Remember my tales about Riding Instructors (and Part 2)?
Here is the other side of the equation…. a few of the students that at times I’ve met, ridden with, taught, and possibly even been.
5. Miss I’m-Going-To-Rolex
You’re never more dangerous than when you don’t know what you don’t know.
This is the older rider who one day decides that “Rolex” is the goal….. She looks at the list of qualifications (cause that’s all you need right? to qualify?)….. a couple 2 stars, a 3 star……looks like a piece of cake. She takes note that the horse doesn’t even have to qualify for Prelim…. only the rider………..
She needs 4 training levels to qualify for Prelim so she sets out to buy a horse ready for training level. (You know, because she doesn’t HAVE an event horse and she’s never GONE training level……….)
She buys a horse competing at Novice…….. well sort of…………. so the horse has been stopping at Novice but the seller assures her the horse is solid, it was just rider error…..you know…… the coach was riding the horse when it started stopping…….. but the horse is totally “ready for Training!”
OF COURSE, she buys the horse……. and plans her path to Rolex.
It looked something like
Year 1
August = Buy young horse that’s done a few novices (with jumping penalties)
Fall Season = 4 training levels and a Training 3 Day
Spring Season = Prelim (you only need 4 training levels to go Prelim after all)
Year 2
Fall season = Intermediate & a couple of 2 stars
Spring season = a 3 star or two
Year 3 = Rolex
Piece of cake.
Soooooo she sets out on her quest and here’s how it went…………….
Fall Season
1st attempt at training level, an RF (that’s a Rider Fall) at the very FIRST jump
Uh oh now we have to add another Training level to the list because we didn’t get a qualifying score………
2nd attempt at training level, an E at the second fence. Please note this was an improvement, they did make it over ONE fence this time……..
BUT……. add another event to the calendar, still no qualifying score!
She asks her coach if she should go back to Novice for awhile…….
Coach says, “the size of the jumps have nothing to do with the problem, keep going training level.”
3rd attempt at training level, an RF at the 3rd jump on course……..Well…….she made it over 2 jumps this time. PROGRESS!!!!!!
By now, everyone knows this rider is scary.
Does she go back to Novice?
No way. Why? Coach says that won’t help………..
By the end of the first fall season if there was ever any hope for this pair (which is doubtful) it’s completely gone.
By spring the pony UNDERSTANDABLY doesn’t want to play anymore……
and Bad Eventer Miss I’m-Going-To-Rolex finally decides to go back to Novice………
But it’s too late.
The damage is done.
For both of them.
Now eventing is scary, and the horse decides she’s not doing it, not at any level.
The student spends the week before competitions…….. vomiting…… and at some point between dry heaves realizes the goal is not Rolex…….
It’s to HAVE FUN…….. and this…..
is NOT fun.
Eventually Miss I’m-Going-To-Rolex changes coaches.
(Took long enough.)
(Took long enough.)
The new coach puts her foot down and says you cannot EVER ride this horse again.
And matches her up with the perfect……… MOST PERFECT……..
packer …..where she FINALLY got that qualifying score at Training level……….
and it was fun.
A good trainer is a priceless asset to any horse and rider.
Always need the right trainer and realistic goals 😉