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Thursday, January 26 2023 / Published in Weekly Feature

Returning To The Show Ring

By Margie Sugarman

It’s been a while since I’ve shown. After Indoors we turned the horses out and let them be horses. But now it’s time and I’m getting ready to head to Florida for the winter circuit. I’m feeling a bit anxious about getting back into the competitive state of mind, doubting myself and feeling more stress than I did when I was showing. Is this normal? What’s happening to me? What do I do to get back into the right place in my head? Why do I keep going back to this if it does what it does to me at the start of each season?

Throughout human history, people have enjoyed organizing competitions—the Ancient Greek Olympic Games go back to 776 BC. If you look around, you’ll notice that competition is everywhere in the modern world. Many historians believe that “competitiveness” is a biological trait that co-evolved with the basic need for human survival. However, returning to a competitive state after time off from being a competitive athlete can be quite daunting.

When you return to competing, your state of mind is often cluttered with doubts and fears: Will I be able to do it? Will my horse get around the course? What if I make a mistake? What will my trainer think? What will my parents say? What about how much it costs? etc.

Skill and talent are only part of the game. Being involved in a sport comes with a significant amount of mental pressure, and the stress that accompanies it impacts the athlete’s performance. Learning important skills like relaxation techniques, positive self-talk and imagery are valuable psychological aides that, when appropriately used, support and enhance performance. 

The real question is: How do you foster a confident, patient mindset?

Foremost, it’s important to set reasonable goals for your first few shows. Instead of going into the ring having to win everything, a more reasonable approach would be to give it your all and see what happens. The difference between going into the ring (upon your return) with the mindset of having to win as opposed to going into the ring and doing your best has a huge impact on the mind/body response. The more pressure and anxiety one feels, the higher the brain state. This higher brain state interferes with the mind/body connection. Have you ever come out of the ring and had your trainer ask you what you were thinking during one part of your ride and not been able to answer? Your brain state was too high and you couldn’t remember. In other words, your head and your body weren’t communicating properly and consequently, performance was impacted.

The proper mindset keeps you grounded in the present instead of solely focusing on the results. This automatically helps lower the performance brain state and allows for better focus, performance and results.

Focus on what you can control.

Think of what you do when you’re the most relaxed. Do you listen to music? Do you relax just walking around? Do you find yourself the most relaxed just being in the stall with your horse?

Most importantly, talk to your coach and identify small goals for your first classes back. 

Depending upon your level of riding, either choose one goal to focus on for your first class or, if you’re more advanced, two or three goals. These are the focal points of your ride. Perhaps you’re a rider who carries your hands too high or tends to lose pace in the corners and runs out of the turns. The first classes back should be honing in on and perfecting these small goals. This approach will help you feel accomplished, enhance your confidence and motivate you.

Remember, you have to make a conscious effort to proactively build back your confidence through thoughts, actions and, ultimately, results.

A building is built from the ground floor up. Approach your return to the competitive arena by having a solid foundation.

Confidence is what separates the champion from the rest of the pack. Champions are produced with time, and you can only win when your mind is stronger than your emotions.

Caption:

It’s important to talk to your coach and identify small goals for your first classes back.

Photo by Ruby Tevis

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Tagged under: show ring nerves, Sports Psychology

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Get your entries in for the TerraNova Dressage II Get your entries in for the TerraNova Dressage II CDI W & USEF National Level 5 dressage competition, hosted October 19-22, 2023 at TerraNova Equestrian Center in beautiful Myakka City, Florida. Conveniently located near Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota, TerraNova Equestrian Center is Florida’s premier equestrian destination.

Discover TerraNova’s peaceful showgrounds and luxury facilities for a world-class competition experience. TerraNova Dressage II is managed by Thomas Baur and Monica Fitzgerald and has quickly become a favorite venue amongst dressage competitors. 
National Judges:
Cindi Wylie
Anne Cizadlo

CDI Judges:
William Warren (4* / USA)
Elke Ebert (5* / GER)
Agniezka Majewska (4* / POL)
Debbie Rodrigurz (3* / USA)
Christof Umbach (5* / LUX)

View full prize list: https://www.terranovaequestrian.com/terranova-dressage-ii-cdi4 Enter CDI: https://equestrian-hub.com/public/show/165165 Enter USEF: https://equestrian-hub.com/public/show/184795 Closing date: October 12th – enter now!

#showterranova
HELLO OCTOBER!!! Kicking off the month with Intern HELLO OCTOBER!!! Kicking off the month with International-level dressage rider Amelia Newcomb. Who is committed to making dressage accessible to anyone who wants to learn and improve in the sport. With a mantra of “Dressage for All,” Amelia, her husband, Germán Schneider, and the rest of her team at Amelia Newcomb Dressage believe that anyone and everyone can learn to love their ride. 
With over 100,000 YouTube subscribers around the globe, Amelia is able to share her joy and 
enthusiasm for the sport with more equestrians than she ever dreamed of through her online training 
platform. Amelia’s curriculum breaks riding down into a simple, proven system that anyone can follow 
and get results, regardless of age, discipline or location.“My goal is to make good dressage training accessible to everyone who is interested in learning. One way I do that is by producing quality videos to educate and encourage dressage students along their dressage journey,” Amelia said. “The transformations that my students get are insane and my business is changing the entire sport of dressage and the way people learn to ride.”
While Amelia is a talented USDF Gold, Silver and Bronze medalist today, she knows the struggles 
associated with trying to make your way in the sport without abundant educational resources. “I grew up in Colorado, where there weren’t that many dressage resources available. I was so hungry for knowledge, I would go to big shows just to watch the big-named trainers work,” Amelia said. “That’s why, when given the opportunity to share what I’ve learned along the way, I decided to go for it and start my YouTube channel.” 
➡️Catch the full story at the link in our bio!! 
⬇️For more information, visit amelianewcombdressage.com and on Instagram 
amelicanewcombdressage

📸Photos by Lindsey Long, lindseylong.com
#Sidelines #sidelines2023 #sidelinesmagazine #magazine #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
The WPCSA American National Welsh Pony and Cob Sho The WPCSA American National Welsh Pony and Cob Show is happening now! Don’t miss another second by streaming it live! 🐴

📹👀HOW TO VIEW THE LIVE STREAM
The WPCSA will again be streaming footage live from the ring at the American National Show next week. You will need two free passes to get to the feed this year.

1️⃣�The first is a USEF fan membership which you can get through this site:
Join or Renew | US Equestrian (usef.org)

2️⃣ Once you become a fan member, you will need to log in to the USEF Network on ClipMyHorse. A video demonstrating how to do this can be found here:
Existing USEF Fan - Watch the USEF Network - YouTube 

📸Pictured- Grand Champion Section B under UK judge. 
Owner-Barbara Chappell
Handler-Paul Maye /Maye Show Ponies Fairfield, VA
A note from our editor. It's here!! The October is A note from our editor.
It's here!! The October issue of Sidelines Magazine! So happy to have the fabulous Amelia Newcomb  on our cover. Amelia is a dressage rider with over 100,000 students! You read that right! Amelia has a very popular YouTube Channel where riders from around the word can learn and improve on their dressage - and it's not just dressage riders who are benefitting from Amelia Newcombe Dressage on Your Tube but riders of all disciplines - don't miss her story! Thanks to Sidelines photographer Lindsey Long for the beautiful photos. This issue has so many great stories! Catch up with eventer Zachary Brandt Equestrian (make sure to see how much he loves his dogs), and meet show jumper Katherine Anne Brewer and her horse Super Bunny, artist Samantha Dawn, equestrian Megan Smith who teaches Pilates 4 Equestrians; and Ela Ladwig a dressage rider and trainer who's multi talented because she's also a talented artist also. We have an amazing story on hunter-jumper rider Lisa Mooney who has a story you don't want to miss!! We also have a story on Tyler Held who's passion for eventing has taken her on quite the journey, and we catch up with Jimmy Toon in our Unbridled column. This issue also features our Save The Date section where you can check out show dates for this year and next from horse shows around the country! So get out your calendar!! And don't miss our great columnists, hunter-jumper with Rob R.L. Jacobs, eventing with Liz Halliday Eventing and sports psychology with Margie Sugarman. And check out the photos of riders at the 2023 The Hampton Classic Horse Show also! It's another great issue! Make sure to subscribe to Sidelines also - one year for $14.95 and the magazine is delivered right to your house or barn!! 
Enjoy the October issue: https://sidelinesmagazine.com/app/#/reader/50029/1767167

Link in Bio!!!
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