When the Elite Compete
- ryleemckenzie
- Jul 15, 2018
- 2 min read
Going from good to great.
<insert challenge accepted>
When you start out your journey in the barrel racing world, there feels like so many factors to narrow down. What bloodlines are we going with? What can we afford to buy a live foal, or do we have to breed this concoction of bloodlines we have dreamt up? How do you keep this fire breathing dragon from self combusting for the next 5 years? What steps to take? Should we futurity at 4, or 5? Should we even futurity, or just go the route of bringing those babies along slowly and correctly?
Now, at some point you have made a barrel horse after all that planning and steps. We all take different approaches to getting them to learn there job and that is what makes this sport so amazing. But in order to make an elite competitor we have to take our “barrel horse” from good to great.
I believe that this is the point that makes great trainers. This is the exact point that separates the elite from the rest.
Here is a list that I personally believe makes competitors and trainers elite:
They stay on target. When things get tough and rough, they stay on their program and make adjustments necessary
They believe it will happen. They have a silent confidence that they can and will win. They have an innate trust that they have prepared their team mate to the best of his or her ability.
They know the right feel. This is key. They know what it feels like when a horse is running and when it is not.
They know how to step up their game. They can take a horse from running a second off, and over time make it a winner. They can make the leap from 18.0 to 17.5. And from 17.5 to 17.0.
They understand speed bumps are a positive. Things happen when you are going that fast, you know things are headed up when you hit a speed jam, because your horse is going faster than it ever has. Those will smooth out.
They stay positive. They take the good from every run.
They do not waiver from stiff competition. They understand that they can only do their best, and sometimes that is good enough and sometimes it is not. They do no panick from a fast run.
They appreciate excellence. They love watching great things take place. They feed off of it.
They follow the process. There is steps to every run you make. They follow every step. No shortcuts.
Once you can master that ability in one setting, you can master that ability again and again and again. Until you have created all the correct habits to make it happen every time.
“Winning is a habit”
Elite competitors know exactly how to read the play and make the exact moves needed to give themselves the best opportunity to succeed. They also understand that slumps are equally part of the game, to winning. And have mastered riding the highs and lows.
They say the most valuable thing you can have when competing is a short memory.
Keep on grinding out there!
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