Winning, let’s not lie; everyone likes to do it now and
again. For some of us it *must* happen every time we compete or we are a mess. But in horses we have many variables.
Ourselves, our horses, the weather, health, fitness, money, distractions
(peacock next to the dressage ring anyone?). Lots of things out of our control
and can impact your competition day and frequency.
As someone who has had to work her whole life to have horses
I have ridden many horses that no one else would ride, because that is what was
available. There were countless young horses, OTTBs, whatever I could sit on
until they were sold or moved. It turned
me into a versatile rider, it also showed me I loved to bring a horse to a
point where your more average rider can take over the reins. It has also made
me the creative instructor I am today. When
I look back at my achievements in Pony Club, going to Nationals for jumpers,
taking a young TB through prelim as a teenager, helping countless horses that
were misunderstood get comfortable in their own skin and find their job in life
and more recently competing a list of young horses coming along in the world of
eventing, I can look at each record and
smile remember the day, the horse and the lesson. Like the very windy Sunday
morning when Rocky jumped into the water at Plantation at our first Training
and I got very wet. This was before the rule change that once you fell you were
done. So I climbed back on and finished, walking by Boyd Martin soaking wet was
very high on my embarrassment list at the time, as he was enjoying teasing me
about my over jumping horse at the stadium ring only the day before.
Showing can be approached two ways. You can stay at the
lower levels trying to perfect everything. Doing lots of local small shows
where you know you can win before ever dipping your toe in the ocean that is
the “recognized world” or you can put yourself out there compete against the
best and learn by watching your competitors warm up and compete . The victory
for me is much sweeter to put myself out in the big ocean and see how I float. Because a non-primary color ribbon is not the
end of the world.
Last year, Regal’s first show year, we were top 3 every time
out with some of my best lifetime dressage scores on a horse that I raised and
trained myself. Driving home from the
first show (a very large one) I had myself a little happy cry. To know that a
product of my style and training was really that good, to people that don’t
even know us confirm that was a great feeling. We were first the whole event
until we were too fast on XC bumping us to 3rd. I had been tearing
around on Spiderman earlier and forgot to slow down J But it didn’t matter and it
still doesn’t. Our season was cut a
little shorter than I wanted after he outgrew my saddles and we had to wait for
his back to get un-sore, but no matter we’ve got new saddles and we are ready
for this year.
Some of the winning riders are not always the best teachers
and even if you’re not winning doesn’t mean you are inferior to those that are,
just at a different place with your horse. Your show record is not a shield to
hide behind or your logo that represents you; it’s the marks on a day in your
riding history. Chin up, fix it forward, it’s about the journey.
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