Better Than You

No, I don't think I'm better than anyone else. At the very least that title caught your attention though. Right?

I love me some Vegas!

My fiancé took me to watch the dressage Grand Prix at the World Cup yesterday for a birthday present. I was really excited to go, even if it was just for a day. I doubt I'll get many more, or any, chances to see Valegro in person again. Or any of the other European horses for that matter. I was also really looking forward to the gift show.

Spider saddle by Borne Saddlery. I want a tiger one...learn about their design your own saddle program here.

To die for Konigs!

We got there early enough to go through the gift show. IT. WAS. HELL. Don't get me wrong, it was almost all any tack ho and equestrian fashionista could ever want, all crammed into one heavenly area. The problem was a) it was packed and b) a large portion of the people packing it were on a quest to prove they were the largest equestrian divas of them all.  They would stand in the center of the aisles name dropping, brand dropping, breed dropping, whatever they could do to loudly proclaim "Look at me and all I know!"

A store on the trip.

When they weren't doing that, they were pushing people out of the way to get to whatever they wanted or demanding the vendors attention. In their mind, they were special and everyone else was irrelevant. They put a lot of effort into proving this.

Obviously, not everyone there was like that, but there was a large enough amount to make it miserable. Seriously, what is it about the large events, like the World Cup, that makes people think they need to prove how wonderful they are? They're going to watch an event filled with the best riders in the world and THEY are trying to impress everyone else? I'm pretty sure that one of these riders isn't going to be walking by, hear you preach about bloodlines, and suddenly stop to tell you how amazed they are by your superior knowledge. So... shut your mouth and get out of the damn way!

I finally got fed up, I didn't even buy anything *shame*,  and the fiancé and I went to our seats. I realized within two riders that watching my dream horses wasn't going to be as pleasant as I expected. Insert the "expert" behind us. Head phones were available to purchase so that you could listen to commentary. I preferred not to and just wanted to watch the rides without it.  It seemed that most people around me were of the same mind set. The lady behind me seemed to think those without were disadvantaged.

The "expert" made sure to not only repeat the commentary, but to add her own. She loudly proclaimed "If you don't have a headseat, then you're just watching the whole thing in silence!"

My fiancé sarcastically responded, "Or at least we'd try to.", which of course gave me the laugh that I needed right then.

Friends that share the love of dressage :)

Her opinions were uneducated and obnoxious. The minute she said that Legolas's extended trot "didn't have enough float", I about lost it on her. Fortunately, a lady next to us turned around and asked her to be quiet. It kind of worked.

Anyway, the horses were amazing. The riders were amazing. I still loved it and I'm still grateful that I was able to go. I was able to see my best friend and her mom. We had dinner with them and another friend and her husband. To top it off, JL and MB, my trainers from Hellbuquerque, were there too. I've missed them so much! They might be going to some shows in Denver this year, so I'm SUPER excited about that. In short, it was a wonderful birthday gift to go to the World Cup! I'll do a happier post about my favorite horse/rider combos soon.

Being there did get me thinking though. When did riding become about people putting themselves so high and others so low? Theory is one thing, DOING is another. Understanding theory is easy. Applying it successfully and truly understanding feel is hard. Being able to teach that is even more difficult. Anyone can read the books, you don't even have to know how to ride to learn the lingo. Who cares about hearing what you have to say, what can you do? What have you accomplished? That is where respect comes from.

At what point did people start thinking that being a raging snob become a requirement in equestrianism? Do they really think that if they act like arrogant know-it-alls, people will suddenly start worshipping them? Why in the HELL would anyone start to think these type of people are anyone that is worth looking up to? Especially when most of them seem to be mediocre riders at best? The worst part is that some people actually DO start to idolize these types of people.

I guess the people that I have respected the most in my equestrian life have been the ones that don't have much to say unless they're asked. They didn't feel the need to profess their expertise. They didn't care about what you wear as long as you were dressed in a safe and respectable manner. They didn't need to be worshipped. They never felt the need to boss people around. Most important, they never had that "I'm better than you, so you have to do what I say" mentality.

Coolest sock store ever!

The fact is all the best riding clothes in the world won't hide an unhealthy horse. The most latest and greatest tack won't turn you into a great rider. Knowing breeding doesn't make you a good horseman. I'm not saying you shouldn't buy great riding clothes, invest in the best tack you can, or be knowledgeable of bloodlines. I'm saying that they aren't the only things that matter and they certainly don't qualify an average rider to become the judge and jury on everyone else's skills. Most important, you should never let anyone like this influence your confidence or any decisions you make for your horse.

The best riders have an uncanny ability to take what they've learned and think for themselves, not for everyone else. THAT is someone to look up to.

*I'm not complaining about the people that try to give helpful tips here and there for the right reasons. There is a HUGE difference between them and the self-proclaimed experts that put themselves on a pedestal.