Rider mindset

What it takes to be a champion at the highest level in our sport

YOU have a dream; you want to ride at the Olympics. Assuming a couple of minor details — that you have the talent and horse power — what else does it take to make it to the top, to have that winning edge?

Some riders seem to have the Midas touch, winning at the highest level on different horses repeatedly — just look at Scott Brash, Isabell Werth, the Whitaker family, Nick Skelton, Mark Todd, Charlotte Dujardin, Andrew Nicholson, to name a few — while others are eternal bridesmaids.

Earlier this year, one of the world’s most respected dressage competitors and trainers of both horses and riders, Carl Hester, was quoted in H&H as saying that Lottie Fry had “the right temperament” to make it to the top. She is certainly hitting the headlines at the moment, having become under-25 European dressage champion recently. And it’s an interesting thought.

The importance of having a horse with a good temperament is well recognised, but what about the rider? What sort of temperament does it take to be a champion?

Former Badminton winner, European team gold eventing medallist and double national dressage champion Chris Bartle is widely regarded as the man responsible for the German eventing squad’s dominance at championship level in recent years. He became Britain’s World Class high performance eventing coach earlier this year.

Chris has looked at this subject in depth and has broken it down into four components: “The qualities of a potential champion are the will to win, interest in detail, mental toughness and risk-taking.”

He adds: “But it all starts with a dream, whether it’s sporting, business or climbing

Mount Everest.”

WITH many years of coaching experience at the highest level, former top international showjumper Di

‘I try not to take the work personality home because he’s not a very nice person — he’s single-minded’ GOLD CUP-WINNING JOCKEY

NICO DE BOINVILLE

Lampard also has a wealth of knowledge on the matter and essentially comes to the same conclusion.

Di says: “Natural talent is not enough. Some riders are born hungrier than others. They have to be ultra-competitive and want to be the best. Some are born with the right temperament, but they have to train it, too.”

The success-breeds-success phenomenon is another facet to throw into the mix and Di comments: “The taste of winning gives confidence and makes you more competitive. A lot of riders don’t demand enough of themselves. Some are happy to be competing and happy if the horse goes well. Sometimes you need to go the extra mile and really push the boundaries.

“The best riders are always seeking to improve. With horses, you are always learning. Some riders come out of the ring and blame the horse. The true competitor comes out of the ring and questions themselves, how they could have presented the horse better.”

Carl concurs: “Successful riders are those who find solutions and don’t think about what time to start and finish work. Working is not a chore to a top competitor; they are hungry to learn and suck information out of you. They will look to other people, books and find ways to deal with any problem they encounter.”

Chris has interest in detail as the second point on his list of qualities and Di has also found that being highly organised is a common denominator.

She says: “Top competitors have a system that works for them and that is what they stick to — for the training, warm-up and competition routines in general. Some are meticulous with absolutely everything, particularly stable management. You generally find they have good staff and an efficient, well-run yard.”

MENTAL toughness is pivotal. Dealing with this side — competition nerves, injury, disappointment, financial woes, mistakes and everything else that goes with competing horses — drives many to give up.

Chris says: “All of us have some flaws. Champions learn to overcome them. They never give up; instead they deal with the ups and downs. You have to be able to accept them and not be discouraged by the trials and tribulations, sometimes in frequent succession. You need stubborn patience — to believe you’re going to succeed, however long it takes. Many top riders have been through difficult times and that is the true mark of a true champion in my view.”

Sports psychology comes in at this point, although Chris prefers to call it mental training (see box, above).

“This is where the rider has to have a support team,” he says. “Talent needs to be nurtured.”

Some have the mental talent to work it out for themselves, such as Carl Hester and leading National Hunt jockey Nico de Boinville, who is highly regarded as a bigrace specialist.

Nico has worked on this aspect by reading: “I’m interested in sports psychology; it opens the mind to different theories,” he says. “I like reading books by The Times columnist Matthew Syed, who was a top table tennis player. Sport is not a new thing, nor is how people handle pressure — many have been there and done that.

“In this job, you encounter exceptional highs, countered with huge lows. I try to stay as level as I can and not get carried away with the highs. Horses are not machines and lows will happen.”

This brings us to a point also mentioned by Di, the need for a touch of selfishness.

Nico says: “I have two mindsets: one work and one home. I try to leave work at the front door, otherwise it makes having functional relationships difficult. I try not to take that work personality home because he’s not a very nice person — he’s single-minded. To ride horses successfully you have to be selfish. It applies to all top sportsmen and is not ideal for the outside world.”

Carl describes it as needing a “steely trait”. “You can still be soft a person inside, in the same way as you can have a steely interior and have a soft exterior at the same time,” he explains.

WHEN Chris talks about risk-taking, he means not being scared to risk failing.

“It’s about a willingness to take risk, but this does not mean being foolhardy,” he warns.

Nico recommends Dr Carol Dweck’s

The Growth Mindset: “It’s all about how to deal with failure. It’s a learning process; see failure as a stepping stone to success instead of putting yourself down. Once you’ve been in that situation a few times, you become accustomed to it. You should embrace it, not run away from it.

“It’s hard to get where I am, but harder to stay there. You have to keep putting in the effort and keep learning. Horses are good at keeping you grounded; one minute you’re winning, the next you hit the deck, but I’m also aware that I’m incredibly lucky to be in the position I’m in.”

Carl has an interesting theory on the longevity of the careers of the “big names”.

“People who stay at the top are there for a reason. They have managed to get inside the mind of a horse and are able to adapt to the different temperaments of different horses. It’s all about the mind,” he concludes.

It is also heartening to hear that, although Carl clearly has an exceptional talent when it comes to mental skills, he too has worked and continues to work on that element.

“I have just as many insecurities as everybody else,” he says. “I do have nerves, but I know myself, I know my horse and the nerves and insecurities fade away the minute I’m in the saddle. That is common with many riders. It’s other people that make me insecure, which is why it’s so important to surround yourself with the right people.”

He adds what is probably the most important point of all: “Lottie rides up to 18 horses a day — that is exhausting, but you don’t hear her complain or ask for a day off. You have to love what you are doing.”