Do eventing riders aka equestrian riders earn much money when they win competitions?

I want to be an eventing rider when I grow up Im just curious how much money do they earn when they win? this was suppose to be in the Olympics section. i apologize This depends on the person, on what level they compete at, the types of events they enter, the kind of horse or horses they have and how healthy and sound the animals are, whether or not the person came from a wealthy or well to do background him or herself, the availability of sponsorships from corporate or business entities, and a whole host of other factors. Most people who compete at the lower levels of the sport ( below Prelim) rarely if ever make any money or win big prizes. At Preliminary and above, there is some prize money offered at various competitions, but its usually nowhere near enough to sustain anyone for any length of time. Instead, the people who compete professionally in eventing rely on other activities to generate income. They teach students, they train horses for other people, they give clinics, they stand stallions at stud and are breeders, they act as media consultants and course designers, they organize and sponsor events, and on and on and on. Not everyone who enters eventing or other horse sports is wealthy, although most are. When I was growing up, it was often said that there were 3 ways to enter the horse business: you were either born into the life ( eg, you came from a horse loving family and grew up around parents who rode or were in the business themselves) you could buy your way in ( assuming you had the right connections, that is) or, if you were a woman and wanted to make a few personal sacrifices ( such as giving up your self esteem and a lot of your self respect) then you could screw your way in. Sadly, not a lot has changed in the industry over the last 30 years or so- most of that edict is still true. Most people who arent super rich but who go into horses do so because they love the animals and love the sport, not because they want to make a lot of money or get wealthy. Its a labor of love.Yes, it is possible to make a decent living and support yourself in the horse business- many people do- but you CANT DO that by relying on riding and winning competitions as your sole means of sustainment. You have to be well rounded and able to do lots of other things like teaching, training, barn management, business management and so forth if you want to survive very long. Thats why, even in the horse business, education is becoming all important, and college degrees are increasingly becoming a NECESSITY, not a luxury. It might surprise you to learn that are a considerable number of the top professionals in the sport of eventing ( and indeed, in many of the other disciplines) who are actually college graduates, and theres at least one who is an Ivy League alumae. Vets arent only people in the horse business who need advanced education- ALL riders and competitors, not to mention all trainers, can benefit from it. There are even certain parts of the industry, especially in the racing side of things, in which college degrees are a must if you want to stand a chance of ever being hired at any place decent. The big horse farms in places like Kentucky and Maryland want professionals with degrees as office managers, breeding managers, sales reps, bloodstock agents, and so forth. Simply having a high school diploma isnt enough, not any more. These places need people who are computer savy, who know how to do advanced math, who have excellent communication and customer service skills, and so forth. The same is also increasingly true on the sport horse side of the business. Some of these top show and event barns have managers who earn 5 and 6 figure incomes, and who enjoy lots of benefits. Theyre still in the minority right now, but that is gradually changing. The day is also coming when the workers on the lower end of the industry ( including people like grooms, stable hands, some barn managers, working students, and so forth) are eventually going to start organizing and demanding their rights as workers and as human beings. When that happens, the days when it was possible for anyone to get a job shoveling manure without a high school diploma are going to disappear. So will many of the abuses that lower level workers in the horse business often face now, such as long, often unreasonable hours, pay that is either below the minimum wage or is given under the table, lack of job security ( workers at this level can be fired at any time, and employers are NOT mandated to give a reason) dangerous working conditions, and so forth. This will probably mean that there are some employers who will need to seriously rethink the way they do business. Thats all to the good, because it will mean that the workers will finally get some badly needed legal protections. My advice to you now is to work hard in school and get as much education as you can. You can ride and take lessons along the way, and work in the barn during the summer months ea