How to Prepare for a Grand Prix

Preparing for a Grand Prix can include listening to mood-setting music, taking a nap or just being alone to regain focus before warming up in the ring. Find a routine before showing at each event with helpful tips from an experienced Grand Prix rider in this video on horse shows.

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How you prepare for a major event or major Grand Prix. Every rider is different. I'm very much into music. And I believe, for me, music dictates my mood. So if I'm too worked up for a big class, I'll play something that's really soothing and relaxing and if I'm feeling down I'll play something that's going to get me a little bit excited if I'm not really into the moment. But the most important thing is before a Grand Prix or a major event phones are off. If I can get away for an hour I go away. I'll either take a nap or I'll just be by myself. Get focused. Think about your basics, all your training methods, things that you want to accomplish, things that you want to do in the warm up ring. How you want the horse to walk in. Do you want him really pulling you. Do you want him taking a moment, backing up a little bit more. And those are the last things you go through in your brain. And the most important thing I do is I always tell my riders, before you go, control your heart rate. You've got to learn how to drop your heart rate. And deep breaths. Three deep breaths. I hold it for three seconds. Tell all my kids to really focus on slowing down their heart because if your heart rate is pounding then your brain is working too fast and you don't really take the moment to think about the situation or a specific line. So always deep breaths. There's many tricks I do but that would probably be the best one. One of the better ones is just deep breaths. Slow down your heart rate right before you walk in and that would be some of the stuff.