The ability to keep your competitive edge when dealing with adversity makes you a mentally stronger barrel racer.
Something inspired me recently as my family and I watched the world series. Our team didn’t win, so it was disappointing, but I was really struck by how certain players rebounded even when things didn’t always go their way. I think superior athletes are the ones who practice mental toughness just as much, if not more so, than the physical aspects of winning games. The Houston Astros — the team my family was rooting for — lost at home, but it made me think a lot about how athletes move on from those kinds of tough losses.
Alex Bregman, infielder for the Astros, said something I think holds true when talking about having the right mindset. He was asked what he’s thinking when he walks up to bat. Bregman said, “I’m thinking I’m the greatest hitter there is on the planet.” He was then asked what he thought about if he struck out in his last at-bat. His answer, “I’m still thinking I’m the greatest hitter there is on the planet.” The point is, you have to develop a mindset to win and not allow your last performance to dictate your next. Of course you must evaluate technical mistakes and fix them — that’s just part of competition — but having the right mindset to win is just as important. The ability to rebound from adversity and come out on top is everything — in sports, in barrel racing, and in life.
The Mindset to Win
Having the mindset to win is the ability to know what you want and to know it will take discipline and focus to get there. You need to have the discipline to practice good fundamentals, approach training in the right way, take excellent care of your horse, care for your own health, and all the many details that go into being a champion. You’re also training your mind to win in the process. It’s true that what comes out of your mouth, whether it’s positive or negative, truly impacts your performance. It’s the same with the thoughts that go on in your mind. You have to master your thinking, no matter what people say, good or bad.
We talk a lot about knowing how to process the things people say to you or say about you. There are some people who have a preconditioned mindset of comparing themselves to others. I think that’s a habit that’s important to overcome, because you’ve got to learn to focus on what works for you in your situation. There are people who will make remarks like you’re not good enough. Maybe that’s something you’ve heard. At my clinics, I can’t get over the number of people who’ve been told that they’re not good enough — and they believed it. Don’t believe it. In my case, looking back, I was young and my mindset was to prove the doubters wrong. In my mind, I knew I rode well. I knew how good my horse was and how good we could be together. You can train your mind to react with determination, regardless of the negativity someone might try to project onto you.
You might want to come into contact with someone who has a great horse and lots of money to go down the road and think they’ve really got it made, but after you’ve spent some time with them you see how negative they are. In contrast, someone who thinks they can win and accomplish their goals — that belief is the No. 1 thing to be a winner.
Money and expensive horses are nice to have, don’t get me wrong, but not having those things shouldn’t prohibit you from pursuing your goals. I didn’t have that. I had Scamper, yes, but I came back on other horses and achieved the goals I set on those horses as well. As for today, I feel like I could be very competitive if I fully dedicated myself to it again, but my place now is at home with my family, and I love doing my clinics. I don’t have the same drive I used to have, and that you need, to go down the road. Competition is not where my heart is now. It takes a lot of grit and determination to stay out there and win.
Be a Gracious Competitor
You really want to be truly happy for others when they win. That’s how you’d want people to feel toward you when you’re winning. Jealousy accomplishes nothing; it actually knocks you back and distracts from a positive mindset.
When you’re winning, sometimes people get a little jealous and say some hurtful things. That’s the fuel you need to stay motivated to do everything at an elevated level. Be your very best. If someone puts you down, don’t stay there. That’s a life lesson that goes way beyond barrel racing, too.
One thing I tell my boys when they have a game where things don’t go well, or if someone comes at them with a negative comment, is that I believe in them. They work hard and they know in their hearts that they’re good. Those parents who really believe in their kids, those kids often end up being successful. That said, they have to be respectful, gracious and thankful to get the opportunities they have, in sports and in life. You don’t want to be the kind of winner who doesn’t have gratitude in your heart. You want to be the type of person who treats others well, animals and other people alike.
When I was winning, one thing that fueled my mindset and attitude was the fact that I loved my horses. I think those horses knew it and knew we were a team, because they weren’t treated like tools. I loved taking care of them to the best of my ability, and I think that explains why they’d come through in tough situations with a lot of heart and try.
There will be times when you struggle, but you will work through it and figure it out. It all depends upon your ability to handle adversity.
This article was originally published in the December 2019 issue of Barrel Horse News.
