Unsustainable, elitist sport... how have we made it here?

[Fieldlife]

One of my liveries worked out that it costs her £33k a year to run each of her horses, taking into account all livery, competition costs etc. This is a very ambitious young rider who will go to the top if she carries on as she is, but my goodnes that's a lot of money!

that’s approximately the average salary for U.K., I think!

 

[Starzaan]

that’s approximately the average salary for U.K., I think!

Yep! Astonishing isn’t it?!

 

[blitznbobs]

Tbh though when I was a uni student I couldn’t afford to eat never mind compete a horse at BE (and yes I had a job)

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

All sports get a bit elitist. I was a decently high level badminton player a few years ago before the incident that gave me PTSD meant I couldn’t deal with the natural stress and anxiety of a high level tournament and I had to stop Competing. However despite being 11th in Scotland for mixed doubles ladies I didn’t have a sponsorship, people lower ranked than me did, I didn’t get coaching or training assistance, again people lower ranked than me did and it was a slog to pay for court hires, training shuttles, comp shuttles to practice before the tourney, travel to tourneys, entries to tourneys, playing league matches, travel to league matcheshotels for stay away weekends etc I even played internationally a few times on my own dime.

Now that I’m not doing it I don’t know if I could justify going back to that level again and pay out all that money.

Even if Faran and I got to the (now) BE level of competition I seriously doubt I would even bother, one BE event would pay my months livery plus a lesson and arena/course hire. I know what I’d rather have the money for TBH.

Let it be Elitist, once the little people are propping it up it will fall flat on it bum I wager.

 

[eahotson]

BE has never been affordable. I used to do it on a shoestring by breaking my own cheaply bought horses in, driving self-converted lorries and competing (well, entering, I was rarely in the rosettes ?) without paying for training.
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That's quite inspirational actually.

 

[lannerch]

Perhaps look unaffiliated if you have good ones near you unless you are aiming for something specific. No idea how the costs compare though as I don't event. Some fab competitions and prizes unaffiliated for dressage etc.

Unaffiliated eventing is not much cheaper. Around here affiliated still guarantees a standard which at the unaffiliated even at the events that hold both cannot be taken as a given without the affiliated badge , so imo that little bit more is well worth paying.
Eventing is an expensive sport always has been. Horses are expensive, we do what we have to do to support our passion.

 

[ycbm]

That's quite inspirational actually.

I missed out the bit that I had my own land so no livery fees!
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[eahotson]

Expensive?...undoubtedly...always has been but with the increased safety requirements in all phases....that cost has escalated, it was much more rough and ready in the old days!

Elitist?....I think it is more that the top levels have become the province almost exclusively of the professionals, with BE effectively operating as a 2 tier sport.

Back in pre history Novice BE was the lowest affiliated level, with a very good unaffiliated system feeding into it, but it was still possible for a one-horse amateur to reach the top levels.

Now the lower BE levels of 80-100 are the equivalent of the old unaffiliated, but with the MERs/FEI qualifications required, it is now incredibly difficult for the one horse amateur to progress all the way up the ranks, as they have to complete more qualifying competitions than the multi- horse (usually) professionals. You have to be lucky with a very sound horse to manage it...and it costs a fortune when funding it yourself, not relying on owners!

It's not just BE that's running a two tier system.Showjumping and dressage is the same really.Top level sport,any sport is getting a bit elitist.

 

[eahotson]

I missed out the bit that I had my own land so no livery fees!
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Still well done.