Is it money and not hard work that makes you a successful rider?

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Echo24

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Just read an article on the Guardian's website about Zara Phillips success and I was thinking of writing an article for my journalism course based on it. There are a lot of people out there who reckon you need a nice rich family to be a successful competition rider. What does everyone think? If you're hard working and dedicated is that enough to get you to the top without a bundle of cash sitting next to you? I certainly hope so as it would be my dream one day to compete and I'm not rich at all!
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If you don't have money yourself, then in eventing to be successful, you probably need to find someone who does.

Money doesn't mean that you will get round Badminton though!!!
 
Money won't necessarily mean you'll be successful...but there comes a point that even the most talented rider will struggle to progress without the finances to do it.

Personally I think you need a lot of hard work, natural talent and a bit of money behind you to be successful.
 
TBH I think luck comes into it too, certainly with eventing: my list would be needing 3 of 4 out of talent, commitment, money and luck! If you are lucky you might find that one bargain good horse who will go through the grades with you and provide you with a "shop window" so future rides come your way. You can still get lucky and buy a super-talented 4* eventer quite cheaply as a baby, but I'm not sure that's the case in dressage/SJ - maybe you really do need money for them
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I reckon dedication and hard work and determination are the most important criteria. Yes money helps but if you have enough determination, you will use it to prove yourself and thus gain sponsorhip deals, etc - "where there's a will there's a way". Likewise, talent helps but with enough determination and hard work you can create talent - to some luck sods it's natural born and others have to work at it. Luck - it's always claimed that you create your own luck.

I don't think you would find any of the top eventers, no matter what walk of life they come from, lacking in determination.
 
You've got to have the raw talent to go with the stacks of cash...

I could have £2million sat in the bank and a yard full of super dooper dressage horses in my yard... doesn't mean I could ride either side of them!!!
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(this could start me on a whole new thread....)

BUT

I do agree... if you've got that talent... then it certain helps a LOT if you've got the financial backing - Buying horses of Olympic standard isn't cheap.. even buying youngsters with "potential" costs and arm and a leg! Then there's the training adn the upkeep (I know how much I spend a month on H and she's only a pet) theres the specialist training and travelling around the country (not to mention the world when you go international) flying horses isn't cheap - stabling whilst at competitions - the very fact that you're competing so can't work to earn the money is also another major problem for those without money!

So yes.. they are right to a certain extent - but you've got to have talent too!
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You won't make it without money or knowing someone who is willing to give you theirs.

You'll cope to a certain level - depending on how good a horse you found, but you'll still need cash and the ability to not to have to work or be able to take a lot of time off if you want to make it to the top.

Unfortunatley life isn't a Jilly Cooper novel.
 
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I reckon dedication and hard work and determination are the most important criteria. Yes money helps but if you have enough determination, you will use it to prove yourself and thus gain sponsorhip deals, etc - "where there's a will there's a way". Likewise, talent helps but with enough determination and hard work you can create talent - to some luck sods it's natural born and others have to work at it. Luck - it's always claimed that you create your own luck.

I don't think you would find any of the top eventers, no matter what walk of life they come from, lacking in determination.

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That is the whole point - SOMEONE needs to have money in order for you to succeed - whether it is family money or outside sponsorship. Getting to the top of any equestrian discipline is not cheap.
 
With money it means your route to success will only be blocked by a lack of dedication and talent really becomes a more minor factor.
In dressage i think money is vital. In eventing it is possible to pick up a good horse for relatively little money, so that if it breaks or for whatever reason does not get there then it is quite feasable to begin again.
In dressage , i think the time= money factor comes into play.
I will not deny that Laura B is an outstanding rider but that surely must have ben helped hugely by the horse power that she has always had available to her and the opportunity that this money provides in terms of experience. all our top lady dressage riders have massive financial backing.
Emma H. Fiona B. Most have had facilities in terms of yards provided for them amazing horse power on more than one horse and have as a result been able to explore their talent without the financial strain of running a buisiness to enable them to survive. So you certainly ned an awful lot more talent and dedication if you dont have money.Oh and spades of luck.!
 
the rider is only as good as the horse they ride...i mean, you put ellen whitaker or pippa funnell on my stumpy little horse and tbh they'd look crap! it does come down to a lot of dedication aswell, but without the right horse youre not going to get very far. my mate just blew £14k on an eventer and comparing them competing now up to her on her previous horse is unbelievable, the new horse makes her look like she could be doing burghley next year! so yeah, in my opinion it is the rich backgroound that gets you places...like most things nowadays.
 
Hhhmm I don't entirely agree with you there - I think a good rider can make any horse dance to their tune to a certain degree - which is what sorts the wheat from the chaff - a GOOD rider - an ok rider that is carried by her horse will (IMO) only be carried so far!
Kate x
ETS - I do understand what you're trying to say though - if you've got a bloody good horse it's a GOOD start!
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It has to make the route easier, though unless you have the talent no amount of money will do it.
I know of one top dressage trainer who got there with no financial support at all, but he sweated blood and tears for years learning his craft.
Eventing is not a sport anyone can do without money.
Even an Intro costs around £60 plus a tenner start fee, and the diesel cost, running the transport, shoes with stud holes etc even the body protector all add up.
We worked out what our horses had cost to run last year in shoes/transport/entries/feed/ and lessons and it came to £15600.
A lot of that was training, as you can't be successful without it.
My daughter is now getting free training by working for an event rider, and experience by riding numerous different horses every day.
She gets transport to shows and our box now only does the odd bit of work.
She is competing a horse produced by a breeding programme started by us 25 years ago, she has never ever had any sort of "made" horse even a pony.
If you look at Zara's horses, some of them have come from that route too, Princess Anne has been breeding around the same length of time.

Dressage is a whole different ball game.
Without mega bucks you haven't a cat in hell's chance unless you find a rich person to buy you a horse.
I don't think any rider can be successful unless they dedicate their lives to it for a period of time, with no distractions and even then they may not have the talent at the end of it!
How many people can afford to work for meagre wages and not mind about doing without the basics whilst training?
I wish you the best of luck but unless you have an extraordinary talent you have little chance of making it...
 
I think a horsey background counts for more though as if you are young you need a team to support you and helping you. There will be some exceptions to this such as Ruth Edge but on the whole the British Team is made up with people who have incredibly supportive parents and got them started young. That family will then chuck everything at it as well and sacrifice. Money cannot buy that kind of support.

The Pony event team to me completely proves that money will buy you success. Libby Soley has the best money can buy and she gets pretty good results. But it is only really at Ponies and Juniors that money will get you the success anything above that it seems that dedication and luck have a huge factor.
 
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the rider is only as good as the horse they ride...i mean, you put ellen whitaker or pippa funnell on my stumpy little horse and tbh they'd look crap!

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Don't agree with this, a fantastic rider can make a quite ordinary horse look good: case in point being Headley Brittannia who was pretty ordinary on the flat to start with (always wonderful jumper), look at what Lucinda has achieved in terms of making her do a really flashy test!

Conversely, there are plenty of cases of talented horses brought through the grades by good jockeys and sold to muppets for megabucks, who promptly stop performing - better not quote examples here
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It has to make the route easier, though unless you have the talent no amount of money will do it.

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Which has been proven by one very rich chappy who struggles to get round a novice, but the same horse went to WFP in the same season and did v well (won?) Burghley. Said v rich chappy is apparently no longer going to even try and get beyond novice because despite having as much cash to throw at it as he likes, he struggles even at novice.
 
Not just money. Other things are needed to be at the TOP: a good horse, talent, dedication, training. And in time, top is reached.

Money always helps but, IMO nothing replaces hard dedicated training; the more I train, the more lucky I get!! ...curious...
 
You need talent and dedication and money .If you lack the first two then forget it. If you lack the third ,there are ways of getting it ,breaking the law or parents breaking the law[ yes I do know someone whose Dad got 12 years in prison but it did fund their horses to high level], marry money or just be extemely lucky to buy a cheap horse that has hidden talent and get noticed and offered rides and it all paid for.
 
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TBH I think luck comes into it too, certainly with eventing: my list would be needing 3 of 4 out of talent, commitment, money and luck! If you are lucky you might find that one bargain good horse who will go through the grades with you and provide you with a "shop window" so future rides come your way. You can still get lucky and buy a super-talented 4* eventer quite cheaply as a baby, but I'm not sure that's the case in dressage/SJ - maybe you really do need money for them
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Agree with this. I don't think talent alone is enough. But equally I think money alone won't get someone round badminton. But you can have talent and a good horse paid for by someone but if it goes lame you're screwed. So luck is so important. For those of us that have neither luck money nor vast amounts talent - G&T and H&C TV will have to do instead!
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I think to really succeed firstly you need a fabulous back up behind you as a child, to put you on the right training steps, get you the right horse etc to learn your job, then when your older your own dedication comes in, and obviously you will never really get anywhere without cash! It sometimes makes me chuckle actually when someone like Zara Phillips has been quoted to say that she gets cross at people saying she has only got where she has because of her money... but think about it, yes she is talented BUT look at the backup and finance, lets face it she should be good lol! I came from totally non horsey parents and have really struggled, it is easier financially now but i sometimes feel i really missed out on Pony Club etc as a kid. If i had had Zara's backing, well who knows LOL!
 
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