Is it Po$$ible to Make a Profit By Charlene Strickland
Using the words “profit” and “Grand Prix jumper” in
the same sentence can sound like an
oxymoron. Anything is possible, though, so maybe the better question to consider is what are the chances one can earn enough winnings to exceed the outlay of expenses it took to bring the jumper to that level? After all, that “invest- ment” can rack up costs higher than the price tag of four years at an Ivy League college!
to that level. Of the thousands of jumpers competing, few athletes jump the 1.50-meter courses. And since only a portion of those earn significant prize money for riders and owners, will those earnings “pay their way” through the show season? We talked with riders
B
who are in the busi- ness of producing and competing Grand Prix horses to learn how diffi- cult it is to keep their investment in a jumper “in the black.”
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Richard Spooner on the 2008 Holsteiner, Quirado RC (Quinar x Corrado I) in the $35,000 Desert Welcome Stake,
National Sunshine Series Week II, in November 2018 in Thermal, California.
22 May/June 2019
ehind every horse that competes at Grand Prix is a huge commitment of time and money—years of substantial outlay to train and compete the horse
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Dreams, Dreams, Dreams “In the beginning it’s all about a dream,” says Richard Spooner, an international-level rider from Santa Clarita, Cali- fornia. That’s the anticipation of a promising youngster’s future and foreseeing a horse as one that can progress far. For the rider who’s not a professional, the motivation can be a passion for the horse, and the thrill of conquering a course. That rider imagines tackling a big-money test of jumping skill, going clear over the course. How does a horseman sense a horse is a candidate? “It’s
just a feeling. All horses have different qualities, and good traits and bad traits,” says Derek Braun of Split Rock Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. “It’s just discerning the feeling from whether they have enough power and are careful enough and have the scope and really the mind to make it to the next level.” “It really takes a lot of time to learn to feel what those
instincts are in the horse that can move him to the next level,” Derek continues. “The instincts are in the ones that attack the jump, that are really elec- tric off the ground, that have the strength to get up over the big oxers.” That feel for the horse is gained through expe- rience, Richard says. “Once you’ve ridden a thousand horses, or even less, it’s all about comparison. Once you’ve ridden that many, you start to get a feel for the ones who are better at it than others. It’s an intangible thing that you are looking for,” he explains. “You have dreams
until a horse is seven or eight,” Richard adds. “Then when he’s eight or nine, you have real- ity. And you can start to make plans for the horse’s ascent or descent. You do your
All photos by Charlene Strickland $
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