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Yearning for Youth
ublisher’sWelcome
ot long aſter the first few issues of Warmbloods Today were published, in 2009 I received via email a very lengthy report, more like a thesis, from a woman I didn’t know. Normally I would hit
“Delete” and toss it in my junk mail folder, but instead, on a whim I began to read it. Te subject matter was regarding her concern about the future of equestrian showing and competing. Her message, in a nutshell, was that the baby boomers that were competing 20, 30 and 40 years ago are primarily the same people competing at today’s horse shows, now with gray hair and thicker waists. It is this generation, she said, that’s been keeping our industry afloat for the last 40 years. Where is the next generation of equestrians? Without them, 20 or 30 years from now, the equine industry, and yes, the horses too, are headed for a steep decline. Okay, now the author had my undivided attention. Te next section of her report took an unexpected turn. She claimed that the lack of today’s youth involvement
with horses was due to—are you ready—television. She pointed out that thirty, forty, and even fiſty years ago, a large portion of television shows featured the inspirational relationship between man and beast using live animals. How can we forget Lassie, Gentle Ben, Flipper, Mr. Ed, and so many others? Westerns were also very popular, such as Bonanza and Big Valley, where we saw both hero and villain on horseback. Te Nielsen ratings that have ranked the top television shows since 1950 had the “prime time” winners as Gunsmoke from 1957–1961, Wagon Train from 1961–1962, and Bonanza from 1965–1967. Since today’s television programming inundates our children with high-tech animation, reality shows (American
Idol has been #1 since 2005) and sit-coms, I started to think this author might be on to something. By the end of her thesis, I was disappointed that she didn’t offer up any solutions to this potential crisis our industry is heading for. Her report has been haunting me ever since. When our contributing writer Amber Heintzberger asked me if she could submit a piece about the benefits of
being a working student, I gave her an enthusiastic yes. I thought that this would be one more way to reach out to our youth to urge them to become involved with knowledgeable trainers, which ultimately will keep our industry thriving. However, aſter I read Amber’s well-written conglomerate of opinions, I realized that the message in the article isn’t just for the youth. Olympian show jumper Will Simpson hit the nail on the head when he remarked, “I think as horsemen go, it’s our duty to pass on what we know.” Tat’s when it dawned on me: Baby-boomer horse veterans, we are the ones responsible to preserve the future of our industry—and we must be willing to do whatever it takes to involve and support the younger generation. With this March/April issue boasting our largest issue to date, I hope you enjoy the variety of features we present,
many of which are about younger riders. You’ll also appreciate the special Hanoverian section, which explains their history, their organization and member benefits. And as always, if you have any comments or inspirational stories to share, please drop us a line. My newfound goal is that Warmbloods Today will begin to draw in more of the younger generation since only about ten percent of our readers are under age 30. Since tomorrow’s horse industry is in the hands of today’s young riders, let’s all do our part.
Liz Cornell, Publisher
editor@warmbloodstoday.com
Our Mission: Warmbloods Today is the only magazine in North America focused on the entire spectrum of Warmblood breeds. It’s a place where people from all aspects of the sport horse community can come together: amateurs, owners, trainers and breeders. Each issue contains interesting, informative and often heart-warming stories of peoples’ experiences with their horses, along with thought-provoking opinions from various professionals and amateurs. We cover all horses from European descent bred for the sports of jumping, dressage, eventing and driving including the Iberian breeds and American Warmbloods.
12 March/April 2012
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