GCT: a very exclusive but dangerous club??

B

bluemoon123

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 June 2008
Messages
79
Visit site
Keeping an eye on this afternoon's GCT classes (I love WFH!!), it's a fascinating insight into the lives of the exceptionally wealthy who have competitive aspirations - but not the talent to match. The GCT concept is a brilliant one - and realistically it's only the millionaire/billionaire heirs and heiress who can afford these horses - and if they love the sport, they should have the right to compete at whatever level they want. But one does wonder about the quality of advice that some of them are getting. Some of them are genuinely talented (i.e. the really impressive young riders from America). But others, I would describe, as perfectly competent amateurs on fantastic horses - but whom should be nowhere near 1.40/1.50 classes (they look like major accidents waiting to happen). The truly talented professionals will always be a class apart - but for the ordinary folk who love show-jumping, there is something really chilling, if the GCT could represent a possible future for the top level of the sport.
 
It's very similar to F1. Drivers pay for their seats a lot of the time. They have to be competent but they are not the best.
 
Go to Wellington or the Sunshine Tour. Those people are the ones paying the bills and, frankly, without them the sport would likely cease to exist as we know it. ;)
 
But does the fact they are regularly competing against the best in the world not serve to improve their game over time? I know someone who is in London competing and they are pretty wealthy but they also put a lot of effort into being as good as possible. Someone who persistently tries hard will often reap more reward than a talented but lazy person…
 
I agree with baggybreeches... look at the saudis, they are doing really well and they started off terrible!
 
Firewell said:
I agree with baggybreeches... look at the saudis, they are doing really well and they started off terrible!
Click to expand...

That's what I was going to say :) It is a bit gutting that money, together with bloomin' hard work, can buy success in equestrian sport, but it is a fact of life. I can think of examples of eventers, too, who have started out as appalling and have learnt to ride... Money, talent, commitment, luck - I believe you need three out of the four to get to the top in any of the mainstream equestrian disciplines.
 
Firewell said:
I agree with baggybreeches... look at the saudis, they are doing really well and they started off terrible!
Click to expand...

The Saudis have a massive budget (from the government) to buy the best horses for each new season ;)

In response to the OP, there are trainers out there who will tell clients what they want to hear - that they are more than capable of jumping grand prix heights even when they are not capable of doing so safely. It's not limited to GP classes.
 
blood_magik said:
The Saudis have a massive budget (from the government) to buy the best horses for each new season ;)
.
Click to expand...

I think that's the point. Even with truckloads of money they didn't start out fantastic but they now have quite a few riders who are genuinely competitive at the top level. If you think there are people jumping on Nations Cup Teams etc without SOMEONE spending a serious amount of dosh, you are kidding yourself. ;)

Let's wait a few years and see what the Chinese do. . .
 
TableDancer said:
That's what I was going to say :) It is a bit gutting that money, together with bloomin' hard work, can buy success in equestrian sport, but it is a fact of life. I can think of examples of eventers, too, who have started out as appalling and have learnt to ride... Money, talent, commitment, luck - I believe you need three out of the four to get to the top in any of the mainstream equestrian disciplines.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. It is absolutely true that you can work hard and spend lots of money and do well with horses. It actually doesn't even bother me, it is what it is. To be honest, it's probably the only sport I have any chance of being competetive at due to that very fact ( I am not genetically blessed to do other sports)!

And I don't mean the olympics, I mean the horse equivalent od sunday keague footy ! :p
 
I'm not saying that these riders shouldn't be allowed to enter whatever class they want - of course pushing yourself does help you to learn. But there were a couple who looked like they were dangerously out of their depth. I think my concern is that there are loads of talented rider/horse combinations in Europe but what is Global Champions Tour actually doing to give those guys (if they have the adequate horse power) the chance to compete in the (really) big money classes? To me it just seemed like GCT is enabling the top level of show-jumping to become more exclusive (than ever before), populated by the same group of professionals week in, week out (and then the heirs and heiresses to make it profitable for what seems to be quite an elite group of producers like Stal Tops). I'm not criticising the GCT concept - it's frankly brilliant. But one wonders if it could do more to make its top level of competition a little more welcoming and accessible for the truly talented rider/horse combinations who need that opportunity to break through to the very top level. Maybe a wild card system for 2-3 riders for the 5 star classes for each new country that GCT visits?
 
I can see your point and it would be fantastic to see more people get those opportunities but I did literally mean those people are paying for it. It's a numbers game - x number of people have to pay in or the whole thing goes kapput. I guess the argument is where is the incentive for the people paying in to subsidise other people, aside from the pros who teach them and ride their horses? It would be a bit like your local show centre saying they are going to add £10 to everyone's entry to fund local teenagers (who, after all, already have the funding to have a competition ready horse) to compete.

The Super League/Nations' Cup program does provide competition for the 'best of the best'. I guess you could argue at least the GCT folks aren't buying their way into that.
 
Totally irrelevant but apparently if you wanted to jump on the CSI2* tour at London GCT (1m15 classes up to 1m40) it was 5k an entry! Blimey!! Someone I know was invited and she is extremely wealthy but even for her 5k an entry was deemed a little steep!
 
But SOMEONE paid your friend's entry, presumably? Or is he/she lottery funded?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying all the riders are independently wealthy and I'm certainly not saying they aren't incredibly able. But the fees are astronomical.
 
TarrSteps said:
But SOMEONE paid your friend's entry, presumably? Or is he/she lottery funded?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying all the riders are independently wealthy and I'm certainly not saying they aren't incredibly able. But the fees are astronomical.
Click to expand...

My friend is there too, she is wealthy but works really hard riding anything up to 7 horses per day. Yes the fees are huge, but so is the prize money. The rings, stables & all facilities at these shows are fantastic as is the hospitality which is why people choose to go & why shouldn't they if they can afford it.
 
TarrSteps said:
But SOMEONE paid your friend's entry, presumably? Or is he/she lottery funded?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying all the riders are independently wealthy and I'm certainly not saying they aren't incredibly able. But the fees are astronomical.
Click to expand...

Indeed, the person I know is funded by her parents, they are going from London to Cannes (I think?) and then onto Monaco. It is what it is, they enjoy it she tries hard gets good results and everyone is happy. The one thing I would point out is that GCT is an FEI competition and as such has no/little relevance to BS or the general membership (although these folks have to be reg'd BS).
In my experience (which was a long time ago) FEI competition is really a way of life for people of a certain income bracket or those with serious backing.
 
Mq, I am not disrupting the riders' work ethics and I am certainly well aware of what the money buys! I still dream of WEF! :D But my point is still that someone paid your friend's entries, presumably an owner and without that 'someone' none of those people would be there. I have no problem with that. :) I just don't see why the GCT should subsidise riders when it's pretty clear they don't have to!.

Taking a horse to WEF can run $10k. I have friends who have saved for years, mortgaged their homes, sold their trucks to be able to fund a season or two. But the people who REALLY pay the bills are the ones that come every year (or have winter homes and barns in the Village), bring multiple horses and hardly notice the money. There are even a few 'subsidies' like the George Morris Horsemanship Clinic. . .for kids who already have the sort of backing that wins equitation finals!

The thing is all these people work hard! They don't just spend the money and it all works out. And the people who don't have their own money are using someone else's. The people who pay are the people who play. Plus sa change. . ;)

Btw, I've done lots of cool stuff that other people have paid for. I am the opposite of bitter. But I have a very good idea what it takes to run a stable of FEI sj'ers and I also know what it can 'cost' to be the employee - and that's what you are - of the sort of people who can afford it. That's horses! :)
 
TarrSteps said:
The thing is all these people work hard! They don't just spend the money and it all works out. And the people who don't have their own money are using someone else's. The people who pay are the people who play. Plus sa change. . ;)

Btw, I've done lots of cool stuff that other people have paid for. I am the opposite of bitter. But I have a very good idea what it takes to run a stable of FEI sj'ers and I also know what it can 'cost' to be the employee - and that's what you are - of the sort of people who can afford it. That's horses! :)
Click to expand...

Oh but it's so not fair, if only I had ;) ...........
 
I very much see your point and agree bluemoon - and I think its on a scale, the GCT is the tip of the iceberg but the whole way down the scale to the people that can't ride at all, there are people who are excluded from things on cost.

But on the other hand, I think the GCT could be (or is??) a great thing for showjumping. I can't confess to know much about the top level workings of competition at all, but I read a lot on the UKSJ forum and a lot of people (the majority of who don't appear to be near GCT level in terms of ability or money) think it is a brilliant way to attract new owners to the sport, which can only be a good thing?
 
I went on Thursday and think that for London to have it is a brilliant opportunity and I hope that it isn't wasted. New money, new nations and amazing finance involved.
Yes sports like F1 require serious serious funding but no body buys their way in straight to the top, no way. Even in this sport, at least GCT where money is king you physically cannot have novice riders at 1.50 tracks!
Think of the rewards we can reap! Plus Massimo Dutti sponsors, finally some clothes that aren't bloody Joules :p
 
I like the GCT.

Baggybreeches I think I know who your friend is - she rode fab the last couple of days with worthy wins/placings, and proved why she's there.

Of course money talks. This sport is a hugely financial sport.

I dont know how many of these have only just joined the circuit but surely everyone has the possibility of a shaky start? Crikey my first 1m wasnt foot perfect let alone my first 130. And how many 150 classes are there to go and pop round to gain experience? You've got area trials and international stairway but it's not like you can pop to your local show and have a go at moving up a level like you can if you want to step up to newcomers. Theres several youngsters in it too.

The fees are ridiculous (although i had heard it was 5k per 2 horses but may be wrong) but then the prize money does reflect it. It's not like the £20 newcomers for £50 first prize is it. It's the biggest prize money class Britain has seen here, it's got to be funded somehow. And of course somebody has to pay the fees, even at levels below gct/nations cups people would have to have had a lottery win before they could afford to do this without any backing.

I'm at Bramham so havent seen as much as i would have liked but have heard its been fantastic.
 
Yes, you can buy your way into show jumping and GCT is a perfect example of it - but so what? You've still got to ride round those tracks which takes some doing! The fee for the big tour was CONSIDERABLY more than the small tour £5K, but you're not going to get around a 160 track unless you have some idea of what you're doing, even on the scopiest horse in the world (and these riders have damn good horses). Poles fall down in show jumping so it's not exactly unsafe - you might destroy your horses confidence but most these people train with the best riders in the world who can tune the horse up again. Not ideal, but also not that much worse than someone like me - I compete at 1.20m level on a scopes horse and I'm not always accurate so my mare has to deal with a few missers - it's show jumping, this happens! I see more dangerous riding in a British Novice down the road than at tge GCT... Paying to enter top level eventing would arguably be a lot more dangerous.
 
Also, anything that brings money and publicity to the sport is surely only a good thing. Equestrian sports are bloody expensive and exclusive and without money you're not going to get anywhere - but we knew that already! Maybe it's unfair, but it's also not "fair" that I don't have the physical talent to be a sprinter/swimmer/whatever. :)
 
This discussion highlights the relative value of money. Yes it is a lot of money to jump on the GCT but when I was 12 I found it a lot of money to go to my local gymkhana. Which is worse? Neither its all relative.

There seems to be some support here to turn show jumpers into communists.

I really enjoyed watching it yesterday, and thanks to some very rich people I got to watch it.
 
I watched it yesterday and thought it was a fabulous competition! It can only be a good thing surely. I was on the edge of my seat during the jump off, cool stuff.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top