| It is a constant truth in the horse show world, no | | | | earned. This process continues on and on, yet in the |
| matter what you spend on a horse, there will always | | | | last fifteen years or so, the Marlins have won more |
| be someone who will spend more. You could spend | | | | world series championships than the Yankees. The |
| 100,000$ and someone will spend 150,000$ to get that | | | | Marlins use their "farm system," better than the |
| "better animal," you could fork out 1,000,000$ for a | | | | Yankees, and in a sense breed their young stock to |
| show-jumper and someone will pay 2,000,000$ for the | | | | be the best. The Marlins search for the green |
| next. I contend, that it is not what you spend on an | | | | prospects, and train them. Yes, they sell a great deal |
| animal that counts, but how you spend that money. | | | | to the Yankees, and have to start all over again after |
| Research, or special contacts, or an "eye for horse | | | | a sale, but that is what keeps them going, that is what |
| flesh," are far more important in my opinion than the | | | | lets them compete in a a very rich sport. The Marlins |
| actual dollar amount you might have to work with. I call | | | | are comparable to the masses of riders out there, |
| this the Marlins vs. Yankee syndrome. | | | | who have less of a "payroll, but try to compete with |
| Historically, the Yankees can outspend anyone, and | | | | their stablemates who have money. Some of these |
| have huge budgets at their disposal to sign the best | | | | riders will fall into the trap of saying, "well her horse |
| baseball players. They look at all the available players | | | | cost more than mine," and use that as an excuse as |
| and pick the best one's regardless of cost. They | | | | to why they cannot win themselves. I try to teach my |
| create their line ups out of superstars and swallow the | | | | students to be like the Marlins and compete on a |
| competition with overwhelming payrolls and bank | | | | lesser budget. Most horses started out relatively |
| accounts. The Yankees are comparable to the riders | | | | inexpensive, the people who have a smaller bank rolls |
| who pick the winning horses and pay whatever it | | | | need to find the gems, before they are expensive. |
| takes to obtain these freaks of nature. Very often, a | | | | Do not get me wrong, I would rather be the general |
| wealthy owner will come out of nowhere and buy that | | | | manager for the Yankees, than for the Marlins, but |
| million dollar horse and suddenly become a factor. | | | | their are very few of those types of organizations out |
| These individuals have let the professionals do the | | | | there. I also believe that very often the wealthy teams |
| background work for them and pay them for their | | | | pay more for their talent, than the frugal ones. I have |
| diligence. These owners are always in contention, and | | | | been in the Marlins's shoes far more often than those |
| very rarely have rebuilding years. The Yankees and | | | | of the Yankees, and have managed to compete |
| "bigger budget" owners buy from the likes of the | | | | somewhat successfully. I believe riders can compete |
| Marlins. | | | | without huge bank rolls, they just have to sift through |
| The Marlins, are a relatively young baseball team with | | | | the masses of animals out there, and do their |
| a lower than average, if not the lowest, budget and | | | | homework. I suggest the next time you, or one of your |
| payroll in major league baseball. They find their players | | | | students begin to feel sorry for themselves, because |
| out of college, searching and sifting through the piles | | | | someone else has a more expensive horse, that you |
| looking for gems. When they find a gem, they usually | | | | go to a Marlins game, and see what they have to |
| sell it at a profit, and buy many more with the money | | | | work with. |