Guide to Owning an Equine Olympic Competitor

             If you’re a horse lover, or would just like to watch your dressage horse win an Olympic medal in China I can guide you along the process to help you achieve your goal.

            First we will need a horse. Not just any horse, we will need one that is already trained to Grand Prix, (the time is short). We need a horse that is sound in body and mind. We could go to Europe, but the dollar is weak and the cost of transporting the horse to the US, and quarantine adds a few dollars to the price. Also since a Grand Prix horse for sale is as scarce as a White Elephant, you can expect to pay a premium.  The cost will be much higher than say a Prix St. George level horse which often exceeds $100K. You might want to make sure that your checking account has an average balance of around one million dollars.

            Once you own the horse, you’ll have some additional costs. You’ll need a really talented rider, who comes with a team: a groom, a veterinarian, a horse dentist, a message therapist, braiders, walkers, clippers, blacksmiths, and a CDL driver for your 33,000 ton semi tractor trailer, a shipping agent for air travel, a business manager, a barn manager, and a list of independent contractors for repairs, grounds keepers, etc.

            Showing your horse at competitions throughout the country, or if you prefer, Europe, probably Germany, is a vital step to climb to the top of the list. Show entry fees are very reasonable. A 5 minute class can cost as little as $150, but plan on related charges as well. You’ll have stall fees, vet fees, hotel fees. At a minimum you should plan on housing your rider and groom, but it is advisable to bring along your personal blacksmith, veterinarian, message therapist, and braider, if you want to insure that your horse will be in top shape for the competition.

            The selection trials will be held in the last two weekends in June in San Juan Capistrano, CA. If your horse farm is located on the East coast, you will probably want to arrive in California sometime in early May. The weather is nice and by the time the end of June rolls around your horse, rider and entourage should be well rested and ready for the competition when it begins. There is a very nice hotel not far form the show grounds with a beautiful view that is quite reasonable, by Manhattan standards. While the horses are acclimating themselves your team might enjoy a trip to the San Diego Zoo. You can ask them to send you pictures of the trip, or perhaps a video for your enjoyment.

            Once your horse and rider have been selected for the team, we will fly them all to Europe the first week in July, quarantine at Aachen, then fly by the end of July to Hong Kong, quarantine 10 days before the Olympics, win a medal, and then fly home by the end of August. You should make sure you have sufficient funds in the checking account, and perhaps you might want to consider watching the exchange rate and purchase Chinese currency when the rate is the most favorable. You might want to invest about $50,000. That should cover most of the costs involved. The exchange process is simple. The monetary unit of Renminbi in China is Yuan, together with the Jiao and Fen as the units of fractional currency. 1 Yuan is divided into 10 Jiao, while 1 Jiao is divided into 10 Fen. Colloquially in Chinese, the Yuan is called Kuai, and the Jiao is called Mao. At present, the currency in circulation has 12 kinds of par value, including 1, 2, 5 Fen; 1, 2, 5 Jiao; 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 Yuan. However, the Fen notes have been withdrawn from circulation and are now seldom accepted.

            In the end you will have a medal, some ribbons, and a lot of people will know you supported the sport, and that you helped the United States Equestrian Team, a few Americans, and others to realize an important national goal.