The 7 Phases of an Eventer`s career

[denny]

Jack Le Goff had his 5 phases of an eventer`s life, but there are actually 7".

You can tell which phase you are in by the question you are asked by those who see you at an event:

Phase 1---"How many are you riding today?"

Phase 2---"What time do you ride today?"

Phase 3---"Are you riding today?"

Phase 4---"Are you still competing?"

Phase 5---"Can you still compete?"

Phase 6---"Do you still ride?"

Phase 7---"Can you still ride?"

[gardenie]

Coffee on the monitor! LOL LOL!

[riderboy]

I'm still trying to get past the "That poor horse!" phase

[Gry2Yng]

Very funny and very true. My life is an example that you can cycle back from phase 4 to phase 3. Might actually get back to Phase 2 next year. Thanks for the laugh Denny.

[deltawave]

Solid phase 3. :)

[retreadeventer]

Yep, me too - coffee on the screen, thanks, Denny, time for cleanup! :)
They don't ask me "if I am still riding", I am asked "WHY are you still riding?"

[QHEventr]

Solid phase 4...I get it WAY too often.....and I'm only 25! AHHHH! MUST......GET.....BACK......TO......NUMBER 1 (or 2 at the very least!) D's only been out for 4 years! at this rate, I'll be at "can you still ride?" by the time I'm 30

[Dr. Doolittle]

:lol: :lol:

Thanks for the guffaw...I'm sending this to the hubby at work, since he chides me every morning as I hobble down the stairs, groaning and supporting myself on the railing.

(Most people who don't know me but who see how old I am (without watching me ride) probably would say #6. I WAS #3, until my mare got hurt, so at this point I am betwen a 4 and a 5. :sigh:)

[Evntr4Life]

Phase 1/Phase 2

=) Yaaaaay!!!!

[Bobthehorse]

I expected this to be the phases of the horse haha. One is in the "how old is he now?" phase, and the other in the "how do you stay on?" phase. I wish I had one in the middle, "how much do you want for him" phase.

[Robby Johnson]

LOL, this is excellent. I wonder if there's a "Can You Remember Riding" phase?

[eventer_mi]

My God. What do you do if nobody at the event even recognizes you, let alone knows you're a competitor?

Need.....to.....get.....out.....more.....

[pegasusmom]

LOL, this is excellent. I wonder if there's a "Can You Remember Riding" phase?

That would be Phase 8 and I think I am almost there.

There also should exist a subset regarding the requisition of one's checkbook by one's child and subsequent inability to ride, not due to "maturity" but due to cash flow deficiency and the fact that the above referenced child has filled the barn with his horses.

[awm]

I am very glad you posted this, Denny, I was trying to tell my friends these gems,
but the words couldn't come out thru the big foot in my mouth!
Ann

[kookicat]

I'm a 2/3 with a side of 'So, you fallen off this week?' :lol:

[Thames Pirate]

You forgot the question asked of one-horse ammies like me whose horses are perpetually lame: Is your horse sound?

Of course, because the horse is perpetually lame nobody on the show circuit actually knows me, so nobody asks that question . . . .

[rhymeswithhalter]

Definitely phase 3 at the moment.

[Mtn trails]

Phase 2 for me but then I'm mostly doing event derbys due to cash flow but anyone who sees me who I actually know (very few) all know I'm there to ride.

[crittertwitter]

There also should exist a subset regarding the requisition of one's checkbook by one's child and subsequent inability to ride, not due to "maturity" but due to cash flow deficiency and the fact that the above referenced child has filled the barn with his horses.

haaaaa yep

[asterix]

Yep, we need a "is your horse sound" phase.

Saturday I am supposed to enter phase 1 for the first time ever (see "is your horse sound") and I'm convinced I've jinxed myself!!!

Also, mr asterix would need a "wow, you are riding?" phase (and, apparently, now a "wow, you are competing?" :D), for those who come to this late in life.

[Dr. Doolittle]

Yep, we need a "is your horse sound" phase.

Saturday I am supposed to enter phase 1 for the first time ever (see "is your horse sound") and I'm convinced I've jinxed myself!!!

Also, mr asterix would need a "wow, you are riding?" phase (and, apparently, now a "wow, you are competing?" :D), for those who come to this late in life.

I saw this when I checked the entry list!!! :D

Go, asterix! (I'll be riding at the end of the day, for a change.)

NO JINXING, and you will just be one busy woman. (We insist on hearing all about it, or at least *I* do...;))

And does this mean that mr. asterix will be competing on "his" horse at some point soon??

[asterix]

thanks, dr d! guess I will learn the art of speed tacking/untacking/warming up -- 30 minutes between dressage on pony A and dressage on pony B!! Unlike the real denizens of Phase 1, I have neither a groom nor spare tack -- it's all got to come off the first horse, go on the second horse. Munchkin will have a very short warmup :(

mr asterix wants to do a pipe opener in a few weeks -- he's done it before, struggled around the first time (his pony was much greener then), finished with a huge grin, and said "can I do that again?" (we said, yes, so he went back down to the start box :lol:)

I don't see him in a big hurry to do either dressage or sj, however. A true eventer!

[Dr. Doolittle]

thanks, dr d! guess I will learn the art of speed tacking/untacking/warming up -- 30 minutes between dressage on pony A and dressage on pony B!! Unlike the real denizens of Phase 1, I have neither a groom nor spare tack -- it's all got to come off the first horse, go on the second horse. Munchkin will have a very short warmup :(

mr asterix wants to do a pipe opener in a few weeks -- he's done it before, struggled around the first time (his pony was much greener then), finished with a huge grin, and said "can I do that again?" (we said, yes, so he went back down to the start box :lol:)

I don't see him in a big hurry to do either dressage or sj, however. A true eventer!

Good luck with your hectic day on Saturday :eek:; luckily for you, the Munchkin seems pretty low maintenance and doesn't need a long warmup (unlike some Drama Queens we know of ;))

Re: mr. asterix, too funny! He sounds like a "fledgling thrill seeker and x-country adrenaline junkie" (much like most of the rest of us...:lol:)