How do you get to become an international rider??

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Horsey_Gal

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I know i'm day dreaming here and will never become one but I just wanted to know how the likes of John Whittaker, Pippa Funnell, Tim Stockdale etc etc became to earn a living out of being an international rider? How did they start off?
 
To start with the professional riders earn there money by buying and selling horses. Riding anything that will make them money. Unless you have your own money you need rich owners who are willing to pay thousands to buy you nice horses and pay you wages. Then as you become more well known you can start looking for sponsorship and this too will get you more money. It is a very long road to become a well-off rider where many fail to reach the end,
 
some do. some start off by having a very useful contact (Pippa had Ruth McMullen) to take them under their wing, give them a job and lots of nice horses to ride, and then perhaps marry someone rich, but a nice yard and attempt to be successfull enough to get sponsership. I suppose there are many different ways to the top, and none of them are easy.
 
"How long is a piece of string?"

This is really the kind of question you are asking. There are various ways to get there but as someone already said it isn't easy. In reality, if you had the money you could buy your own horses and jump internationally. Hell - i could jump abroad if i had the money.

The top SJers have put in alot of work to get where they are, and somewhere along the way, they find a little luck.

Tim Stockdale worked for various riders when he was younger i think, most importantly Lutz Meyerding who eventually helped him start out on his own. His bit of luck came when he won a class at the Royal Windsor Horse Show and i guess it just went from there. He also makes alot of money videos, TV (like only fools and faking it) i suppose. Most top riders will also share winnings etc and the owners of the horses pay for livery and so on.

My Trainer has two top SJers but doe not yet jump internationally - although she is on her way. She was lucky because her father had the money to buy two horses for her to compete. She also trained from a young age and went overseas to international sjers.

Most people who want to jump at top level are proberly best advised to work for someone already doing it. In truth though, it is very difficult, you need to be a great rider to ride for someone like that let alone compete.
 
I guess it's about getting rides on horses (any at the beginning can't be picky!) (freelance until can get own yard) and doing well with them - whether that be transforming problem horses or whatever - and gaining yourself a good reputation so more people send horses to you. And then being lucky enough to get a good enough horse to take you to a higher level where you then have to prove yourself and get a good reputation and that level to then have people send higher level horses etc and recieve sponsorship.
A long hard road with a HUGE amount of luck involved and helped along the way by being lucky enough to meet influential people.
 
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No 1 criteria for getting to the top - pots and pots of money.

[/ QUOTE ]


Sadly, very true but hopefully, someone elses......
 
The trick is to get people to buy the horses for you to ride.....That is where the long years and luck come in to it. No one will give a nobody, who hasn't proved themselves a decent horse. You have to work, in the lower levels with your own horses showing your aptitude and hopefully, bring on your own horse so you can get your name known at higher levels.


Everyone has to start somewhere and you never know. As long as you are willing to work and have the heart to take the good with the huge amount of bad, you could be representing GB, winning medals and have your face on products at the end. If you don't try, you will never know........Good luck.x
 
you need tallant.... & more importantly you need to be good at P.R. to get the ride & then even better at P.R. to keep it !

good luck !
 
In Ireland, there seems to be much more emphasis on producing young horses and many of the International riders here, especially those breaking onto the international scene have produced there own horses from breaking at 3-4yrs to Grand Prix level. These days a lot of young riders are moving abroad to place themselves with good trainers and riders and gain experience that they may not be able to get in Ireland without a lot of moeny and a lot of backing. Three of my friends have gone this route as in 2 of their cases, they dont come from horsey backgrounds and could not afford to buy a orse over 4-5years when they were coming out of ponies - thereby not having a horse to compete in Young Riders on. One of these guys has been abroad for the past 4years competed in YR Euros '06 and has been at many lower level internationals this year. Of the other two, one has been in Belgium for a year and has now been asked to runa yard full of showjumpers inc 3 Grand Prix horses in Germany this year and the other moved to Switzerland this spring and has placed and won at many large shows at 1.20m-1.40 level. It is possible to get there without masses and masses of money - but hard work, dedication and determination are the key. Making contacts is vital and you muct be willing to make opportunities happen. Take everything that comes your way, no matter how small - you never know how it might turn out. Arkov's right though - PR is a major part of reaching the top in any equine discipline.
 
Well you need to be a good rider to start with, and to make the effort and really work at improving as well. And ask advice and decide what advice to take!

Mary King worked as a groom for Shelia Warrington (?) (won Badminton 3 times), Carl Hester was a naturally talented rider, but he spent a lot of time buying and schooling less good horses and learning how to get the best out of them. Some riders have a dealing background and just got on anything and everything and made the most out of them.

In the end, the move from "good rider" to "international rider" is generally one exceptional horse. I think it said in The Event Horse that there are occasionally great horses and it is just your luck if you happen to own it, and any competent rider would be able to ride it and do well. It is the mark of a great rider that they continue to do well and produce horse after horse that is a great success. Think of, well Mary King, Andrew Nicholson, WFP, Pippa Funnell, and looking back to Harvey Smith, David Broome. I daresay that there are many, many excellent riders who have never had that one great horse that took them into teams and international success.
 
You also if you dont have the 'money' You have to make the most enormous sacrifices. Have grim determination , never take your eye off the ball , never give up, have some luck, and believe that you will get their some day some how.
Learning how to loose is a bigger lesson than winning.
The likes of Ruth Edge [nee: Friend] washed cars!!!
One thing i have learnt is also to never say 'if i had that kind of money then i would be....bla bla' Its called life get on with it, be happy to see people acheive, it makes doing well all the sweeter. I want to win because the opposition is good not because they are rubbish and i am less rubbish!!!
You also have to know how to live on the edge and take a Risk.
I tell you its really not for the faint hearted.
One of the worst things is losing that horse of a 'life time' just when you think you are getting some where.
As for owners they are easier when you are a 'bloke' as many owners are female..... mmmm wont dwell on that one. Good owners are easy to come by when you are winning but good owners that have faith and believe in you even when the chips are down are like hens teeth.That is not to say as a rider you dont have to deliver the goods in all ways, i always feel awful when i dont win because i so feel i have let my team down, so in reality i dont need the owner giving me a hard time too!!
All this does however pale into insignificance when you watch the union Jack go up when you are stood in a line up. Then i know why i was wearing my badge on my pocket.
So for me when the likes of Anna [Ross-Davies] get there by luck good sponsor and sheer hard work and a lot of pain its a case of 'Go girl!!!'
 
Look at the guy this year that did badminton....the dentist on the white horse???(did he come second...?i have a terrible memory for that sort of thing!) he was a relatively novice rider but was riding at an international level, he looked like he had a 110% honest horse and the balls to do it...
....But i think he's worthy of being an inspiration to everyone!
 
How many poor dentists do you know
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Also, a sharp, quirky horse with ability to go round Badminton will cost you a small fortune.....a straightforward honest one will cost you even more lol!
 
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