I had the incredible opportunity to show
my horse, Lyles Al Lie, at the AQHA World Championship Show in Amateur Hunter Under
Saddle. The
one and only time I showed in Oklahoma City at the World Show was in 1993, when
Beanie Babies were launched and the cost of a gallon of gas was $1.16. Almost 20 years later, the one thing
that hasn’t changed is the feeling that the World Show is a big deal, and
everybody wants to have a great ride and do well.
I have been following
Cracky’s career since Jessica Johnson won the All Around Amateur at the AQHA
World Show in 2009. This is the perspective from someone who brought a lucky troll doll to their
very first Quarter Horse Congress and I won three classes that year. The question is, “Was it me, or
the troll that did the winning? I never gave it much thought, so I decided to
dig a little deeper and find out more about the Cracky Effect.
A Monday Morning Quarterback is traditionally someone who after the event, offers advice or criticism concerning decisions made by others. In this case, however, GoHorseShow.com contributor and Sport Consultant, Kirsten Farris of The Equestrian Athlete, praises 2010 AQHYA World Champion Carey Nowacek and observes why her pre-game strategy put her on top.
You put
thousands of miles on your truck and trailer to get qualified and now you are
sitting in the chute waiting to start your pattern at the World Show. You have a few
seconds before the person in front of you finishes their pattern. They finish,
the crowd starts clapping, and then it gets quiet. The judges nod, you hear your
name and you start your pattern…
As
summer approaches there are so many things to look forward to, the
longer days,
warmer weather and all the different Youth World Championships for each
breed.
As temperatures rise, sometimes the stress and pressure of competition
will
have tempers flaring up faster than a Johnsonville Brat on a charcoal
grill.
Here’s a newsflash - it doesn’t have to be that way!
GoHorseShow.com columnist, Kirsten Farris, is an Animal Communicator. Yes, she talks to
animals, and often times, they talk back! She
has had the
pleasure of working with hundreds of horses, from World Champions to
Weanlings. Farris had a conversation with 4-time Congress Champion and
Multiple
NSBA Year-End
Champion Allocate Your Assets and his owner Katherine Tobin to get the inside
dish straight from the horse's mouth, on his successful
show ring and breeding career as well as some of his personal likes and dislikes.
If you are a competitive rider, I am sure you are familiar with the
benefits of visualization. You know, the “if you can see it you can be
it” stuff. As a sport consultant, visualization is one of the most
popular go to techniques for creating peak performance, but it is a
little more complex than just making pictures in your mind. Kirsten Farris has a
few props to use when visualizing that will bring your pictures to life.
Like many of you, I have to work for a living, and sometimes that
involves being on the road for weeks at a time. I am currently in the
UK, in a town spelled Derby, but pronounced Darby, where jumpers aren't
horses who go over fences, they are sweaters, and the word shag has
nothing to do with a type of carpet that was popular in the late 70’s.
Being on the road and away from your horse doesn’t mean that you can’t
improve your riding skills.
GoHorseShow.com contributor Kirsten Farris has just returned from the Sun Circuit with the Reserve Circuit Championship award in Amateur Hunter Under Saddle with her horse, Lyles Al Lie. While in Scottsdale, she completed a humorous, yet informative article about eating healthy at the horse shows. Unfortunately, at the typical horse show, there are more obstacles to
eating healthy than a Tim "the Trail Man" Kimura trail course. With a
few tips from Farris and a good strategy, you can be as finely tuned as your horse,
and you will still be able to zip your chaps.
In her second installment for GoHorseShow.com, Certified Sport Consultant, Kirsten Farris, takes the blah blah blah and the yadda yadda yadda out of New Year’s resolutions. Her fun tips will put you well on your way to getting what you really want this year while others are busy making lists of things they will never accomplish.
Looking for the mental edge? Want to find a way to calm nervous jitters? Would you like to get in the best shape of your life, or just be able to zip up your chaps? Kirsten Farris, Certified Sport Consultant, Equestrian Fitness Trainer and author of The Equestrian Athlete Workbook will share simple, practical tips to keep your mind sharp, your body fit and your sense of humor satisfied so you can be your best, in and out of the show pen. In her first installment for GoHorseShow.com, she addresses horse showing during the holidays.