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Post by jimmy on Jul 14, 2017 14:25:45 GMT
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Post by horseguy on Jul 14, 2017 15:49:30 GMT
Katie Monahan Prudent - Classic Fort Riley Seat release, following hands, straight line from elbow to bit.
She was born in 1954 (I am 6 years older) when the Fort Riley Seat was still the standard in America and many instructors were former Cavalry.
In the article Monahan Prudent says, "Unfortunately, because of money, the fearful, talentless amateur can rise to a certain level. And that’s sort of what the sport has become—how far can the amateur go by buying the greatest horse in the world. It’s not where can a good riding kid go on any horse that comes down the pike. It’s just a totally different sport now."
Wow, she even goes to the hired Irish Staff hunt riders running packs because Americans (weak amateurs, she calls them) can't keep up hunting hounds.
"The sport makes me sick nowadays. And in America, what’s very sad is that we’re not producing a ton of great riders. We have all the Irish boys coming over here and riding all the horses and getting all the owners. Because we’re just producing a bunch of weak amateurs."
Interviewer: "And do you see a way out of this trough now, to pull us out of this and produce the riders that we need for international success?"
Prudent: "I don’t see a way out right now. I think we’re going to have to hit rock bottom. And the team and all of us are talking about it, and how to get us out of it. But I think in about five to 10 years, we’re going to have a very hard time putting together a good team. I really think we are."
The problem I see will being finding them. In the 1950's through the 80's all the cross country courses were at hunt clubs. There were no starting boxes. Your horse had to stand still on a dirt road next to the starter who was looking at his watch. When he said go, you went. Now half the riders can't keep a horse in the box. They wait outside circling and the starter tells the a couple seconds before their start time so they can flash in and out of the box. Hunt horses had to stand quietly when the Field got out in front of the pack by mistake, so as not to disturb a running fox. Now many can't stand still in a starting box or at a check in a hunt. I would look in the hunts for young riders as well as in eventing for riders who didn't come up through Hunter/Jumpers. I'd have open trials for riders around the country like they used to and encourage western riders, eventers, fox hunters, polo players, any rider to find the most talented instead of the chummy political channeling of "preferred" riders they have gone to that created this mess.
Prudent: " ... the coaches have learned to try and make it easy for the riders. They want their riders to like the sport. They want their riders to stay with them. They want it to be a nice day at the horse show. You know what? It isn’t always a nice day at the horse show. Sometimes you have to work really hard to get through a day, and a lot of these kids, they don’t even know what that means." These are the riders who "will take (experienced) advice under consideration".
Thanks Jimmy, made my day. I know someone close to you who could be the hope when it all bottoms out, as well as some riders here. America just has too many horses and too many athletic young riders to continue down this political path of a team with foreign ringers and being beaten by countries that don't have a fraction of our USA equestrian tradition.
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