too old to compete??

[eml]

In my second decade,overweight and nervous about appearing in public. I used to SJ quite well when very young...teens and some dressage on my now retired and very trusted welsh cob some ten years ago. My daughter has suggested I compete her old, semiretired horse...done it all got the tshirt but slightly loopy ex-eventer but I would feel silly at little shows with all the children and dont feel brave enough for anything bigger...have thought of showing him in vetern classes..or something like le trec....as long as I dont have to get on or off too often. Any ideas please or should I stay gracefully retired?

[vjwuk]

No no you are not, I am thinking about it this year and am 39 soon. Lots of the women owners at my stables where I ride compete. Go for it, if you do I will............... see my post also on "have I got this right" once I master that bit I shall seriously concider entering something.

Good luck

[artemis]

A friend of mine started competing again after a long gap (eventing no less ). She is in her 60's! There is hope for us all.

[happyhorse]

i'm only 25, but i think you should go for it, i don't think anyone will look at you any different to anyone else competing. I often compete against older more mature people, as well as alot of younger people thier is no age restriction! If you want to then go for it and have fun.

[Mehitabel]

definitely go for it! local shows aren't all kids by any means, and le trec, as far as i know (which isn't very far, i admit) seems to be mostly adults. just remember you do it for fun and dont get too worried about it!

[Lgd]

Why not? There are plenty of older riders around. Join your local riding club, there are plenty of us 'oldies' in ours (lets just say 40 is looming ever closer!). If the horse has evented it must be capable of some lower level dressage as a minimum so drag yourselves off to some unaffiliated dressage, if he's really good have some practice then affiliate him.

[Laetitia]

eml, I've got decades on you, plus even more weight and nerves to match. I compete in a very low key -only here for the beer - attitude and have great fun. Go for it. L

[virtuallyhorses]

No no - there is no such thing as graceful retirement.... Go for it!

As you've already seen there are plenty of us here who started riding (or even having anything at all to do with horses) much later than you, I'm nearing my 40th (although I refuse entirely to say this out loud) and have just competed in my first couple of dressage tests after starting to ride a few years back.

Find a local comp \ casual training show to start out in. Once you find your first, you'll prob meet up with other like minded souls and be away... :)

[Janette]

I competed for the first time last year at 39. Now, one year on, and I'm going to do more. I do relatively safe, showing. Why not try this, or some in hand classes if yu want.
I truly believe you are only as old as you feel - ignore those bones/joints. They lie!!!!!
Don't restrict yourself, because we only have a short time here. That sounds morbid, I intend to have the maximum fun, in the time allotted to me. Go on - indulge yourself.:D

[Cochise]

I bought Cheeky off a lady who is in her late 40's, broke Cheek's in, has young horses and still competes at small One Day Events. She isnt one of those thin types who is a never ending battery, she is just a normal woman, who has 2 grown up daughters and continues to ride and compete because she simply loves it!
Go for it! There are so many types of competition and types of riding out there for anyone to give it a go! Just get out there when you are ready and remember that its all about having fun and enjoying your time with your horse!

[eml]

Thanks everyone for your support....unfortunate brain and fingures did not connect..meant to say second half century...wish it was decade...however all your points are helpful, especially ES...think I was getting all hung up about 'winning' not the competing....too many years driving competitve daughter around the country and remebering my own competitve childhood! I just worry I will make a fool of myself...doesn't help that the horse has won virtually everywhere locally with daughter so I feel I have to live up to it Promise I will go out just to enjoy the outing!!

[Laetitia]

If the horse is that good, what are you worrying about? He will look after you, and make sure you don't make a fool of yourself, especially as his reputation is at stake. He'll love showing you the ropes. Have fun. L

[Bev Heron]

My teacher has impressed me with the fact that in competitions, one is only competing with one's self and one's last competition--or how you rode a week ago or a month ago. Judges can be capricious and everyone I know has stories of how they rode brilliantly and didn't win, and made lots of mistakes but won because the judge likes chestnut Arabians or some such thing.

I too am a golden girl and my teacher, who's in her 20s (and probably doesn't really know how old I am), recently told me that my five year plan is to get a "little eventer" at the end of this year and start training to go to at least the 1-day mini events for starters. That because I said what I really want to do is X-country.

I'm a closet competitor--don't really want to go to shows, but always look right and left to compare myself to others in informal situations. Last time I did that (the lease issue--on "Singles Dating, Horsey Style") I worked myself into a wreck and learned to let it go and just focus on getting better.

Last week I got bumped off riding canter-->choppy trot bareback, and winning meant getting right back on, cantering like the dickens, and doing the down transition w/out falling off. I even declared to no one in particular, "I win!" when we halted.

[Anne G]

Im 40 and only recently started riding. My school activally encourage us to take part in little shows and we will be having a "new riders" versus "those know it all instructors" fun day in a couple of weeks. Cant say I'm confident at winning or even staying on for long, but am looking forward to it immensely.

Who knows you may see me competing profesionally yet (as long as its on a very small very slow pony how doesnt go faster than a slow trot!)

Good luck and remember, you are never to old to try something new. :p

[Retty]

Hi, I would not worry at all about ** age and competing. A while back I took my daughter to a show (she's 9 and a much better rider than me), my daughter and friends encouraged me to go over some jumps in a v slow trot (these were poles on the ground!) well I had a leader (of about 15 years old!), and she led me around the course, all the other riders were about age 5! Well it was fun and although I got some funny looks from the adults the kids all cheered when I finished! So go for it! At least you are doing it rather than just watching :)

By the way my dream is to enter a small sponsored ride (when I have mastered the canter!).

[Bev Heron]

Retty,

I have to laugh. I'm probably older than all o' yers put together. (Whazzat--207?) but I try not to think about it. My teacher has me on a plan to do mini-eventing in 5 years. Little does she know that by that time, I'll nearly be ready for Medicare (old age health insurance) to cover my broken bones. :)

With regard to "mastering the canter"--another laugh. I've heard it takes 5 hrs of stride time to master canter. In 6 mos of doing a bit of canter at the end of each lesson, I figure I've racked up about 8 minutes and 17 seconds total in the actual gait.

At the shows around here, most classes don't do canter at all. I have been watching one of the more talented 15-year olds at the ranch prepare for a big show next month. She has been riding for 10 years, will enter some jumping classes, but is probably not going to do a canter class.

[ros]

Hey Bev - if you're THAT old, who was the glamorous blonde in the photo a while back?

[Bev Heron]

Ah, Ros :o

Through the flattering blur of low-res jpeg, one can't tell anyone's age I guess.

[Busterbum22]

Never too Old, i watched the FEI last night, a guy of 51yrs was still going strong in the international show ring now if a Guy can do it need i say more.

[Sidesaddlelady]

Pony Club local shows have fairly laid-back adult classes which non-members may join in, which are a good entry into showing for the beginner

[chapsi]

Bev,
you may be feeling old (non-sense), but I bet that not many of you are already Great-Aunties as myself. In fact, I became such at the tender age of ..... 25 :o

Eml,
the most enlightening example came from a couple, friends of mine. They were both in their mid-thirties, the children were learning to ride, and they became enthusiastic about horses. Mother and father started to learn to ride, and just after a few months, they bought two horses, rebel, barely broken, which they patiently broke and tamed. In one year, all family was show-jumping at local events, and winning prizes too.