I competed as a kid.
A lot.
I competed with horses from the time I was 7 or 8 until I was 19 or 20.
My life pretty much consisted of practicing, preparing, and competing. There were no parties, there were no other sports.
I rode fast. And I rode slow. I led my horse. I rode western, and English. I rode flat and I jumped.
In my teenage years I primarily showed horses. And I loved it.
I loved the level of perfection needed to win. I loved all of the nuance and the details that made the difference between first place and last place.
While every class at every competition was a big deal, there were some shows that meant more and therefore had higher stakes.
I won a lot. And I won some pretty big titles.
And I learned a lot about life.
Competition teaches you so many things you don’t easily learn otherwise. It puts you in a pressure cooker and you have to perform your best. When you slip up, or let down – you pay the price.
The amount of pressure we put on ourselves when the stakes are high can be debilitating.
There were times I walked, or rode into the show pen and made mistakes I should have never made… basic things would be left behind like having my reins too long in horsemanship, or blowing a pattern.
My trainer would tell me before the big shows – this one isn’t any differnt, its just another horse show.
And yet the stakes were higher.
The titles were on the line, and there wasn’t any hiding that part.
Was he right?
Yes, he was right.
The big horse shows were always just another horse show.
20 years later, looking back, nobody cares about any of the titles I won. There have been a lot more kids come behind me, and they have won those titles. Nobody knows who I am.
But I know.
And the people who were close to me at the time know.
And although that still feels like such a special time in my heart, it is the journey to get there that really mattered.
Every intense situation.
Every failure.
Every lesson.
Every tear cried back at the trailer.
Every tear cried in the winners circle.
Every harsh word spoken
Every word of encouragement.
All of the sweat in the practice pen.
And all of the miles travelled… contributed to who I am and how I see the world today.
In the moment it always feels like you need to make the goal, or win the thing.
But once you’ve done it, all you have left is who you have become along the way.
Competition has a way of making you want to be better.
It drives you to climb the ladder and to keep improving.
But it also teaches you that you get another shot, and that winning isn’t everything.
Find ways to compete. Find ways to be better. And celebrate every win along the way.
This is something you won’t regret.