How can i become a famous rider?

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NiamhyBee97

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Hi,
Any thoughts or information on how i could become a famous rider, like Mary King,Oliver Townend, Lucinda Green,etc,etc.
My family isn't horsey,and we don't have much money, to afford a horse etc. I just wondered how i could get involved in it,and how i could earn money in the industry to help fund my dream.
I don't really know where to start,especially without a horse,and i would really appreciate any ideas!:)
I am 13 years old,if that helps.:)
Thanks!
NiamhyBee97
:)
 
Hi Niamhybee, the short answer is, its not easy, and if you aren't lucky enough to come from a horsy family or have parents who are absolutely loaded, its even harder. Do you have riding lessons now, would your riding school let you help out on Saturdays or something? That's a brilliant way to learn lots about horses and riding without it costing a fortune.

Unfortunately, most horsy jobs aren't very well-paid. You could go to be a working pupil for an eventer when you leave school, but again, this isn't very well-paid at all, and you would need to have a good knowledge of riding and caring for horses.

Would your parents let you have a share in a horse? It costs less than owning your own, and if the owner is generous, perhaps you could start competing that.
 
I would say you need a horse box someone to drive it and money.

The more shows you go to and the more you are placed ie in quallifers or more points you get if you BE, BS Or BD the higher up a level you can go if you can progress through the levels then I would say you have made it.

The more top level events you do the more you will become noticed, if people start following you then compaies will want sponsor you beacuse you will become a walking bill board.

hard work and more hard work with finances to back you up. Good Luck, I have tried and again my family are not horsey so now I am big enough to drive myself fingers crossed one day Ill make it international, an un-realistic dream maybe but if you dont try you'll never know.
 
Lets think about this, its not about being famous, that comes at the end, first you need to learn to ride really well, by which I mean the best rider in your age group.
Do you live near to a stables, be it a competition yard or a riding school or a racing yard, because you will have to go nearly every day so you can to get plenty of hands on experience.
Will your parents fund your lessons, you need to work very hard to get the most benefit from your lessons, and you need to turn up before your lesson, ready to tack up your own horse. Ask if you can groom him as well, they will be most impressed!
If you can find someone who needs help with their horse or pony and is willing to let you ride it under supervision then go for it!, but keep an open mind and keep going to lessons.
Exams tend to be quite expensive unfortunately, and you can't leave school yet, there is little chance of being able to buy and compete on the sort of wages anyone earns in the industry so you will have to get a pupil position in a competition yard when you leave school. This normally entails leaving home!
 
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I had this exact dream at your age - since birth really and in the same No loaded parents/no pony scenario. I have competed (not to Mary King levels ;) ) but to a decent standard where my limits felt pushed. I got to where I was by taking rides on ANYTHING, attending ponyclub on foot or on borrowed ponies, working hard - very hard. Offering to sweep yards, cover new years day or other days no grooms or owners want to do. I then took over one of these yard at 15 and had sole charge inc competing of 14 horses, nothing under 16hh!! It was a huge responsibilty and meant always being late or not going into school (not good) I didnt have a day off for nearly 2 years! I started at 4.30 worked til 8.30 went to school, worked from 4.30 until everything was exercised and put to bed! From this yard I went and rode for an owner competin gin eventing and showing which was much less work (at Uni then) and spent my summers sole charging at a polo yard to try and save (didnt happen!!) for my own string of horses to compete. I was 19 and it really wasnt happening quick enough for my impatient nature so I found me a rich husband ;) - who turns out wasnt as loaded as I needed but still I had my own horse for the first time when I was 21!!! :D

I have now sold that one and upgraded from a £450 TB that I sold for a profit to a classy little Warmblood I bought out of the money! :D

Moral of the story is - work as hard as you are physically able and if all else fails - Marry someone rich!! ;)

Keep us posted xx
 
Bless you!
Its not going to be easy! I came from a non horsey family and it was very difficult even to have any contact with a horse forget about ride one!

I wish you the best of luck and hope that one day we hear your name on the TV! xx
 
The piece of advice that I would give you is never give up :D

Maybe you could start by helping out at a local yard. All horsey jobs etc are invaluable experience. I agree its always going to be harder when you dont come from a horsey background but just keep looking to the future. You WILL have your own horse one day and you can start planning what you will do together now! :D
 
there is a really good book called 'how good riders get good' by denny emerson. it's a great read.

i think more than anything else at this stage you need to be helping out at a riding school or something - working in exchange for rides or money to pay for lessons. that way, eventually (probably not until you get a bit older and more experienced in your riding) when something needs riding, you'll be there to ride it and you'll learn an enormous amount. also remember riding is only half of it, horses don't look after themselves and you won't get to be a great rider without shoveling poo for years first.

but it's not all about being famous. i think it's much better to do brilliantly at lower levels than go to a really high level when you aren't ready and make a dogs dinner of it. i used to want to be a famous rider, but your ambitions change as you get older and now nothing makes me happier than working on my scatty (but wonderful) ex racehorse and i know i couldn't hack being an advanced eventer.
 
i left school when i was 15, went to work in a pair old old wellies with plastic bags inside, i saved up and bought a pony on Hp.

today i have my own farm, business, and selection of horses including a stallion,

ok i"m not famous, don't want to be, but i wanted the horses so badly i did three jobs at one point, so be perpared to work very hard.

if i can say one thing about riding that you should remember and that might help you to be famous one day it is this, to ride really well you must be gentle with the horses mouth, no gadgets of any kind, use your legs correctly, ok you might not understand now but one day you will, and if you get this one thing inside your head you will be halfway there.

if anyone tells you to ride differently from this walk away, there are great trainers out there who will show you the way.

look at the spanish and portugese riders on utube and how they sit and how wonderfully their horses move this is what you are aiming for
 
tristar said:
i left school when i was 15, went to work in a pair old old wellies with plastic bags inside, i saved up and bought a pony on Hp.

today i have my own farm, business, and selection of horses including a stallion,

ok i"m not famous, don't want to be, but i wanted the horses so badly i did three jobs at one point, so be perpared to work very hard.

if i can say one thing about riding that you should remember and that might help you to be famous one day it is this, to ride really well you must be gentle with the horses mouth, no gadgets of any kind, use your legs correctly, ok you might not understand now but one day you will, and if you get this one thing inside your head you will be halfway there.

if anyone tells you to ride differently from this walk away, there are great trainers out there who will show you the way.

look at the spanish and portugese riders on utube and how they sit and how wonderfully their horses move this is what you are aiming for
Click to expand...

Oh Here Here.
Could not agree more!
Land light, ride light ride right!
Read Heather Moffet's Kinder way to ride. Enlightened Equitation
Wishing you every success.
 
get as much experience with horses as you can at a yard or something, save up money through a job, spend your money on lessons, adopt a mentor.

my son is mad keen and has been told has some ability by an international instructor, he is doing all these things

hard work, being in right place at right time, luck, persistence it all helps - good luck
 
i know a few people with a nice decent line of horses, money the lot and they still are sooo far from making it to the top even with the money and the horses, alot of us horse people want to be famous riders but reality is none or not many actully will :)
 
Right 1st of all

Money CANNOT buy you talent or experience- FACT!​

I was lucky as a kid at although we din't have much cash we had some land, but before i was allowed to even think of having my own i had to have 2 YEARS of lessons that i had to muck out 30 sows and their piglets (crap, afterbirth and worse) every Saturday and every Sunday and school holidays i mucked out even more pigs to earn my own money to buy my 1st pony. (You can see why i hate pigs so much!)
Then when I got the pony I kept the Saturday mucking out to continue paying my lessons but after i would have to spend an hour or so power washing the Ifor cattle trailer so it was clean to take the pony to a show Sunday.
We'd go to shows and there would be all this posh lorries and I used to feel so intimidated by them and they all looked down their noises at us, but my Mum always said 'Money doesn't by experience or talent' and lots of these posh lorries unloaded push button ponies that my dog could have ridden and got double clears.
When i out grewn that chap we sold him for double(£700) what I'd bought him for as a 4 year old and bought a... wait for it... 14hh trotter X hackney thats legs were all over the place but after a year of schooling and lessons he was showing really talent for jumping and before long he was JA and jumping all over the country and at all the big 4 day shows until I was out of juniors.
Then my parents split up we sold the farm and i didn't have the cash to make the change to seniors... and boys came along- blah blah blah.
Now back into it with a supportive husband on a horse with 'potential' having lessons and planning to affiliate in the autumn and get as far as we can.:rolleyes:

So summarising my essay, hard work, regular lessons (even the pros keep learning), hard work, determination oh and good luck and have fun x
 
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