So, Why do you Compete?????

FREESTYLER

FREESTYLER

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I asked this to someone I know who said that she prefer to just school and not compete.... I could not understand...?

I compete because........
1. I love the adrenalin rush I suppose??!!
2. I love the "getting ready" the day before,smart and clean for once!!
3. I love to focus on something and have a goal.

I also have learnt from competing that if you do not win, it does not make you a failure, just encourages you more to compete to win next time and adjust your training!!!!!!!
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But in psychology apparently you compete against yourself and not others..........I cannot watch others in my class before I compete.....as I am always thinking, god, they were fab, oh wow, look at them etc......... anyone feel the same??!!
 
i only competely locally, but i do, because i enjoy it, and like to show off every now and then!
I like to take my TB to local dressage to see how much we have improved/ see what we need to improve on, it doesn't bother me that im usually last- somebody has to be last afterall!
 
Love this post
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I have started not enjoying my competing
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I don't know at what point it changed but it seems the better and more things we have achieved the more critical I become of myself
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I do love the adrenalin of the XC and love all the getting readt too but I now have to adjust my focus and instead of thinking and pulling my self down about the things that were not right turn it around and take away the positives.

My new years resolution was to focus on the positives, so kick me up the bum and remind me every so often
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Yeah sometimes I want to watch other people compete before me, but I know it only winds me up so I try not to!
Competing is really fun and is a good way to gauge your improvement, when I see people jumping little jumps it reminds me of what I used to do, and the improvements I have made since then!
 
I compete so that I have a goal. If I don't have any competitions coming up then I find my enthusiasm starts to disappear, as I don't have a reason to refine things or learn new things.
On my present horse, I do only compete against myself, if I went out to try and win at affiliated level on him I would come home on most occasions disappointed. I attempt to take what we have been working on at home and apply it in a test, even if it is something very small. If my horse does everything that I ask of him in a test and gets a rubbish mark I will a lot happier than I would be if he'd ignored me a bit and got a good mark.
 
You enjoy it and that is the most important thing to. So many people I know do not enjoy it...which is a great shame...... I know we get disheartend by our scores at times/judges etc... but surely this should boost us to work at home and better ourselves next time???
 
" have started not enjoying my competing I don't know at what point it changed but it seems the better and more things we have achieved the more critical I become of myself "

Only normal.......I have done this on many occasion and beaten myself up......We never blame the horse as this is bad form!!!! BUT is it the worst thing you can do.. believe me!! You begin to put tooo much pressure on yourself and when you compete you are tense, the horse feels it and then ... WAM.. bad scores, be it jumping or dressage because your concentration was on "I must do well, oh, I have messed up, thats it.....why do I bother........self destruction mode!"


"Yeah sometimes I want to watch other people compete before me, but I know it only winds me up so I try not to!"

Out of interest.. why does it wind you up?? What are you thinking?

" adrenelin - couldnt live without it! "

Yup I love this too!!!!

"I compete so that I have a goal. If I don't have any competitions coming up then I find my enthusiasm starts to disappear, as I don't have a reason to refine things or learn new things."

Goals, brilliant!! Me too.... I have to have something to aim for.....a bit like when people diet......I have to lose weight because I am going on holiday!!!!! LOL!! But in our case it is something that goes on forever!!
 
I know what happens if I DON'T compete... I get depressed.

I def need the adrenaline & I love the buzz when it goes really well. I don't always feel like going, esp if we're jumping, but if I DON'T go, I regret it for days.

It's also good to look back & realise you've moved on a level.
 
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I know what happens if I DON'T compete... I get depressed.

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See thats the other thing, I have to have something booked in my diary as in HAVE TOO, or I get withdrawal symptoms
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After reading my posts I think I am really weird, I have to compete, don't enjoy it, sort of can't live with or without it syndrome, maybe we should name it non compeetingitus
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To have something to work towards and to gain a sense of achievement, from anything as simple as making it round the SJ's (all be it with 24 faults!!) to finishing a dressage test with a smile on my face to coming home with a rossette
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Feels as though I haven't competed for ages, probably about 6 months
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[ QUOTE ]
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I know what happens if I DON'T compete... I get depressed.

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See thats the other thing, I have to have something booked in my diary as in HAVE TOO, or I get withdrawal symptoms
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After reading my posts I think I am really weird, I have to compete, don't enjoy it, sort of can't live with or without it syndrome, maybe we should name it non compeetingitus
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Ha!!! Just learnt how to do quotes properly!!!!!!!

Not weird, dont worry, many a time I have got up and thought I dont want to go today......."I am tired" "I want a lay in bed", etc.....but normally those days you do good!!!!
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[ QUOTE ]
To have something to work towards and to gain a sense of achievement, from anything as simple as making it round the SJ's (all be it with 24 faults!!) to finishing a dressage test with a smile on my face to coming home with a rossette
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Feels as though I haven't competed for ages, probably about 6 months
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[/ QUOTE ]

Yep, sense of achievement, horses are very good at teaching us that....sometimes!!!! But most of all, a smile on our face and having a rossette......whatever colour
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even though I like red.......it matches my hair!! Honest!!
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it's part of my horses training and putting its training to use---

adds to ur horses value ( if its good) it's fun and u meet lots of really nice people... xxx nd i love to win lol
 
i'm quite a sad person cos im quite competative. but nothing is better than seeing all you hard work , early mornings and late nights come together in the perfect showjumping round doesnt matter what place i get as long as he tries his best and hes happy.
 
In my case, i'd almost turn the question around....

"Why do i ride ?" - "Because i need to keep the horses fit enough to compete on !"

I absolutely love competing, and i get depressed if i don't do well at it
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(I get very depressed a lot of the time lol!).

I guess a (fairly large) part of me craves the (perceived) attention that success brings, and as a throw back from when i was younger and hoping (fully expecting
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) to make my career from SJ'ing, i needed to do well. I guess i'm still living in hope of that elusive big win that would change my life
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I think i also get a huge buzz from beating the 'youngsters' on the circuit and proving to myself that i've still got what it takes
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G*d...I must sound awful
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Opps!! I forgot about the nice people you meet out competing too!!!!!!

Nothing wrong in being competative... I am too!

Rambo..nope you dont sound awful just normal! I think many would like to make their hobby their career....I would.. shame there is not much money in it though..

Do you all feel you have to win all the time though? How do you cope with this? Is it a "spoilt bratt" syndrome or just a pure "wanting it soooo badly"!!!
 
I haven't really jumped in a year, apart from when I've managed to steal Spot. And you do actually get used to not competing, but it is like chocolate, if you don't do it you forget how nice it is and if you do it once you really want to do it again.

So what am I missing - the feeling of complete and utter cockiness when I go into the ring and knowing that I am going to do well. It helps that my horse is even more cocky than I am. It is really nice to sit on a horse that you know is completly obsessed by show jumping and is going to do everything possible to leave the jumps up for you.
 
[ QUOTE ]

I compete because........
1. I love the adrenalin rush I suppose??!!
2. I love the "getting ready" the day before,smart and clean for once!!
3. I love to focus on something and have a goal.

I also have learnt from competing that if you do not win, it does not make you a failure, just encourages you more to compete to win next time and adjust your training!!!!!!!
grin.gif



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What you said.!!

I love competing and love the challange of trying to better yourself everytime and working towards that goal.. I don't always do well but in that case it tends to make me more determinded for the next time.! Also I do it for fun not to win, which is a good job really.!!
There are times when I think why am I doing this.!! always due to nerves when SJ'ing or eventing but once I've finished the SJ course or am out on the XC and when I've finished, its great.!
I couldn't go to a CT over xmas as I was v ill and that made me feel even worse.. I planned the first half of our season about 2 months ago and can't wait to get my entry in for the first even of 2008.!
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I love competing because I have to have something to work towards, and then I love the preparation for the Big Day and going out to show off my horse to everyone else, and then I love coming back to the yard with a rosette and having to tell everyone how the day was. The first time I came back with a red rosette (last time I was out) was just fantastic! Even though it was only a basic unaffiliated dressage test, and not on my own horse! I suppose it gives me a purpose and the motivation to ride, eg. "I have to hack today so horsey will behave tomorrow in my lesson and then we can do well the day after at the competition". But then it doesn't have to be competing, if I manage to buy a horse this year and it's sensible enough, I want to aim to hunt next season. It's still a big "do" to dress up for and look forward to, but no rosettes just mud!
I hate not competing or going out. I'm only motivated to ride the coloured at the moment because I am trying to get enough courage to ask her owner to let me take her hunting. That's the only thing I have to work towards! If she says no I shall cry as I won't be able to do anything until I get my own un-injured horse in the distant future!
 
I don't know why I compete, all I know is that I have missed it so much!

Today when I couldn't take Han to her BD debut I just felt so very disappointed!
 
I compete for the social aspect, the adrenalin rush, the rewards when you do well (and for seeing where you need to improve in schooling when things don't go so well). I love getting my horse out and to some extent "showing her off" and I'm a competitive person so I think I'd get bored without it!
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I get a huge sense of satisfaction from competing and seeing all my hard work and training in action.
 
Like you, I like to have a goal to work towards. Dressage is my preference as I like to compare our performance with our previous time. I've got various goals this year, but horse has started by being on box rest and under vet after puncturing his sole in his stable with front shoe!

Good luck to those who are getting out and about with their horses and hope all goes well.
 
Just thought of another...

Why do I compete?....to aim to win that elusive trophy and sash...just once...to make up for all the vetraps, gamgee, vet bills etc...and cos I just love my boy! We can retire then!!!
 
I compete because I like to win
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It doesnt always happen though
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Im a terrible loser.

I compete because I like the fun side to it and beating the horse you know cost 5 times more than mine. Im very competitive.
 
I compete as a personal challenge, I am not hugely competitive but it's the little things that I enjoy.

The feeling that we have progressed, when I get double clears, when she doesn't bat an eye at the XC jump I had been stressing over, if she turns when I ask her to turn however, I refuse to drag her around in a jump off situation just to get a rosette and that always caused us to be too slow but we are a bit like the tortoise and the hare!
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Clears get placed above faulters afterall!!
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I don't go with the expectation of getting placed but it is lovely when we do.
 
So, when you do not win or your scores are low, or you have many jumps down or get eliminated do you have a strop or sulk or put it down to your error or your horses and note not to do it again?? How long does your strop/sulk last for if you do??!! and if anyone asks how you got on what do you say??!!
 
I love everything about competing though I don't really find it much of an adreneline rush doing dressage!!

I like the planning (which horses to take to which shows) deciding what tests to do, ringing for times, getting ready, riding the test etc etc. I especially love winning!! (A write up in H&H is even better.)

I find most shows quite a social outing as well as have been doing it for so long that I know most of the people that are at the shows I go to.

I'm rather philosophical about it if it all goes wrong though I get really cross if I've been unfairly marked. Horses being horses will always have some off days and sometimes I don't ride as well as others!! C'est la vie!

I don't find I need competitions to provide goals and motivation as I love training horses so much that even if competing were banned tomorrow my enthusiasm would remain the same and I would school just because I love everything about it. I would still want to teach the horses all the work and take them as far as possible even if at the end of it there was no arena to show them off in!!
 
I compete because it gives my riding a purpose - otherwise I would probably amble about.

Then its good as it makes me leave the farm on the weekends (otherwise I hate shopping, so don't go anywhere!).

Then finally my new goal is to win lots of rossettes. Not for the normal reasons!!! I have now moved into the log cabin, but some of the log ends that stick into the rooms are really sharp and I have already grazed my hands lots. So rather than spend ages sanding and rubbing down and then resealing -> nail in rossettes. Cheap and I actually finally found a practical use for them....
 
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