The Fringe Eventer Blog Post # 6

Welcome To The (cough, cough) Masters! - #5

Okay, so what does professional golf and (almost) over the hill eventers have in common?

Don’t worry I had no idea either. This weekend my husband was channel diving (surfing invokes pleasurable images) between Nascar, golf, and every single hunting channel while I was brushing up on the USEA rules. Exciting afternoon, I know! But in the midst of boring rules and skimming through channels I found my answer in one word ‘Masters’.

You see I started eventing as a member of the USCTA (United States Combined Training Association for you young un’s out there) as an Adult Amateur. I don’t recall ever hearing or seeing the term Masters. Perhaps I was young and blind. You either competed as an Adult or a Young Rider. Oh sure, there were Open classes for the pros along with the specific classes such as Training Horse versus Training Rider. Come on, it wasn’t the Stone Age.

So, imagine my shock when I discovered that I am now considered a Master. (cough!) What? I made myself read it twice because my first reaction was one of utter disbelief, after all just what does the USEA think I have mastered? When I shared the news with my husband he sniggered and made a funny about my new title. A Master huh? I’m still working on this one because frankly I’m lost and I refuse to think it is simply age related.

Hmm, so regardless of how well I ride I am a Master. Okay, maybe that doesn’t sound so bad. At least when I tell my non-horsey friends what I do along with my new title they will no doubt have grand images of me on my shiny steed racing across a rich green field tackling dangerous obstacles with wild abandon. I mean, I am a Master right?

This led me to start trying to figure out when my mare and I would qualify for a Century Ride in dressage. This little gem is a celebration of a dressage ride wherein the cumulative age of both the rider and the horse is equal to (or I believe) above the 100 mark. Seriously? I was relieved to realize that we are far from qualifying. Unless you add in the age of my jump saddle…

Hmm, food for thought from a Master.