Want to know the secret sauce to our client’s success? It’s no trade secret. We live in the details.
We take the small ideas further than anyone we know. You see, we work in an industry where the winning show jumper comes out .03 seconds ahead of second place. The winning hunter jumped one jump a hair tidier than 60 other horses in the ring.
How do you get .03 seconds faster? Sure, you can train harder than anyone else. But let’s be honest, everyone else is training hard too. To take your success to the next level, we look past the training.
1. The horse shows you choose to attend and when you attend them matter.
All 1.40m classes are not created equal. Winning an equitation round at a small, rated show in the middle of nowhere is not the same as winning at WEF. There is a time to go to the small show to learn what it feels like to win or for a confidence boost before a move-up/championship. Maybe you can go to a smaller show held at the same venue as your goal horse show earlier in the month! Using the different shows intentionally can allow your skills to peak and shine when it matters.
If Capital Challenge is a big goal event for you, there is a smaller show held at the same venue the month beforehand. Attending it would give you precious time learning to compete at that venue.
2. Get ahead of the game by mapping out the most crucial horse shows of the year.
Hint: The most crucial are not always the biggest/most prestigious of the year - see tip #1 above. There will inevitably be other personal moments, hobbies, etc that need attention, you can have your cake and eat it too by prioritizing certain training times/horse shows during the year.
3. Intimate knowledge of the environment will equal the playing field.
A few examples of rules that will give you a leg up on the competition:
a) Are you required to have a stall at the horse show? Some people have farms that are adjacent to the horse show so the horses can sleep there and walk over to compete, giving your horse an environment that feels more like home. This also gives you the opportunity to school your horse over fences when there is little availability at the horse show. b) Is a pro allowed to school your horse at the show? We don’t need to explain the advantages to this one, right?
Next Step clients get the advantage of planning their horse show schedule like Olympians year-round, which is why in 2023 they won championships at WEF, first place ribbons at prestigious shows like Capitol Challenge, and accomplished many of their goals outside of ribbons on the way.
Ready to add a little secret sauce to your success plan? Email us for a free consultation: info@nextstepconsulting.biz
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