If you’re a competitive rider, chances are you’ve asked yourself: What else can I do to win?
The tradition of competition has always been about proving that you, or your horse, are the best. But winning isn’t just about being good—it’s about being better than the rest.
When you compete, you need to be the best trained, the fastest, the strongest, the most polished, or the best presented rider within your group. Simply doing what everyone else is doing won’t get you there.
Over 150 years ago, historian Charles Kendall Adams studied the enduring traits of successful people. He concluded:
“No one ever attains very eminent success by simply doing what is required of him. It is the amount and excellence of what is over and above the required that determines greatness.”
In other words, good isn’t enough. The winners are those who go beyond what’s expected.
Think about it: if you ride your horse every day, have a weekly lesson, and compete most weekends, you’re doing well—but so is everyone else.
If you want to stand out, it’s not about adding more time or money—it’s about doing more with what you already have. Excellence comes from going beyond the standard.
Here are a few simple ways to shift from good to great:
Don’t just have a lesson—record it.
Video your training sessions and watch them back. Analyse your coach’s advice, scrutinise your position, and look for small improvements.
Perfect every movement.
Don’t just ride a 20-metre circle. Ride the best 20-metre circle you’ve ever done. Each time you repeat an exercise, refine it and make it better.
Learn from competitors.
At shows, don’t just compete—observe. Watch the riders who consistently win. What are they doing differently? What details set them apart? Apply those lessons to your own riding.
These aren’t expensive or time-consuming changes, but they are powerful shifts in mindset and practice.
Winning isn’t about luck—it’s about consistency, discipline, and doing what others aren’t willing to do. When you push yourself to go beyond the standard, you’re stepping into the level of excellence that creates champions.
So remember:
It’s the amount and excellence of what you do over and above everyone else that will make you a winner.
This is so true and helpful!
Thank you, Willow! I’m so glad you found it helpful. Sometimes those simple shifts make the biggest difference.