Yes!!! Except for the costs ( because I am in Germany) I agree with everything you said”. Thank you!! Maybe it’s time to reconsider. But I know that I am a bit lazy and without the pressure of a show I usually don’t give everything during lessons….
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Yes, I’ve had the same observations. I am a bit far away from 60, that’s true.
I will say I have noticed a decent older crowd (40+) on the jumping side. I rode out of a barn heavily involved in show jumping for awhile and I saw many 40+ riders at both clinics and competitions.
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This has been posted in the jumper section probably, But IMO it also fits into this thread….
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SO they dont have awards for Adult Amateurs, or those over 50 (Masters Challenge), or over 60 (Vintage cup)?
Those of us involved at the Group Member Organization level here are very much pushing recognition for the AA… Even as we recognize that the future of Dressage in the US is to be found in the youth… It’s a difficult balance.
Well there is an over 40 series and as @CanteringCarrot observed the jumpers are very active with it…
Dressage riders not so much…. I live in a state with a nearly non existent Dressage Szene anyhow but the few ribbons available are in steady hands…. 2 years ago my trainer won the over 40 state championship with my mare and second was another trainer with the sales horse of another trainer…. So you can imagine how this thing works… this year a dressage judge planned to go for it using the connections to her colleagues but in the end something went wrong and she messed it up….
So I opted out of this over 40 thing and prefer to compete against the team riders , daughters of state coaches and sometimes our 23 times pro state champion 
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But hey going to a show is 11 to 18 Euro everything included. And if I would switch to jumping I would not have to have any additional memberships…. I simply enter the classes 
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Very easy and affordable Not sure if I really need a 4000 dollar end of year award….
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I’m moving to Europe.
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The warmUp ring is currently my biggest fear, and is what is keeping me from attempting a show. I will need to warmup, of course, but fear the big stomping horses ridden by mean girls who have entitlement issues with the warm up ring.
I’ve observed the warm up ring as much, if not more, than the classes and feel my fear is justified. Pretty sure that i just need to get over the hump…to get in there and give it a go, and if we (me and mare) survive the experience it’ll be ok from then on… But for me, right now, it’s the warmUp that’s keeping me from my first show.
the fees are confusing. My coach, who has brought me along thus far, has made it clear that she doesn’t show-coach. So i’ll be attending alone. Which is fine. I’m ok on my own. I guess i figure that if we don’t know how-to by the time we are at the show, another couple minutes won’t make much difference.
I want to be one of those amateur adults who has an objective judge critiquing our movements to standard. It’s a gauge, to me, and that’s all. “Where are we at now”
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Get over yourself. That chip on your shoulder must be getting awfully heavy.
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like i said, it’s a fear. not rational. but thank you for your concern about my psyche. I appreciate that!
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Really? Make up your mind:
Just how many shows have you watched? As I recall, you’re in rural Minnesota, or similar, not exactly a hotbed of dressage.
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i can always count on my fangirls can’t i!
Thanks for your comments.
I’m sorry you are unable to take things to heart. You seem to know everything about everything, a sure sign of a person who doesn’t know much at all.
“Fangirl?” Nothing could be father from the truth.
I noticed you deflected in order to avoid answering the question. Again, how many shows have you observed?
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I am also in Region 4 and the shows are crazy big. There is one show series that you have to set an alarm to go off at midnight because the show will fill in minutes of opening. It reminds me of trying to get tickets to Taylor Swift. Another has 3 show arena’s in one warm up. Just because we are rural doesn’t mean our shows are not hopping places to be!
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If she is anything like her online persona IRL then I can imagine legitimate horse people not wanting much to do with her - that doesn’t make them mean girls 
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If you’ve never shown before the warm-up ring can definitely seem chaotic, but there’s a rhythm to it. Once you’ve done it a few times you get a feel for it and it’s really not as bad as it may look.
There are a few truly rude people out there but they’re rare. Most of the people who may look “mean” are just nervous and too focused on their own horses to pay attention to people around them. They can come off brisk but it’s really just nerves. Some people let their stress get the better of them, but a little grace goes a long way. If you never try it you’ll also never get to experience the kind horse show strangers who will wish you luck or compliment your horse or offer to pull your boots off so you dont get DQ’ed. There’s more camaraderie than there is meanness, and way more people who are just trying to get in and out of the ring without any major incidents.
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Region 4 is a big place, encompassing ND, SD, NE, KS, MN, IA, and MO.
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Wouldn’t you try a schooling show first? IIRC, you have never shown dressage. Have you spectated in person at local schooling and recognized shows?
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While I don’t blame you for anxiety around a warm up - I’ll tell you that “mean girls” are few and far between.
HOWEVER, there are rules and understood etiquette to the warmup - and if you’ve never shown, and don’t have an experienced “show” coach or friend to take you and help you do what’s needed and stay out of everyone else’s way, you are almost guaranteed to be an obstacle to everyone else. Being in the way and causing others to have to work around you (how ever much unintentionally) is guaranteed to get you the cold shoulder or asked to move - and I can see how one might mistake take that as “mean” if one didn’t even realize what they were doing.
If I recall correctly, you also have some combination of mustangs and traditional riding horses? Taking a mustang (or any horse without show experience) to a show as an inexperienced competitor yourself is a double whammy set up for failure.
Can you find a coach to meet at a schooling show? Maybe one that attends the numerous shows you have observed? Set yourself up for success.
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Wow, nice as always 
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Yes I agree!
@enjoytheride A show can be overwhelming even if everybody is nice…. not sure if there is a GMO close to you but a schooling show would be a nice environment for you and your horse to get used to shows…. Of course I would also recommend to participate in the social activities of the GMO but I understand if this is not your thing.
But my experience being in a foreign country was that all the members of our GMO were very welcoming and of course if you know all the people organizing the schooling show that helps as well 
Also they organize things like “ride a test” which would also be very helpful to get used to ride a test in a show situation….
I hope I don’t sound like I hate the US showing system, I had great times showing over there and I met amazing people, so don’t listen to my rants…. It’s really mainly about the horrendous cost used to finance people I don’t know and I don’t care to know….
But GMOs are very different!!!
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