Intimidated or Inspired?

Ambers Echo

Ambers Echo

Still wittering on
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13 October 2017
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Katie and I did Frickley BE at the weekend. It was the same weekend as various championship classes like U18 champs, 2** and championship dressage. Lots of competitors were there for several days and had their camping areas set out and looked very at home. The arenas had grandstands and it all looked very imposing. I felt quite intimidated by it all. It occurred to me that I should feel inspired! But I didn't, I just felt intimidated and out of place.

Weirdly, I felt fine at Chatsworth which was even more imposing. Maybe because I had plenty of friends riding too.

How would you react?
 
I think my reaction varies a bit depending on how I'm personally feeling at the time. If I'm generally feeling in a positive frame of mind, feel like my horse is going well at home and we have a good connection at the show, then I tend to feel like I can rise to the occasion and get inspired by my surroundings.

If I'm on a bit of a downer - stressed at work, had a bad week of riding, too tired, whatever, it's very easy to spiral down into a bit of an overwhelmed/inadequate feeling.

You posted before going that you weren't having the best time. Could that have something to do with it? x
 
I honestly love the big atmosphere events. It is the main motivator for me to keep shelling out money, now as an event owner and previously when I rode (although that was dressage).

Was chatting with a big name pure sj’er a while back, who trains plenty of eventers although is stereotypically scathing of their sj ability (😜) and whilst they had no desire to event they could completely see the attraction .... in Eventing you can compete in some of the most amazing locations and atmospheres in the UK at a pretty low level of competition
 
Inspired. I used to really love the big country house venues. I couldn't get anywhere near as excited by the agricultural colleges and farm based ones.

I wish I was still doing it now Cirencester is back in the calendar, that's a lovely place.

.
 
MP I think you are right actually. I think it was just my mental state overall on that day. I do usually really like big event feel in events.
 
Ambers Echo said:
MP I think you are right actually. I think it was just my mental state overall on that day. I do usually really like big event feel in events.
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I think I'm fairly aware of my own mental state because I'm always riding the underdog as it is, even when I was eventing it was on the 15hh cob x, so have to be quite in control of my own mind. It's easier now just doing one discipline but still has the same effect.
 
I think I would be the same as you, if my confidence wasn't great although I'd love to be able to ride at a big venue like that. You should feel just as entitled to be there as everyone else. My friends daughter was at the under 18's champs. My friend says they were one of the few state school educated kids. They have a trailer and felt very intimidated by the amazing lorries the U18's have !!
 
I used to feel inspired and excited to be at a bigger venue or in with pro riders. My retired boy and I had a real mixed bag of results over the years, some placings, some E/R and some '2 out of 3' days. My favourite venue of old was Highclere, it had a big event feel to me and even though we did the PN/BE100 class, there were lots of pros on their youngsters. I got a buzz from that, even though I was never competitive at that level (or any level for that matter ;) ).
 
In another lifetime we pulled up in our converted removal lorry, original branding still very visible through the dodgy paint-job, I jumped out and unloaded my brought up through Pony Club failed racer, threw a little checked travel blanket over him as it was chilly and I didn't own a proper rug, then looked over at my neighbour to discover it was Lucinda Green with an amazing horsebox and several gorgeous horses in immaculate kit. I was young enough to just think it was funny, and "if only". She was absolutely lovely, I followed her in all day, I remember she did a beautiful SJ round on her 5yo to have 1 unlucky pole, I followed and did my usual disaster effort and somehow left them all up - she just looked at my mum and laughed!
 
vhf said:
In another lifetime we pulled up in our converted removal lorry, original branding still very visible through the dodgy paint-job, I jumped out and unloaded my brought up through Pony Club failed racer, threw a little checked travel blanket over him as it was chilly and I didn't own a proper rug, then looked over at my neighbour to discover it was Lucinda Green with an amazing horsebox and several gorgeous horses in immaculate kit.
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haha! I had similar at Barbury, turned up in the borrowed cattle truck with my HAPPA rescue horse and 2nd hand kit, parked up next to Zara Phillips with her mega lorry, pop out sides, grooms, the works.

I did love eventing for that element of camaraderie, I find BD friendly amongst peers but I wouldn't be chatting with CDJ if I was parked next door, put it that way :p
 
I only SJ but when I go to stay aways I find the first 24 hours unbelievably intimidating and I'll usually end up crying because I feel so out my depth. My inner voice is telling me it's a total waste of money to be here, why are you going to big stay aways when you only jump a meter, look how many amazing show jumpers there are here, you don't belong here because you're useless - it's pretty non-stop for the first evening!

It's only after I've got into the warm up and realised that there are people there exactly the same as me that I start to relax, and they're here for the same reason - to enjoy themselves! If my inner voice was true there would be 300 people jumping the 1.30 and 1 person jumping the British Novice - me! Once I realise there's at least 100 people per day who choose to jump the 90cm and 1m I relax a bit!
 
milliepops said:
haha! I had similar at Barbury, turned up in the borrowed cattle truck with my HAPPA rescue horse and 2nd hand kit, parked up next to Zara Phillips with her mega lorry, pop out sides, grooms, the works.

I did love eventing for that element of camaraderie, I find BD friendly amongst peers but I wouldn't be chatting with CDJ if I was parked next door, put it that way :p
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I had to get Zara's hands out of my sister's hair at an ODE once. I think it was Hampton on the Hill. She was about 2 at the time mind...
 
I quite often feel out of place and intimidated even at day to day dressage particularly if we are doing elementary and there are people with the trainers, being taught and helped with their warm up and prancing around the place sideways, looking glam and amazing in kit that probably cost more than all mine put together and I am on my own so horse doesn't even have boots on to warm up. I don't generally feel that way showing and love the big occasion for that.
 
Humblepie, dont worry, I feel like that too sometimes, and I'm riding at GP/Inter 2. I'm by myself at shows, so no boots on my horse, no help, no trainer etc, my gear is ancient, my tails are well over ten years old, and they were bargain basement to begin with! Its really easy to feel intimadated in that scenario, but I've learnt to block it out 95% of the time and just focus on my horse and how lucky I am to be doing what I love. The other thing is that so many of the riders who look all posh and scary are actually so nice, really encouraging and friendly, not all of them, but most of them. So hold your head high and enjoy yourself!
 
daffy44 said:
Humblepie, dont worry, I feel like that too sometimes, and I'm riding at GP/Inter 2. I'm by myself at shows, so no boots on my horse, no help, no trainer etc, my gear is ancient, my tails are well over ten years old, and they were bargain basement to begin with! Its really easy to feel intimadated in that scenario, but I've learnt to block it out 95% of the time and just focus on my horse and how lucky I am to be doing what I love. The other thing is that so many of the riders who look all posh and scary are actually so nice, really encouraging and friendly, not all of them, but most of them. So hold your head high and enjoy yourself!
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My friend drove herself and rather nice hunter to a show, got out of the car and looked round at those riding through the horsebox park to the warm-up area and almost got back in the car to drive home. She said 'Just look at how posh every-one looks'. She needed a reminder that as soon as she put on her tweed jacket and riding hat and mounted her lovely horse, others would be saying exactly that about her, too. I think it was the nerves talking.
 
I think we've all had these moments. Years ago, my first homebred was invited to the Equine Bridge assessment days. She was about 3h smaller than everything else, home bred, home produced by me, ridden by me at selection day.

We pulled up in a 15 year old 4x4 and 15 year old trailer, parked next to the likes of Future Sport Horses, Preci Spark Horses, the Billy stud etc....

Dad just kept saying "we've qualified just the same, you are just as entitled to be here".
 
I personally love it, I dont go to many "big atmosphere" events these days due to lack of time and money but I went to Glamis Horse Trials at the weekend and loved its atmosphere. Looking round the stabling, I actually had the thought "god I love eventing". I dont worry about anyone else, I dont care if someone fancy is in my class - Im just there to have fun and do the best we can. Having seen pro riders dumped at the first fence a few times, it makes you realise that everyone is pretty much on an equal playing field. The only time I feel a bit cruddy is in the dressage warm up as we're so rubbish at it!
 
I think if you don't feel both on some levels then you're might need to have your pulse checked. :)

Big locales, and by that I don't mean large but rather imposing and grand, can be a part of the showing experience that you have to sort how your emotions will play in. I just came from a huge significant locale and I knew going in it did affect my decision to go there. I wanted the huge ring and the atmosphere BUT I was having nightmares before we arrived and I wouldn't have bet a single dollar with a bookie offering to guarantee that the atmosphere wouldn't get to me. I just didn't know. In the moment we rose above. But PLENTY of times in my life I have lost my way while worrying about the location of the shows. I wouldn't think that you have to be either Inspired or Intimidated. I think that many other factors can play in and you could have a great outing while also being really cognizant that you're in a big deal place. Likewise you can be cocky as all hell and have a horrid weekend in a tiny uninspiring place just for extra confusion.

So I guess my bottom line is that like all of riding, it is what you make of it. If you are inspired by where you are/who you're riding against try to capitalize on it. If you're intimidated, remember to balance that 1 piece against the whole picture and do your best to ride one movement/jump at a time and don't look at it all at once. Break it down to manageable bites.

Em
 
I'm off to a huge venue with my very non typical endurance horse in two weeks. It will be a slightly surreal experience because the money there will be phenomenal, but, mercifully, it takes all sorts.
 
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