As so many of you enjoyed James Deacon’s thoughts last week we thought we would air Jame’s view again – but this time on a more serious topic …
Do I Stay – or do I go?
Aussie-based riders have been doing it tough for some time now, doing their best with only a handful of events to get on to the elite squads which will hopefully lead them to a World Equestrian Games or the ever illusive Olympic Games. With only one 4* in the whole country and not ‘that many’ others for the whole season it is hard enough to scratch enough ‘points’ in the year to compare to what the UK-based riders can do in a month. The allure of the Mother Country is very appealing for your up-and-coming professional rider. Your selection of the best events nearly every weekend, some of which could pay the winner a year’s salary in Australia. Multiple owners with multiple horses to ride, courses, judges and facilities which can't be compared to any event in Australia.
Lots of events to go to - but the weather can be lousey
Please don’t read this and think I am planting my flag in the ‘move abroad’ camp as I am not. However, after being here and seeing first hand just how much easier it is over here (generally speaking), it is easy to see why we can’t retain some of our most talented riders. I am not saying the UK-based riders don’t work hard to get to where they are - just that life is made a lot easier for them on many levels.
There is no comparison - our population is lower, the disposable income of our rich and famous is lower, the ‘nags per property’ is lower - so it is easy to see how the events, prize money, entries, etc, are so well set up over here. We have just been at Hartpury (more on that in another post), which the locals consider a ‘nothing event’. CIC*, 2*, 3* and with only 140 odd 3* entries and over 100 were balloted out. This was only one event, I can easily think of another four good events that were on the same weekend. One of the Aussie riders competing at Hartpury this weekend in the 1* and the 3* was eliminated from the 1* as he missed trot up. He missed trot up … ? He wasn’t on the loo, having a shower or tweeting, however he had been at two other events throughout the week and was on the way home from one to collect the next two horses and then head on over later that night. I thought it was quite funny that you could run at three high-class events within one week then miss trot up because you were competing so much - too funny!
The Hartpury facilities were well thought out. It was easy to figure out where to be and what to do. There were so many ‘STAFF” not ‘OFFICIALS’ and you had so much help and assistance it was just amazing. Things ran on time, things were organised, things were cheap (for an event) and what I think was one of the best decisions of the organisers was that it was the most ‘un-policed’ event I have ever attended. I say again that I don’t want to talk badly of our homegrown events nor the people who run them. However, we all know what we are there to do at an event don’t we? If we don’t, then we ask or we work it out quickly enough. The riders here did all the things the riders did at home, washed horses, rode horses, fed horses, however at this event, with nearly triple the entries, it just ran so much smoother with not even a quarter of the ‘officials’ directing play.
Why does the dressage judging seem to be so different between Australia and overseas?
Another little something I have been noticing which is becoming ridiculously obvious is judging of dressage tests. Again, for the record these are merely un-educated observations of mine which I have been noticing since keeping an eye on local competitions and competitions held overseas. It would seem the judging in Australia compared to judging anywhere else in the world is just demoralising to the rider. For this example I will take the 3* class as this is something I have been watching of late. The tests in the U.K. and America seem to on average score between 5-8% better than the tests done in Australia. So from the outset it seems that our riders are just not good enough. Is that correct? I don’t think so because as soon as our riders go overseas on the same horse the marks are funnily enough 5-8% better? From where I sit it seems odd? Why is judging so harsh in Australia? Why do the judges make it so much harder for our Aussie-based riders? Why is it common knowledge that certain judges judge poorly and riders dread having them? I think this is unfair I think it is becoming predictable and I hope it is not going to become accepted.
For those riders who choose to stay in Australia to live and compete they are the lucky ones. Being over here in England doesn’t hold a candle to what we have back home in Australia. The events here are great, sure, however going back to little pockets of land where your horse is boxed for 15-18 hours of the day for most of the year and ‘exercise’ comes in the form of a walker and rain is a constant threat all year round isn’t worth the move in my opinion. Our Aussie-based riders usually fork out more money in entry fees, travel, wages for grooms and food at any event they attend. Sometimes you win and to me that is why they do it, (as it doesn’t make a lot of sense otherwise) sometimes the prize money will cover the cost in Diesel ONE way to or from the event, most of the time it isn’t the case. I am not talking about world cups or Adelaide where the prize money can be OK but I really think we need to get behind these events and try and support our Australian-based riders.
Let’s not forget that these are the true people having input into this fabulous sport we love so much, not the overseas-based people. If you asked a group of Aussie kids under 16 years of age who their favourite riders were, I guarantee you they will all live Down Under (wow.. did that sound Australian or what). I love going to Melbourne three day event where I see the likes of Shane Rose, Stuart Tinney and Megan swamped by kids wanting autographs and then the mothers bashfully waiting for theirs - that is support and that is giving back to the sport. All the linics these guys run all over the country, the thousands of hours of lessons and schooling given to Aussie kids, Aussie riders and Aussie horses is what keeps our riders, our sport, our passion so great. We have the loveliest of people, volunteers out the wazoo (yep definitely Australian) and it seems we just can’t give our riders enough support to stay here. Why can’t we? What needs to happen? These are all simple questions to ask I know, however I am not afraid to help out as much as I can by sponsoring grassroots events all the way up to the Adelaide 4* in some way to help.
A young Aussie eventer ... I wonder who her eventing hero is?
All I am saying is I think we need to do more to keep the sport growing, to keep people coming back, to keep our stars coming to the events to ride, to compete and to entertain all of us onlookers, supporters and partners.
So do I stay or do I go? … It would be a shame to lose all of our riders to the England camp wouldn’t it? I think so.
Photos: Libby Law Photography
