and people compete for the fun not the profit. A recent unaffiliated series at 100cm was won by a Pro and there were unpleasant comments on social media, knocked back by the majority of other readers. Ironically, there was no comment about another, lower profile pro winning the 80cm.
Hahaha “profit”. There are very very few lower level events in the US with any prize money.
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Yeah. No $ to win. And my last event cost me:
$225 entry
$200 stabling
$66 bedding
$200 coaching
$70 gas
$0 hotel (close enough to sleep at home and drive back and forth each day Weds-Sun
$0 food (see above)
$30 for three photos because souvenir!
Total: $791
Not at all like in the UK where I regularly won enough at shows to pay for my entries as a kid.
So yeah let’s divide up those divisions accurately so a smurf who is part of supporting usea can have a better chance at a lil $3 ribbon sometimes 
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Personally I prefer being grouped with other adults. I hate being grouped with kids. Either they wipe the floor with me and I feel bad or I beat them and I feel bad.
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Years ago there were sometimes “restricted” divisions that were basically horse + rider. Neither could have gone above the level. I suspect that offering both that and rider didn’t usually make sense.
I have a related question–do organizers check “rider” division eligibility? I think the answer is pretty clearly no, but I’m surprised the entry system doesn’t do that automatically.
I think xentry does do it automatically.
In Canada we do either Junior, Senior or Open.
You have to show open if you show a level below what you have successfully shown in the last 3? I think years. Might be 2 years.
So I have to show open for anything below Training level. I compete against the Olympians and pros…and other ammies on young ones.
It’s fun this way and seems to work out ok, especially when you beat them hahaha
