American Idol’s Lesson
I went over to see Courtney King-Dye’s young horses the other day,
and was thrilled by one of them - a 5 year old big, black gelding.
He has wonderful gaits with great expression and action which shows equally beautiful front and hind legs.
This, plus his very uphill build makes him a perfect candidate to be an international dressage horse.
Putting it more simply, he has that “X Factor” which makes him stand out from the crowd!
And so it is with riders as well as horses, and just about everything else in nature. We can see thousands of pictures and listen to just as many singers until one comes along and we immediately know we are in the presence of genius. A gift from God!
But talent alone is not enough to make it in this world, and that is obvious to me when I’m around so many of my unbelievably gifted friends and family members, many of whom can sing, dance and act amazingly but never became famous doing so and ended up finding other fields of work to earn a living from. This is why, when I am conducting my symposia, I remark that I always tell young people and their parents that kids should get their college degree, find a great job, and have horses in their lives if they are able, but that ours is a very hard life and since most professionals truly lead a hand-to-mouth existence, it is probably not the best path for the vast majority of people.
And then comes the response - almost always - that this particular young person is determined to make riding their life’s work. To which I reply, ” Fine. Then you had best be prepared to give 100% every single day, make the enormous sacrifices that every great rider I have ever known has made, usually entailing leaving their homes and loved ones for very long periods of time to go to learn and compete among the very best in the world, both in the U.S. and abroad. Work ethic is just as important as God given talent and then one still has to hope to have some luck, meaning the right horse at the right time. One can be extremely gifted but, when we go down that center-line or gallop to the first fence on course, we are only as good as the horse we are riding!”
Which brings me back to Courtney. As a young rider she showed Lendon Gray she had the talent, drive, and work ethic which made her worth everyone’s effort to make her into a flagship rider for America. This was also the case with Steffen, Guenter, Lisa, myself and others like us who worked so hard and have dedicated our lives to each and every tiny detail which sets true professionals apart from the rest. These people do not sit around complaining that life has been unfair to them when things aren’t going their way. anyone worth anything in horse sports has lived through the huge ups and downs which come with the territory of dealing with these beautiful, powerful, but just as fragile beasts. They get up every day, dot their I’s and cross their T’s, see their goals but love every minute of the road they know is long and full of curves and hazards, and always put the best interest of their horses first ahead of all other things!
Because, at the end of the day, that is what riding is about - DETAILS.
Cheers!
RD
mary-haskins gurganus — April 28, 2009 @ 6:30 pm
AWESOME article! I hope that some day I can join that list of riders too!
christie hanson — April 29, 2009 @ 11:36 am
I totally agree! I left college in my senior year when my mom passed away. I was offered a fabulous job managing a dressage barn in Palm Beach right when it happened.I wanted to live the dream, had the experience and had worked/shown there before and I was sure life should be spent doing what you love…not just making money….. As soon as I arrived in FL the trainer I came to work with relocated and I couldn’t make the move with him…It was my first reinvention…then I rode with Kathleen Raine, Sue Blinks, Volker Brommann and Jane Savoie and later Gunnar Ostergaard. I put myself in the best of training situations and even had an international quality horse that all my trainers liked. I still did not have the funds or the lucky break I needed. I came back to GA and worked at many different jobs with horses…had my heart broken plenty…and almost gave up when my dream situation ended with a strangles outbreak, a barn closing, and the sale of my dream horse(A Deniro son/stallion prospect)all at the same time. I have had a ton of luck both good and bad and now I wish that along with it all I also had my degree. There are several times it would have been there for me. I am still trying to get back to school and I live near enough to do it…but with a daughter and still working horses it’s VERY HARD…Dedicate yourself to school and riding. I originally chose my college since it was in a horsey area and had a GP trainer nearby where I could board and train. The barn I managed was the training site for the 96 Atlanta Olympic US dressage team(you were there Robert). There are ways to do school and horses. Do them both. It’s important. Learn from me. If you never use it then great…but with all that I achieved in horses there was absolutely still a place for that degree…hopefully I’ll finish mine before I am 40…crazy but TRUE!