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POINT OF VIEW


slow across the board. There have been decades of an es- tablished modus operandi in the U.S. horse industry that is both comfortable and familiar. Old habits die hard, and the horse world is no exception. Although the “industry” aspect of the horse world has grown, the “sport” aspect hasn’t al- ways kept pace, particularly with the lack of young horse trainers. The ability to recognize raw talent coupled with the know-how to develop that talent in an approach that successfully brings horses through the pipeline is urgently needed if there is to be significant progress. Trainers are pressured to have horses show-ring ready


for American owners and riders in an effort to fit the busi- ness model. Shows continue to make money with more shows going on, a longer show season and more entries, but the sport part where horses are brought along from the ground up is lacking. “Nothing [re: regular shows] is made for the breeders


or the young horses here. This is an upside-down world in the U.S.,” says Young Horse Show’s founder Jean-Yves Tola. “The shows are not horse shows. They are people ‘with horses’ shows. It's a cultural problem and it will take a long time to change.” This change of culture includes promoting the con-


cept of delayed gratification, especially when it comes to breeding and training of the young. But change we must if we want to see different results. “Until we do, we will not be competitive as a breeding country. Europe will not help us since they make so much money selling us horses. We need our own system to produce youngsters,” Jean- Yves adds. Why such a yawning divide? Perhaps an enduring ap-


preciation of craftsmanship in Europe might explain, to a degree, the difference in their approach to breeding high-quality horses. It’s a well-deserved stereotype, in some respects, that Americans value instant gratification above all else. We get our coffee and meals to-go, our information in 30 second sound bites or 140 character tweets and our clothes off the rack. In Europe, by com- parison, roots grow deep, and the prevailing mindset still values the craftsmanship of items fashioned by the human hand. There is an understanding that some things just take time to reveal their intrinsic value. That thought process holds true for those in the horse industry, where bringing up young horses is a valued albeit time-con- suming process. Time and time again, one of the primary obstacles of


any young horse initiative is the sheer size of the United States compared to the more geographically compact and young horse friendly Europe. Here shows may have issues being filled and competitiveness varies, not to mention the travel and expense associated with a show many hours away. “There is a tremendous variation in


76 November/December 2014


“Europe will not help us since they make so much money


selling us horses. We need our own system to produce young- sters,” Jean-Yves adds.


r


the way the competition is presented across the country, depending on the venue, schedule, etc. I have judged all phases some places alone, judged all phases in consulta- tion with another judge, and judged only one phase,” says judge Karen Winn. “There is also a tremendous variation in the preparation of the horses involved. Some are going off the farm for the first time and others are already com- peting regularly.” As most professionals readily admit, good breeding and good training will only go so far to produce that win- ning mount. The other link is plenty of show experience. “The more they show, the better they can perform at the shows. That is why we need these shows—and a lot of them—everywhere,” Jean-Yves says. “They need to be very, very cheap. Even cheaper than they are now. Easy to get to and have age-appropriate classes. We offer a dozen YHS shows a year at the moment. We need 200!”


A Brighter Future for Breeders? Jean-Yves, like many in the industry, sees the value in cre- ating a national horse ID system that identifies all show horses, both native-born and imported, and brings some national standards. His logic for such an undertaking is


Jean-Yves Tola at the 2013 Young Horse Shows Final.


Katie Schultz


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