Here's a question for you. You want to make a life out of show jumping, but have you planned what sort of life you ultimately hope for if all goes well? I don't want to stomp on your feelings, but at the moment it all comes across as being a very nice young woman doing some show jumping with her nice horses. An expensive hobby and not a career. This is something that I really do want you to think about.
I want to address this comment and I meant to do it a while ago, and Kippen really doesn't have to apologise for it but I do realise I have never really addressed this. As I said in the post before I'm not looking beyond the end of this season really because I was so close to quitting last season I just need to get through and figure out what I'm capable of.
At the moment yes, showjumping is a very expensive hobby that I take part in, but it has been my choice to do it this way. I have several friends that ride of a similar level as e try and run horse businesses with lessons and training, and they all go under. The only one who isn't, rides World cup and Grand Prix level, and she is still struggling to keep her head above water. The Showjumping world is so small in NZ that everyone really already knows everyone. I don't have the reputation yet to get business sent my way.
So I work so that I can ride. This has given me the freedom to pay the $600 it costs me to run two horses through a two day Cashmore clinic, something I couldn't afford if I was doing horses as my sole income earner. I don't have the facilities to bring other peoples horses here either. Believe me I have looked at some properties for lease really seriously, but when my partner left, that became no longer a viable option.
Currently then, if I do decide to stay Showjumping and get more serious about it, I would like to wait until I'm consistent at the 1.25m-1.30m level and take on some schoolers and lessons and see how it goes, rather than just keeping straight in with out any thought for how I'm going to afford it all. For now though I'm making enough progress to keep myself happy, ticking along as I am.
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Cool. You have been doing some serious thinking about it. What would it take to get you to the next stage? I am so glad that I didn't stomp on your feelings as that was never my intention. Although I have formerly worked for an Australian rider who had competed internationally, show jumping is not really my caper. Have popped over courses up to 1m just for fun but have never competed in it.
ReplyDeleteAmen to the expensive hobby part of your post. My wallet needs a break.
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