How many of you really want to go to the top?

[Jenny_Kelly]

Saying that though - eventing is perhaps an "easier" sport than show jumping and dressage for getting very far - or at least it has the odd semi-amateur at the top. Not really sure why this is, and perhaps I'm completely wrong. Perhaps the horses aren't quite as ludicrously expensive as pure jumping horses?

that is commonly thought of as the reason... the levels of breeding in pure sj/dr horses have always meant prices are through the roof...its just the way its turned out I think aswell. Eventing is more about the heart and guts of the horse and how willing it is to work for the rider rather than true ability...you could have a horse with all the jump in the world, but if it hasnt got the heart of a lion and 'want' to do what it's being asked, then it won't make it very far in eventing! If you ever listen to OT about his rise to the top, he says of how he would have gone down the sj path had it not been so expensive...
Saying that though, I'm not an eventer haa! Was going to until I found out that it would cost me over £60 for a simple class...
Thats what I've heard along the way anyway, sj and dr are ridiculously expensive!!

 

[ATD131]

i want to be the first female jockey to win the grand national but i am pretty sure that will never happen!! ill just go where life takes me, though i want to be involved with horses for as long as possible

 

[dieseldog]

So on that basis - like Duncan Bannatyne, I'm out!

Duncan Bannatyne fell off and broke his elbow while training with Tim Stockdale for Only Fools on Horses

 

[BEUnderTheInfluence]

For me, this was the big question about a year ago.

I decided that if I was going to event, I wanted to do it properly, proffesionally and full time or not at all. I don't have parents with deep pockets, I don't have any credible results and have had to tough it out with horses that normal teens don't have to deal which instilled this huge drive in me.

I'm well aware its not "realistic", but realistic is the most commonly travelled rode to mediocrity. Whats the point of being realistic? It wasn't realistic for me to hope to gain a placement on an Olympic event yard at 16yrs old with no connections, money or results to my name, but it happened. And here I am.

I know its never going to produce any money, its going to be horrendous work, heartbreaking, miserable and tough as nails at times and I have always been (and been persistantly made) very aware of that. It came down to me thinking "I really need to do this, I want this life and I want to fill this huge hungry pit of ambition. I want to do this properly and I want to do something that people normally avoid in order to be "realistic" because I don't want to look back in 30yrs time and think...what could have been"

I don't veiw myself as spectacularly talented, where I excell is having this ridiculous work ethic and drive. I watch all the riders, all the time, constantly. Every time I sit on a horse I take something away from it. Talent you have naturally, skill can only be developed through hours and hours of watching, listening, learning and practicing because at the end of the day if you're not skilled, your talent is going to fail you. This is what I'm hanging onto, so far a road that seemed impossible (and people repeated this) has unfurled before me in an amazing (if not flukey) way and I'm grabbing and running with it as far as I can :-D

 

[Baggybreeches]

I am somewhere in the middle - I have never truly dedicated myself to horses as I would certainly not be in the position I am in now with having a house etc but if the cards all aligned themselves perfectly or I had an outstanding horse I would probably take a career break or maybe go part time. I do it all for fun but as my OH would say I am completely obsessed.

^^^ this is me ^^^
I havent done any competing this year due to other commitments and tbh I haven't really missed it, I am quite happy trundling about and going hunting. And to be brutal I actually think I am a bit too old for delusions of world domination

 

[mga4ever]

It has always been my ambition to just do my best and enjoy my pony but after winning my first world title in 2004 I feel I have to well. It's now 3 years since we won a major title and age is catching up with me so hopefull I can now start to compete for fun.