So, I've been dating an equestrian for the past couple of months, and she finally "asked" (obligated) me to attend one of her competitions this past weekend. So here I am, in a nice suit (her suggestion), and I have to say, while watching dressage riding competitions is exceedingly entertaining, the crowds at these things are the absolute worst.
It's literally just a gaggle of super wealthy people damn near creaming their pants over which/how many horses they own. It was nerve racking. It's as though the horses are valued more than the riders. It came to a head when I heard someone mock my girlfriend for owning her horse and riding without a sponsor despite placing top 3 in most of the events. I'm a little older and wiser, so instead of weaving a tapestry of obscenities at this woman, I took a breath, turned around, and calmly asked her whether or not it felt like a waste of money to see her 60000 dollars consistently lose to an unsponsored rider who paid less than a fifth of that for a horse she trained herself. She apologized for offending me, and I apologized for not saying something sooner. I was then asked if I was her sponsor. I think that was the worst part.