# That one girl who wins EVERYTHING !



## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Part of it has to be her own ability and natural talents, and not just the horses. 

If you're not winning, it's not because she has more horses than you.


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## oceanne (Apr 13, 2012)

Sounds like shes in it to win it.And she is.

Step up your game,thats all. You can do it.


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

Speed Racer said:


> Part of it has to be her own ability and natural talents, and not just the horses.
> 
> If you're not winning, it's not because she has more horses than you.


 
I can't like this enough, however I can't like it at all as I'm in work :K

Its true, but turn your feelings in to something useful to push yourself harder to win.

The fact she has four horses just enables her to enter more classes. 
But think about how hard she works all four of those horses, and if you only have one.. shouldn't you be 4 times better?


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## BaileyJo (Aug 23, 2011)

You can take on either one of these attitudes.

1. She wins all the time so why try.

or

2. She wins all the time so I need to try harder.

In your case, I like #2!


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## gigem88 (May 10, 2011)

Don't get discouraged, KGolden. Keep training/practicing and most importantly.....remember to have fun! If you're not doing as well as you want, try competing against yourself at the shows instead of against everyone else. What I mean is....concentrate on getting better at each show and "beating" yourself. Before you know it, you'll improve and be more competitive. Hope I said that right, not enough coffee yet!


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## BarrelracingArabian (Mar 31, 2010)

We have ine of those only she has 5 all aa - aaa+
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Fowl Play (Sep 22, 2009)

My daughter has placed in the top 3 in every show but her first. The reason: tons of time working with her horse. She doesn't necessarily have more horse than her competitors, but she puts in more time. 

At least you have something to motivate you to improve!


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

You need to stop weighing your progress by winning pieces of cloth that will, one day, just get thrown away. Compete against yourself and decide if you are progressing (or not). I tell my students if all they need to validate their riding is winning ribbons, I will go to Wal-Mart and buy a whole roll of blue ribbons. I can't tell you how many blue ribbons I was dissatisfied with because I didn't feel like I deserved it at that time and place. There will always be someone who spent a whole lot more for a fancy horse that catches the judge's eyes. If your horse isn't "pretty" enough for halter....go for performance classes where "pretty" doesn't count. Train beautifully, so you can whip her fancy steed.


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Great posts in this thread so far! 

Where ever you compete, there will always be someone with more resources/fancier horses/fancier equipment/more horses than you. Unless you win the Mega Millions lottery, this will always be the case. 

If this rider also has some talent, well, talent + unlimited resources is a pretty hard combo to beat. 

Set other competitive goals for yourself. Measure your success by meeting your own goals, not by comparing yourself to her. Relentlessly solicit feedback about how you can improve your performance from your coach, other coaches and judges. Become a perfectionist about your turnout, then become a perfectionist about performance. 

I have a great deal of empathy for your situation; for most of my riding career, I competed at a financial disadvantage and couldn't avoid that stab of envy when someone in a fancy rig with custom everything pulled into the show ground. Accept that the financial disparity is not going to change, and then work your butt off changing the things you can - your own performance.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Here is something I learned while studying to be a Music Major in college. *ALWAYS play (or show) at one-two levels BELOW where you are currently training.* In order to beat the competition you must have mastered the level that you show (off.)
You are defeating yourself showing at a level in which you are just _learning_ to master. Think of it as trying to sing a new song that you've only heard a few times. Your rendition will probably not be true. Only professional musicians can duplicate tunes quickly, and not all of them can do what Mozart did. He listened to a 4-part piece performed at a Monestary (could have been an Abbey) only once, and then wrote out the whole piece in 4 parts correctly.
Still, it's fun to listen to "Live at the Met" on Saturdays when they have a panel. Sometimes they play just the first chord of an opera and the panelists can identify the piece correctly.


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## texasgal (Jul 25, 2008)

OP .. I do understand where you are coming from ..

When I was in my 20's, I had ONE horse, that was given to me, that I spent every last penny on. He didn't have papers and I only showed him at local shows. We competed in trail, western pleaseure, jumping, and games. I showed in all the western classes in the same plain saddle .. and borrowed an english saddle for those classes. We did really well, actually.

There were a couple of girls who had wealthy parents and a horse that specialized in every class, outfits and saddles to match .. *sigh* .. It can be disheartening.

However, in time, the second and third place ribbons that I received behind those girls meant as much or more to me than the first place ribbons that I knew I didn't deserve..

I remember one day getting the gate in a class that I had an exceptional ride in .. my friends were LIVID and were stating "You got ROBBED!" ... All I could say was "Did you see that ride? Those flying changes??? He did beautifully!! I'm sooooo proud of him..."

Remember .. it's more about the relationship with your horse ... concentrate on that and you'll be a superstar!!


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Texasgal, you are SO right. You have to want to show bc you love your horse. When you witness or hear stories of riders who literally beat up their horse right after they finish a class that they didn't win, you want to lock them up in jail. I like what Robert Dover said in a series that RFDtv is showing, "Dressage Symposium." He said, _"If you got hit going somewhere, would you want to go there?"_
Our TWH/QH cross, "Tyke" (1970-1998, RIP) had an interesting career before we bought him at 15yo, which included ponying TB racehorses. The first time our commander rode in front of the Brigade, and Tyke parked out, he was SURE that all of the men and any spectators there were paying him homage. Trailering and participating as an CW Reenactor Commander's horse was the "neatest thing since crimped oats" to Tyke. I had owned him 7 months before we took him to his first event. After that, he resented lessons--still behaved like a babysitter--bc they weren't worthy of his newfound status. I tried riding him at another event that year and he absolutely refused to behave for me. I could get him to do what I wanted at home, but I wasn't the commander and wasn't worthy of his respect THERE.
ONLY by making the experience pleasant will your horse want to repeat it. He/she KNOWS when you, the rider, are stressed and unhappy, and, being a prey animal, it worries your horse that you are not happy. There could be a predator that you saw but your horse didn't--they DO think this way, ya know!


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## oceanne (Apr 13, 2012)

You win some,you loose some.Isnt that part of the fun? And suspense of it all?
Great post btw, Allison.


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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

Great posts in here! I went through this for years when I first started out barrel racing..I always thought it was because she has better horses, more horses, and such..Nope, it was because I let her be all of that in my mind and I had already planned out that she was going to beat me at the show.. I had to stop thinking like that and realize that I wasn't going to get any better comparing myself to her.. I had to compete for ME.

Now I'm doing very well at show and currently reserve champion in my association BUT, I will never act like that girl.. I saw the bottom and worked my way up..Now I make a point to go and talk to the girls who seem to be stuck in the spot I was years ago. I give advice, listen to their problem and tell them that "hey, I might be winning right now..but it wasn't always that way and if you try hard enough and have faith in your horse, you'll come and beat me soon." You have to want it, own it, and take it.. No one is going to hand it to you..and "that" girl is never going to stop..


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

Good for you Drum!!!! And you will gain tons of respect for the way you conduct yourself!


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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

Allison Finch said:


> Good for you Drum!!!! And you will gain tons of respect for the way you conduct yourself!


Thank you Allison, that really means a lot.. and it's much better to have that attitude than to be "that girl"...


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## Almond Joy (Dec 4, 2011)

Have fun with it! 
My friend hates helmets, and since it's required in many shows, she plans to show in a tye-dye helmet with a stuffed dolphin on it. Haha!
I do not enjoy animal showmanship... The only time I've ever won against someone in goat showmanship was against a 6 year old...


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## WesternBella (Jan 7, 2012)

Just because she's good doesn't mean she can't compete in open...that's why she's allowed to.

Props to her for winning everything, be happy for her & not jealous  

Try harder, you can win 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## xEquestrianx (Aug 30, 2009)

Yeah the ones that have all the money in the world, a different horse for each thing, that all all pro trained. It sucks to loose, especially when you put your blood, sweat and tears into your horses. I know the feeling. :/


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## Raven12 (Apr 18, 2012)

If you put in the time.. it shows. I had an older grade qh that I rode religously for 5 months before our local show-I put in 3-4 hours per day. I don't have the fancy show saddle or bridle, just a clean everyday one, and a fancy(for me)rail shirt. We didn't win at everything, but we did beat our prefomance over the year before! and I do treasure that red ribbon we won, probably more than anyone else-because that time I knew we worked for it and earned it! 
Don't give up and get resentful work at being the best YOU can be... it will get you further in the long run.


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

Many years of competing against these folks...who have the endless resources, etc...have taught me a few things.
-people like that generally do not have any sort of relationship with their horses. They sit on them to win, someone else trains them and cares for them. To me, they miss a huge part of the joy of owning horses.
-as has been said-compete against yourself, and be extremely proud that you have done it YOURSELF. That is something they will never be able to say. You will have the knowledge and good horsemanship to back up what you do, they usually do not.
All of my life I have had the "horse noone wanted", that I bought for next to nothing and brought along. Shoot-I can bet I am one one the only folks competing in reining with a PMU rescue. I am just proud to be competing on the same level as those who simply "throw$$ at it"-any idiot can do that, and put a monkey on the horse to get a ribbon. What fun is that?
Generally, those folks are never happy. THey may win, but that is typically not enough. They always want more. Be happy with your performance and your horses. Go around that ring with a huge smile on your face (not like they typically do, looking totally miserable) and know that YOU got yourself there. Noone else. They cannot say that.:wink:
Have fun! That is why we really ride, don't we?


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## DejaVu (Jul 6, 2011)

I understand it. But what you have to realize though, is she's probably a world class shower, or atleast a breed shower. She has to compete locally for schooling. She's not out to beat everyone, she's out to keep up her and her horses game between big shows.

There's a couple in my circuits, but one in particular is one of the sweetest, most humble people I know. She just so happens to have a lot of money and fancy horses. When she shows locally, she's not out there to kill everyone. It's simply for practice before she heads off to World and Congress.  

Honestly I love competing against her. It makes me show a lot harder than I normally would.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

the thing about other people, is that you cant control what they do. you can only control what you do. so you can either be angry or you can do the best you can and work as hard as you can !


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## showgirl16 (Apr 18, 2012)

It's not about winning! It's how you and your horse do in you own pathway.


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

While it may seem unfair for someone who can afford nice horses and tack, not to mention possibly private lessons frequently, how would it be fair to her to penalize her for that?

She also may work very very hard to present herself and her horse well, know what she is doing, and be willing to put in the extra hours it can take to do well at shows. 

Is your performance as flawless as you can possibly make it? Turn out immaculate? Horse/tack/you color coordinated as best as possible, and also clean and well fitting? 

And too, even if this person went POOF, you still might not win then.

Work harder on your horse and your skills. Better to do that, than to have a meaningless win, because there isn't anyone else in the class.


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