We’re off to Moreton Morrell on Sunday, competing for our fab team Solihull Riding Club! We haven’t been out Eventing for a month now, so we’re pretty excited* to get back out there.
*When I say excited, I actually mean pretty nervous.
I read this article a while ago on how to deal with nerves, and it said that you should try and trick your brain into feeling excited, rather than nervous. Apparently it’s as easy as saying “I’m excited,” every time you feel like saying “I’m nervous.” I’m not sure it’s working for me, but I keep trying it anyway. Positive mindset and all that.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an overly nervous person. I think it’s more because I’m competitive by nature, and I have this desire to be good at everything I do. Which is fine if you are good at everything you do. But when Belle and I started competing, I quickly realised that for my own sanity, I needed to tone down my expectations. As anyone who rides horses will know, it’s a pretty good hobby for giving you a level head. And the more nervous I feel, the worse I ride, and the worse our results tend to be. So, I’m excited.
Prep isn’t really going according to plan this week, and the weather Gods definitely aren’t on our side. The forecast for Sunday is horrific and with absolutely everything being outside, I’m slightly worried we might drown! I’m definitely a fair weather rider – it’s ok to withdraw because you don’t want to ride in the rain, right!?
On the plus side, Sunday’s competition times have been released today and for once, they’re actually nice! I seem to have some sort of curse on me that punishes me with the earliest times possible for competitions – I’ve been the first one in the dressage arena at 8am plenty of times! It’s much more civilised on Sunday, with dressage not until 10.30. That’s practically a lie in!
We were last at Moreton Morrell in June, at the BRC National Horse Trials Qualifier. At the time, it was the toughest course we’d ever done and I really was nervous, and so it didn’t go completely according to plan. I somehow managed to go wrong in my dressage test, despite having a reader (I know, how is that even possible? It was before I’d read the nervous/excited article, so maybe there is something in it…)
We tapped a pole in the showjumping, but I was completely thrilled to make it round clear XC – I nearly cried coming over the finish line! Because I’d been bricking it so much about the jumping elements and I’d been so desperate to get a clear round for the team, I’d taken it really steady and so we picked up a heap of time penalties that pushed us out of individual placings.
So the aims for Sunday are small: don’t forget the dressage test, and be more competitive with the XC time! But hey – there’s only so much you can plan for. The most important thing, in my opinion, is to have some fun at one of our last events of the season – that’s why we do this, after all!
Anyway, I’m off to pray for sunshine. Although, I’m thinking the rain might mean I can get away without giving Belle a bath. And that’s definitely a positive.
Sarah and Belle x
Totally Amateur Eventing 