The Art of Being Non-Competitive

As horsemen, sometimes the best answer to gain knowledge, experience and confidence is to enter up in competitions; however, there is a lot to gain from stepping out of that mentality and learning to enjoy the process, no matter what everyone else has going on.

There’s an art to competition.

From the mental decision to commit to entering to the preparation it takes to feel ready to the team of people it takes to create a successful situation to actually entering the arena and laying it all down, it’s an admirable and attainable challenge for any horseman. It’s an art that perhaps no one can truly claim to have mastered. Anyone on any given day can be defeated. If not now, sometime, by someone, somewhere. 

But I think there’s a real art to being non-competitive, as well. For just a window of time, to think about leaving the incentives, the added monies, the jackpots, the living quarters, the FOMO, the schedules, the timing, the talent and the team that goes with a successful show, rodeo, sorting, race, etc. Wow. It sounds like a whole new perspective on an industry that thrives on proving greatness. 

There’s nothing wrong with being competitive. Lots of my friends and folks I admire make a living showing horses, and it’s truly impressive. It’s a level of dedication and commitment that creates physical and mental challenges to all involved, and it highlights the incredible things a performance horse can achieve with the right rider. But even for those who don’t enter up and go ride for prizes, competition seeps into our saddles regardless. We compare ourselves to others who do the same thing. We want to do better for our horses. We want to improve as riders. We want to have a successful business in an industry with plenty of folks who do the same thing. It can be exhausting. 

I can think of many horsemen and women who have profoundly influenced my life and have nothing to do with competition. They embrace the relationship they have with their horses, and that’s fulfilling enough. They are happy to share what they’ve learned, and they hope others will do the same for them. It’s simply a process that’s fulfilling enough. That’s really something to be admired, too. It’s hard to let go of the desire to strive, stretch, go and win. The win feels so good after the struggle. 

It’s tough to let that go. 

I’m all in on becoming a better competitor. There are lots of things on my list that I want to accomplish, and many of them involve buckles. I recognize that I have a lot of ground to gain, and I also know that I strive harder and put more hours in on something when I’m being held accountable by a deadline. Competition has challenged me to think differently about my process and results. I like it. But I also like the idea of just being for a bit. I like the idea of not worrying about what everyone else is accomplishing and how it compares to where I’m at; not selling a horse at a sale hoping to top it, but instead just being happy with finding the right fit; not needing to validate my dedication to the sport with a big check (though it is nice!), just enjoying what I do for the blessing that it is — time with animals who trust me and teach me things every day. 

No doubt, everyone’s process and journey are different, and I applaud each and every horseman out there who puts the horse first and appreciates them as their partner. It doesn’t really matter if you compete or don’t. A certain magic comes with the gain in that partnership — payouts or not.   

But if you do right by the horse, stay humble and embrace the process, I do think you will always be a winner.