DUPLICATION PROHIBITED by copyright holder PERFECT MIND: PERFECT RIDE Sport Psychology for Successful Riding INGA WOLFRAMM Foreword by Mary King MBE KENILWORTH PRESS © Inga Wolframm, Kenilworth Press, and Trafalgar Square Books www.HorseandRiderBooks.com Perfect Mind Perfect Ride V1.indd 3 25/02/2015 16:07 DUPLICATION PROHIBITED by copyright holder Copyright © 2015 Inga Wolframm This edition first published in the UK in 2015 by Kenilworth Press, an imprint of Quiller Publishing Ltd British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978 1 910016 04 6 The right of Inga Wolframm to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Design and Patent Act 1988. The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without any guarantee on the part of the Publisher, who also disclaims any liability incurred in connection with the use of this data or specific details. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing. Designed by Arabella Ainslie Jacket photographs by Nikki De Kerf Printed in Malta Kenilworth Press An imprint of Quiller Publishing Ltd Wykey House, Wykey, Shrewsbury SY4 1JA Tel: 01939 261616 Fax: 01939 261606 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.kenilworthpress.co.uk © Inga Wolframm, Kenilworth Press, and Trafalgar Square Books www.HorseandRiderBooks.com Perfect Mind Perfect Ride V1.indd 4 25/02/2015 16:07 DUPLICATION PROHIBITED by copyright holder CONTENTS Foreword 7 PART I: Attitudes thateep k you going 9 Introduction: Why sport psychology matters 10 Ch1 Know who you are – and believe in it 16 Ch2 Defining your own success 28 Ch3 Coping with adversity 36 Ch4 Staying committed 46 Ch5 You’re not alone 56 Ch6 No excuses! 66 PART II: Mental skills to train your mind 75 Ch7 Goal-setting: planning your journey 76 Ch8 Managing stress: staying calm and carrying on 91 Ch9 Focus: riding in flow 112 Ch10 Self-talk: reanalyse, reframe, rethink 127 Ch11 Visualisation: seeing is believing 144 PART III: Preparing for competition 159 Ch12 Start of the season: planning + preparation = performance 160 Ch13 The weeks before: mood matters 177 Ch14 The day before: call on your confidence 189 Ch15 On the day: putting it all together 205 Ch16 The day after: afterthought 215 Suggested reading 220 Index 222 © Inga Wolframm, Kenilworth Press, and Trafalgar Square Books www.HorseandRiderBooks.com Perfect Mind Perfect Ride V1.indd 5 25/02/2015 16:07 DUPLICATION PROHIBITED by copyright holder There is freedom waiting for you, On the breezes of the sky, And you ask “What if I fall?” Oh but my darling, What if you fly? by Erin Hanson © Inga Wolframm, Kenilworth Press, and Trafalgar Square Books www.HorseandRiderBooks.com Perfect Mind Perfect Ride V1.indd 6 25/02/2015 16:07 DUPLICATION PROHIBITED by copyright holder FOREWORD ow do you become a successful rider? I’ve been asked this question Hmany times and it’s never easy to come up with an answer. The rider, the horse, the training, the facilities, the support team – eventually all these elements need to come together to form a whole. And yet, I’m convinced that it all starts with the rider. First and foremost, riders must want to be around horses and do their best for them. If they want to go all the way, riders have to live and breathe the sport. Looking back at my own life as a rider, I’ve been passionate about horses for as long as I can remember and I never wanted to do anything else. Working with young horses, bringing them on, step by step, and developing their talents so that one day, maybe, I’m able to compete with them at the highest level, that’s a real privilege and one I wouldn’t give up for the world. What is more, I believe that if my horses are happy, if they enjoy their work, trust in me as their rider and have been brought on to cope with what’s ahead, they’ll end up showing their true potential. As a result, I believe that, as riders, we’ll need to work on ourselves, every second of every day. Being patient and remaining calm and quiet at all times, regardless of whether we’re going for a hack around the block or are about to perform at a major competition, whether we’re at the top of our game or things aren’t working out quite the way we’d hoped. Anyone who wants to get to the top of their chosen discipline will have to deal with the inevitable highs and lows. They are all part of the experience: one day you’ll win an event and the next you’ll hit the deck. In my mind, in order to cope with the uncertainties, the ups and downs, with the successes and failures, with winning and losing, you first of all should know what you want. You should have a dream and be single-minded about achieving it. When I look back at my own career, I can honestly say that I’ve always been exceedingly determined. I don’t think I would have got to this level if I didn’t have this drive to win. But I am also very calm and very level headed with an even temperament. There’s no point in getting cross or upset when things go wrong; you’re going to have to, quite literally, ride out whatever is thrown in your path. 7 © Inga Wolframm, Kenilworth Press, and Trafalgar Square Books www.HorseandRiderBooks.com Perfect Mind Perfect Ride V1.indd 7 25/02/2015 16:07 DUPLICATION PROHIBITED by copyright holder PERFECT MIND: PERFECT RIDE In my view, those are also key skills when it comes to dealing with the pressure of competing. Lots of riders feel nervous before an important event, but it’s how you deal with those pre-competitive flutters that is going to make the difference. In order to be able to do what you have to do you’ll have to learn to control that anxiety. You’ll need to develop a system that works for you. To me, being very organised helps. On the morning of a cross-country day, I want to be sure that I’ve got everything in place, that I’ve got my clothes, my stop watch, everything in piles, so I know that there’s no panic at the last minute. Then I like to do the last course walk on my own, making up my mind how I am going to ride it. I always keep my thoughts positive, and see myself doing well in my mind’s eye. But even if things end up going wrong or you’ve made a mistake, don’t get hung up about it. Once again, it’s part and parcel of the sport. It is how you deal with these situations that is going to determine whether you’ll end up doing well or whether you’ll fall to pieces. It’s essential not to dwell on what has happened. Instead, act on the reason why the mistake happened, focus on what’s ahead and carry on positively. It all comes down to this: as riders, we need to be in control of ourselves, of our thoughts and emotions, at all times. We need to be in control of our minds. Only then can we be in control of our bodies too, and ride our horses in the way they deserve to be ridden. This book will help you to achieve just that. It’ll teach you the mental attitudes and skills you need to become the very best you can be. It’ll help you achieve the ‘perfect mind’ for a ‘perfect ride’. Mary King, Olympic three-day eventer 8 © Inga Wolframm, Kenilworth Press, and Trafalgar Square Books www.HorseandRiderBooks.com Perfect Mind Perfect Ride V1.indd 8 25/02/2015 16:07 DUPLICATION PROHIBITED by copyright holder PART I ATTITUDES THAT KEEP YOU GOING 9 © Inga Wolframm, Kenilworth Press, and Trafalgar Square Books www.HorseandRiderBooks.com Perfect Mind Perfect Ride V1.indd 9 25/02/2015 16:07 DUPLICATION PROHIBITED by copyright holder INTRODUCTION WhY SpOrT psychOlogy MatterS t’s the year 1991, a few days after the four-star eventing competition at IBurghley, UK. A 23-year old Pippa Nolan eagerly rifles through the pages of the British magazine Horse & Hound. For the first time she’d competed two horses at that level and she’s hoping for glowing reviews of her fourth and fourteenth place. Imagine her disappointment when she’s greeted by the following comment by Captain Mark Phillips, former Olympian and eventing aficionado: ‘…two young ladies (referring to Pippa Nolan and Lucinda Murray) who won’t be reliable at top level until they go back to basics and learn to ride across country properly.’ 1 What a blow to a young rider’s confidence. Fast forward to 2003, and Pippa Nolan, now Pippa Funnell, becomes the first – and only rider to date! – to win the Rolex Grand Slam; a feat that involves winning not one, but the three consecutive four-star events: Kentucky, Badminton and Burghley. Since that fateful comment twelve years ago, Pippa Funnell has turned herself into one of the best eventing riders in the world.