[QUOTE=Hey Mickey;7413137]
I’m kind of in the same boat as you…
I’m a TB snob (can’t help it, love them) a (maybe former) event rider who is very much intrigued by the track. I always have been. I would tell people I wanted to be an exercise rider and I would get told its dangerous and I have a death wish. I secretly now kind of want to be a steeplechase jockey but I almost never mention that out loud because then people really think you are crazy.
I’ve started working yearling sales and with every sale I’m more and more intrigued with the industry- maybe intrigued enough to put my eventing career on hold to pursue something else but I want to know more about the industry. Also, I just really really really enjoy working the sales.
(((I’m in southwestern Ohio if anyone knows of anyone who needs help–can do sales at Keenland or fasig-tipton, looking to relocate to Ocala after I sell my ottb)))
So, just as a thought- try and get in with a consignment company to do some sales. You learn a lot, fast, but its definitely a way to meet a lot of people and start getting some connections while making decent money for a few days. It is such an education.[/QUOTE]
Too bad you don’t live in my neck of the woods. I am looking for someone with your enthusiasm. We only work with TBs. Cradle to gate. Breed and prepare flat and pass them on to trainers at the track. Personally I train and occasionally ride Steeplechase horses mainly Timber. I’m looking for a person that could become a “partner” in my business which I have scaled back. Salary and profit share. Bit of breeding, bit of sales, bit of flat, Steeplechase and re-school for the sport market. Fox Hunters also.
Took on a great gal who had a solid riding back ground but not with racers not long ago. A “natural” rider and looked the part. She rode her first Timber race less then a year latter. Along with a couple of Jump Meet flat races. I just train a few jumpers for our farm and partners. Put her together with a very good friend who only trains Timber horses and she schools and rides some races for him. Put her together with a trainer who has horses at a training center so she was able to get experience galloping off the farm and on a track weekends.
Yes, working with jumper can have a higher degree of risk then flat. But I don’t think it is that much more “risky” then most equestrian endeavors. A guy who rode some races for me was hurt very seriously a couple of years ago. He was on a first time starter at a Point to Point over hurdles. The jumps weren’t involved when he came off. 99.9% of the time we always get up, sometimes a bit sorer then others. I’ve had a number of “crowd pleaser” falls. They always seem to look a lot more spectacular on video then in the moment. Been slam dunked plenty breaking/starting 2 year olds etc. Even at my age I still bounce really well. I figure its from being a high end skier my whole life. To be a good skier you have to be a good “faller” also. You’re not learning if you’re not falling from time to time.
I didn’t ride my first jump race until I was 52. I was more nervous about looking like an idiot in front of my home town horsemen then getting hurt. I found a lot of people root and cheer for the old guy when riding by the crowd. Unfortunately I let them down most of the time.
I worked a lot of sales, yearling, mixed and 2 year old in training in my late teens and early 20’s. It was great fun living in south Florida for the winter working the 2 year old sales. Made great money but did spend every dime pretty much before I got home. It is a bit of a vagabond life style but IMO that is what carefree youth is meant for. If one is very good at it there are career opportunities at the big commercial breeding farms.
If you get good references it is pretty easy to work the sales in Ireland, England, France, New Zealand and Australia. I did a lot of business in South America and have helped put people together with some very good out fits in Argentina.
I moved from holding the shank at sales to working as an agent on the buying side. It’s taken me all over the world.
Pretty easy to get a sales job if you have some experience. Even with out if you have a solid back ground and are completely comfortable working with young TBs. Just go to the sales companies website and pull up a catalogue from a sale that you want to work and go to the consignor/agent index. There are several that have very large consignments start with them. I am pretty sure on both Fasig Tipton and Keeneland’s site you can click on the consignor and it will give you contact information. Or just do a search. If you are not that far from Lexington ask for an interview. You could do a bunch in one day.
Thanks!