A rookie, by definition, is “someone that has just started a job or activity and has little experience.” Because of their inexperience, rookies may have a number of unanswered questions. This is especially true when your teammate is a 1200 pound animal that doesn’t speak the same language.
Many newcomers to the show arena often look for advice and guidance from those who have managed this unpredictable time.
The 2016 rookies were asked about their experiences in hopes of shedding some light on how to navigate one’s first years of showing horses.
Erika Vandevelde (pictured above) – The most valuable lesson I have learned so far from showing is that I am my toughest critic. As a competitor, we all strive for that perfect ride. It took me a long time with the help of some amazing people, such as Stephanie Lynn, to realize that I need to strive for the best ride/pattern with my horse for that day. If things don’t work out, learning to let it go and get back on track is important. Find the good in each ride/pattern and work to correct what didn’t go as planned. My advice to rookies just starting out would be to work hard but have fun. Find someone you admire for their style and skill set and watch and learn. You can learn so much by watching. Tips to calm nerves while showing… remember to breathe. If you have prepared and are ready, then you focus and do the best you can.
Jillian Channell – I think the most valuable thing I’ve learned is to be grateful for everything. Showing horses takes a huge effort from a lot of people. I literally couldn’t do it without my parents, Todd and Janet, and my trainers, Matt and Cami Claypool. After every horse show weekend, whether it’s good or bad, I always remind myself how lucky I am to be able to show horses.For anyone starting out, I’d say read the rule book. It’s such an important aspect of any association. For nerves, I have a lot of tricks. First, when my trainer knows I’m nervous, she tells me to sing a song in my head. I get most nervous right before I go in so while I am waiting I like to count things. It sounds odd but I’ll pick something in the crowd like red shirts, or cowboy hats, or dogs and I see how many I can find before I go in. It really gets my mind off of being nervous. Another one is breathing. You can never go wrong with taking a deep breath before you show!
Cora Wyers – “Work hard in silence, let success be your noise.” This quote is so true. If you consistently work hard, always go the extra step pushing yourself, and believe you can achieve, the rest will follow. Athletes, no matter what the sport, who go that extra step in practice, will rise to the top. I always set high goals for myself, discuss my goals with my trainer, Marion Troyer, and together we put a game plan in place.
There is nothing more rewarding than achieving a goal or better yet exceeding your expectations. Like any competitive sport, we all want to win. However, we all know in the world of showing there are challenges and unforeseen circumstances that may affect our goals. I have learned that it is very important to enjoy the journey, appreciate every ride and make sure you have the right horse to align with your goals. It is also important to have a good program to prepare you as a competitive team. Do your homework and be confident in yourself and your horse. Most importantly, remember to have fun!
Mindi Meadows – The most valuable lesson I’ve learned so far from showing is discipline. Horses were my love as a youth when I showed but after a 23-year break, I have learned they are my passion. My greatest obstacle was watching everyone else; looking at their horse, their clothes, their trailers, etc. As a rookie/novice rider, I was very intimidated especially after being out for so long. It’s a mental challenge to just let that stuff go. I gained confidence with a little success but even still struggle to try to overcome the comparisons and intimidations.
I would give other rookies advice that nothing in life comes without hard work and priorities. I just made this past year one of my priorities and knew this was a year I may never have again. If you ask my trainer, Scott Tyrrell, what I do to calm my nerves he would say I do nothing. I struggle with nerves, but with each show, it gets better. I also jumped right into the all-around events and struggled with trying to be perfect in them all and it’s just not possible with a young horse and rookie rider, but it is possible to become better every day. I study the amateurs and strive to improve. That’s what it is about, getting better but being passionate about what you do and how you do it.
Leah Burgess – The most valuable lesson I’ve learned from showing is that no one else matters in the pen but you and your horse. One of my greatest obstacles in showing has to be overcoming my fear of the hunter under saddle. Over the years I was never comfortable and always struggled. But this year I am newly paired up with my horse Good Weekend and trainer Colton LaSusa, and I’ve never felt so comfortable in the show ring! I overcame my fears by trusting my horse completely and just focused on always showing him no matter what. Some advice I would give other rookies is that staying calm is key. After it’s all said and done, you won’t be thinking about how nervous you were before you showed, you’ll be thinking about your performance in the class, so make it the best ever. Listening to music always helps my nerves before I show because it keeps me distracted from being nervous.
Charlotte Chubb – The most valuable lesson that I’ve learned from showing horses is how to lose and how to win. Learning to lose has always been difficult for me, but I now try to focus on how my ride was and not on the placing. An obstacle that I have struggled to overcome this year is really trying to read my horse and become one with him in the pen. My advice to rookies is to just go for it and do not be afraid. The way I calm my nerves is by telling myself that it is just a ride. It’s just a ride on my horse and that is all I focus on. I block everything out when I show, that allows me to forget about the nerves. The rookie classes that AQHA offers have really helped me grow as a rider!
Carlee Purcell – The most valuable lesson I’ve learned was how to win and lose with grace and that showing horses has taught me responsibility. The greatest obstacle I’ve faced was being a perfectionist, I wanted to go out there every time and do it perfectly. I overcame it with my trainers telling me that I can’t do it perfectly every time and that it’s ok to make mistakes; what makes us humans is that we’re not perfect all the time. Advice I’d give rookies would definitely be go out there and give your all every time and have a new goal each time you show even if it’s just getting through a pattern good, you don’t have to go and win all the time just have a good ride each time and get better as you go that’s all you can ask for. The way I calm my nerves before I go in a class is I pet my horse and say to myself it’s just another class you can do this and I don’t worry about being the winner every time I go in the only thing I want out of my horse is a good ride and I give it my all every time.
Audrey Miesner – The most valuable lesson that I have learned so far from showing is never giving up. No matter how many times you forget your pattern, your horse flips out in the middle of the class, or the class doesn’t go your way, never give up. I have learned more from my mistakes than I ever will from my successes. The greatest obstacle that I have faced while showing is having my trainer, Stacey Roberson, living seven hours away from me in Oklahoma. I overcame that obstacle by sacrificing the Friday night football games and spending my weekends away from home to make as many improvements as we can in our short times together.
Advice that I would give to rookies that are just starting out is to embrace every moment of it. The rookie program has been an amazing program for me to start out to build up my confidence. Go to all of the shows that you can that offer the rookie classes. The best advice to calm your nerves by showing is making sure that you are well practiced. Nothing will give make you feel better than the feeling of being prepared and knowing that your horse will stay underneath you for your whole ride. Take a deep breath before you show and act like it is just you out there with no one watching.
Photos © Kurt Clark, KC Montgomery, Eric Hardesty
About the Author: Cat Guenther of White Lake, Michigan is in the 10th grade at the Academy of the Sacred Heart. She has ridden horses for the past 8 years and has been showing quarter horses for two of those years. When Cat is not at the barn, she focuses on her small business “Behind the Bit Tack Sales”. She hopes to one day attend Michigan State University and study to become an equine veterinarian.
