With being a part of my GP trainer's show team and (hopefully) getting my amateur status back, this year felt like the year to "go for it" for the first time in terms of year-end awards. Plus that whole post-pandemic (are we there yet)? YOLO feeling.
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| Pony Cup 2017, the last time I was able to go. |
And I'm paying for that decision, literally, in terms of more membership fees than I've ever paid in my life. Up to this point, I've been a GMO-only, don't-care-about-Regionals-and-All-Breeds kind of rider. So I thought it would be an interesting exercise in self-flagellation to see how much "going for it" costs.
USEF Membership: $80 + $25 insurance
Required for: Rated shows, and the optional insurance is a cheap, well, insurance policy
USDF Participating Membership: $90
Required for: Regionals/Finals, All-Breeds
Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America: $50
Required for: Attending Welsh shows and earning Welsh Open Program year-end awards
Indiana Dressage Society GMO: $53
Required for: Supporting my local GMO and getting GMO year-end awards
WPCSA Open Program: $60 ($30 per division entered, and rated and unrated Second Level each count as one division)
Required for: Street cred for the Castleberry name in the Welsh world and year-end awards
National Dressage Pony Cup: $50
Required for: Attending National Dressage Pony Cup, plus some year-end awards
USDF All-Breeds Declaration: $35
Required for: Earning WPCSA-specific USDF year-end awards. One time fee (I think).
Upgrade Connor to USDF Lifetime Horse from HID #: $80
Required for: All-Breeds, Regionals/Finals. One time fee.
USEF Amateur Status Reinstatement: $50
Required for: Actually having a shot at earning year end awards in all of this stuff, lol. One time fee.
Okay, are you ready for the sum total? $573! $165 of that is one-time costs, but that still leaves over $400 of membership fees every single year that I put a full show season together.
It's a first world problem to be sure, and I'm excited that I have the opportunity to do all of this and can afford it, but there's no denying registering for all of this is painful.
Anyone else feeling the membership rodeo pain?
Horses are expensive and showing even more so. My costs are very minor compared to yours but we simply do not have the infrastructure in our little province for all that. Last year I bought a show 'license' from Equine Canada and couldn't use it because there were no shows (all judges have to brought from out of province and with the isolation requirements it was a non-starter). This year I decided to not buy one because it's not looking promising.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm an AA not a person with a stud and that is a very different kettle of fish.
It is interesting how different it is in the US vs Canada, and even between different parts of the US. I'm certainly fortunate to have the ability to do all of this - especially things like Pony Cup which is a national show that just happens to be 4 hours from me.
DeleteShowing sure adds up - but it is so exciting when it all comes together. Cool that you have so many organizations you can pay into for shows/awards, etc. I only paid for my provincial equine organization last year, as they have cheap insurance. I renewed that for this year, but shows aren't looking good again for us. (Boo). I am sort of afraid to tally up costs, as I am hoping to show my colt in some futurities (some day!).
ReplyDeleteUgh, I hope you guys get to show this year! The cheap insurance is definitely worth taking advantage of, which is why I always throw in for the USEF insurance. For the price of a nice bottle of wine, it's good peace of mind. Any more expensive and I might think twice, but at $25, it's a no-brainer.
DeleteI've already got my eventing memberships squared away, but I keep going back and forth on the Paint Alternative Competition. It requires a membership and an enrollment, but the awards are fun and there are usually only a few competitors.
ReplyDeleteThat's kind of where I'm at with all the pony stuff (although obviously I'd do Welsh to promote his breeder regardless). All the work I put into competing against big moving purpose-bred warmbloods, it's nice to also have a shot at awards that I'm only competing against his own breed for, which is of course a smaller pool of people.
DeleteArchie's a solid bred Paint so he's not exactly like, a shining example of the breed, but I love my stock horses in the eventing world. I think all in all it should cost me about $130 separate from my USEA memberships, but they give pretty outstanding awards all the way through Top 5 for year end.
DeleteSince I'm still in the local game, my membership fees are stupid low. But if/when I step up to rated, I'll be right here with you.
ReplyDeleteQuestion - do your open breed programs recognize unrated shows? Curious because I do TIP for OTTBs and they'll take any points, but I don't know if that's the rule or the exception.
WPCSA does, and NDPC does as well, but for NDPC the show has to opt-in and pay I believe $35/show, while WPCSA accepts results from any unrated show in the assigned divisions. WPCSA has like an unrated 2nd Level Dressage division as well as a rated Dressage division, although they used to combine them and weight them differently.
DeleteI'd really like to do some events alongside dressage during the year, but only recognized is offered around here and I can't afford all the hundred different memberships that would require. Pretty frustrating how much they pull out of people just to enter a show, forget the actual showing itself.
ReplyDeleteYeah it's so frustrating. I feel like all the orgs are like "It's only $50!" but $50 times 10 is $500!
DeleteAnd I thought my memberships were expensive lol
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy
DeleteOh boy, my trainer wants me to go for some of that. I just want the rated show placings for Roscoe's Westfalen performance approval. Rated may have to wait till I can pull off second level. I have our Westfalen fee $110 for me and $200 for him and Welsh fees annually which I always hope his stud fee will cover.
ReplyDeleteYou only need a fraction of this to show rated Dressage, actually! In years past, I would only be a member of my GMO (which makes you a partial member of USDF) and if I was showing more than 3 rated shows for a year, I'd do USEF as well, since if you're not a USEF member, there's a non-member fee of I believe $30/show. The horse just needed a free USDF HID. So maybe it's more doable for you than you thought!
DeleteIf you want to feel better, just talk to a hunter rider about how much they pay for a 2 week show!!
ReplyDeleteYeah I know
DeleteYep! It's so expensive! We have a bunch of local organizations that offer year end awards and/or medal finals, so there's always a lot to join. But worth it for the $5 satin? I guess?! Lol!
ReplyDeleteI'm excited for you to get out there with Connor!
Me too! It means a lot to show off the Castleberry name, too.
DeleteI pay the USEF and USDF every year and it hurts, every year. I do not do my GMO (not worth it), I do my annual KWPN-NA due to registering foals and keuring. I never did WPCSA as the program was at best anemic when I was campaigning at FEI and the association for the most part nepotistic in regards to rewarding anything outside the breed circuit.
ReplyDeleteSouth Africa is not too dissimilar, unfortunately! Between registering with our national equestrian federation, our national dressage society, my horse's breed society, and a club, I'd hit a very similar total to you. I mean, unfortunately those memberships just aren't optional - but I'd be lying if I said that it felt like good value for money, to be honest.
ReplyDelete