Like I’m sure a lot of you have, I have been involved with a competitive sport for almost my entire life. I jumped on the back of a horse for the first time at the age of six and left a little piece of my heart and soul at the barn that very first day. While I have taken short breaks from horseback riding here and there, I’ve always been able to find my way back to the sport that I could never imagine my life without. Without horseback riding, as I’m sure it is with any life-consuming sport, I can’t say that I would be the same person as I would be had I never ridden before, and the sport that I poured my heart and soul into taught me some of the most valuable lessons I could be taught.
1. Hard work really does pay off.
As it is with mostly anything in life, hard work really does pay off. As a horseback rider, I spent countless hours at the barn. Growing up, I was almost always there — after school, on weekends, and almost every day throughout the summer. During the school year, I would ride for an hour at a time, almost every day. During the summer, double that. I rode every day for hours on end, working myself both physically and mentally to be the best that I could be. If I wasn’t riding, I was cleaning stalls, which I made sure I perfected, not only to do it quickly but to do it well.
While my life was (and still is) consumed by this sport, and while I may physically and mentally tire myself out, the feeling of winning and the feeling of gratitude are both worth more than any effort put into it. A lot of times, people put in a half-ass effort to things that they do just so they’re “good enough.” I am here to tell you that hard work does pay off, and knowing that you’re doing a good job or walking away from your sport with a first place ribbon or a win beats any work you’ll ever put into what you do.
2. Mental strength is just as important as physical strength.
Yes, physical strength is important. It is important that your body is properly trained and able to handle whatever impact you’re putting on it. As a horseback rider, as it is with any sport, having physical strength gets you absolutely nowhere, but as I grew up (and wised up), I learned that mental strength is just as important as physical strength, if not more important. Sure, there will be days that your motivation is much lower than others, and getting yourself to put in any effort is difficult, but being able to push through that is what counts.
Overcoming the low amounts of motivation push you to do better not just in sports, but in life as well. Or let’s say you’re attempting to conquer something new or challenging when it comes to your sport. As a horseback rider, riding a new horse or jumping a new height can be a bit unnerving, but even having all of the strength in the world, if I had a poor mindset, I would never be able to ride that horse or jump that jump. I would have crumbled. Mental strength is what pushes you and makes you a better person, in a sport and in life.
3. Winning isn’t always everything.
Winning feels good. I understand that, but you probably won’t win at absolutely everything you do in life and that’s okay. When I competed in my first horse show, yes, I wanted to walk out of that ring with blue ribbons in my hand, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I was young, new to the competition world and had a lot to learn about the new world I stepped into. While everybody wants to win, it’s the losing that makes you a better athlete and person. If you win all the time, how can you expect to grow and change? Losing pushes you to put in more effort, train harder, and become a better version of yourself so the next time you have a chance to win or lose, you walk away winning. As a competitive person, I sometimes struggle with the thought of losing, but I also understand that losing pushed me to do the best that I could.
4. Being competitive shouldn’t involve being mean.
I’m a competitive person, I like a good challenge and I enjoy winning very much, but there’s a big difference between being competitive vs. being mean. The world or horseback riding is slightly stuck up, a little bit dirty and a little bit mean, where people typically walk around as if they’re better than you. I’ve met my fair share of mean competitors, and while they may have beat me in the show ring, I have little respect for them simply because of their attitudes. There is nothing wrong with a little competition, whether it be a sport or in life, but being mean doesn’t get you anywhere. I lose respect for people who are mean, stuck up, and who carry this “better than you” attitude after a win or accomplishment. Put a smile on, be nice, and pat your competitor on the back if they lost. I promise that being nice will get you much farther than being nasty.
5. I am the person I have become because of my sport.
Horseback riding has gotten me through some of the absolute worst moments in my life and has given me some of my most cherished memories. Through all of the blood, sweat, tears and dirt (literally), I have become the person I am today. Any competitive sport takes effort, just as almost everything in life does. Hard work really does pay off, mental strength can take you farther than you probably think, losing teaches you lessons, and being nice gets you a hell of a lot farther than being mean. Without my sport, I can’t say that I’d be the same person I am today and I’m sure most of you can agree with me. While I wanted to quit sometimes and got frustrated with what I was doing, I am thankful for the effort I put in and for the lessons my sport taught me.
