What do you all think the percentage is of total riders who’ve earned their bronze, silver, or gold medals? Maybe even further differentiating between Open and Amateur? Does USDF keep such stats?
It’s a very small per cent in Canada. It may be more of a thing in the US.
It would be difficult to tell. Not everyone who earns the scores actually claims the medal, especially now that you have to pay for it. So there could be many people who have earned the medals, but aren’t included on the lists of medal winners simply because they haven’t submitted the application.
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I would be one of these. Although I guess I still say I have my silver medal but since I haven’t paid for it maybe I shouldn’t? I’m an AA though, so not like it’s doing anything for me/making me any money. I’ll buy it eventually, LOL. I think the percentage is probably somewhat low among AAs. Even for your bronze you have to get scores at third level and most don’t make it that far. Among pros if imagine the number is much higher.
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Having to pay for the medals is ridiculous… Are there lists of medal winners somewhere on the USDF site?
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I think professionals work through the metals as a marketing necessity
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I think there are more bronze and silver medals out there than you think.
And I doubt that folks are not getting their medals because of the cost to obtain the medal. I think it’s under $40. Considering the cost of everything else to get to third or PSG, that is a drop in the bucket.
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It’s literally a $25 processing fee for all Rider Awards
The various lapel pins are $20 and are optional.
Yup: https://www.usdf.org/awards/performance/rider.asp
Total bronze medals: 8,684
Total silver medals: 4,971
Total gold medals: 1,450
I know for some, it’s not the $25, but the fact we now have to pay for it at all, when it used to be free. After all the expenses of showing, it was nice to get an award from the association that was a benefit of membership. Now it’s just nickle and diming, like everything else.
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Was getting a medal actually ever free? I got both Bronze and Silver some years back, and I seem to recall a small processing fee, which seemed reasonable to me at the time. After all, they had to check the score sheets to determine if you truly qualified, as well as print the certificate, and mail the whole shebang to you. That all requires time/attention/cost.
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I think it was around 2009/2010 that they started charging. I remember being mad I had to pay for my silver, but not when I got my bronze. Doesn’t seem to make much sense, because back when it was free, they had to do all the manual processing you mention, but now you apply for it online and the computer verifies everything, so it doesn’t take near the manpower it used to so it shouldn’t have the costs it did.
It is nice to see the numbers. Do we know what percentage that is?
Can we assume most people who have gold already have bronze and silver, and those who have silver have bronze? So we don’t add those 3 numbers we do some subtracting to find total number of medal holders.
Per cent of total riders is difficult because the medals are counted cumulatively whereas we could only get total riders by maybe looking at total organizational membership in one year. Maybe you could add up number of individuals in rated shows for one calendar year and see how many people were awarded medals that year.
The statisticians among us might have ideas.
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I know several people that got their silver and just skipped the bronze or got it later when showing client horses
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Lets assume for a moment that this is a fairly rare situation. That would say that somewhere between 8600 and maybe 9000 riders have medals. According to internet info, the USDF has 33,000 members. These are obviously not all competing riders, but also owners, etc. Its also a number from one point in time while the medal count is cumulative. But its a starting point. So if 9000 out of 33000 members have medals that’s about 28%. Only 15% of members have silver medal and about 5% have their gold. Interesting to think about. Thanks to op for asking the question.
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And roughly 15% have their silver, and 5% their gold…
I think you have to cut those % by about 1/3. The medals count is cumulative - MANY of those medalists are no longer members. Many are no longer riding. That 1/3 is just a guess of course.
USDF gives nothing for free, I’ve learned that over the years. I work with a registry that participates in the All Breeds awards. One of our largest annual costs is USDF! Although they don’t even MAIL out a certificate to the All Breeds winners anymore (you have to print your own), they charge the registries a hefty fee for every single certificate. Back in the days, they sent out a certificate AND if you were champion/reserve champion, you got a medal (not to be confused with rider medals).
BTW, the rider “medal” is actually a lapel pin… I’m not sure why they call it a medal? Does anyone know - was there a time when they sent out a medal?
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I’m one of the odd ones out that has my silver but not my bronze. Some day I’ll go back to show second level - but I just haven’t had a horse that I felt like bringing out in that stage. I have 2 scores towards my gold, and a horse that I hope will make the jump.
The medals are real and are the base awards. You have to pay extra to get the lapel pins.
