Our first featured rider in our Show Series is Campbell Swanner a horse rider & the owner of Foxy Kitchen Treats. We ask the featured rider four important questions then they’ll add more information about their show after! 🐴🏅
1.What was your goal for this past show?
So recently, I was struggling with not having any confidence in myself. I started doing poorly because of the lack of confidence and being stressed all the time. Always before my day of showing, I think of my goals for the show. My main goal was to be confident no matter what happens. Always expect the unexpected and know that you can do it. Having faith in yourself that you can do it, helps you with so much, and it certainly helped me with my most recent show.
2.What do you do to keep yourself calm and focused before you enter the ring?
Before entering the ring, it can be very stressful and can make you very nervous. You start to think all the bad things that might happen to you or how you might place. I try to take my mind off showing until I’m in the ring. I will take deep breaths and give my horse extra loving before I go in. I never think about how I am going to place, because I know that something bad may happen. But, I make sure to take deep breaths and get my mind off of all the bad things that might happen.
3.What’s your favorite snack to eat at a show?
I always try to eat as heathy as possible before showing. I never try to eat fast food (even though it’s tempting) because I know I will not be feeling 100% after I eat that. I make sure to eat breakfast! My go to breakfast is a whole wheat bagel with garden vegetable cream cheese, (it’s the best) and tons of fruit. My snack during the show is normally a banana or orange. They have plenty of vitamins, and are good for you, to make sure you feel 100% to go out and ride.
4.What’s your routine before you show?
My routine is I wake up, get ready, I normally have all my riding clothes set out the night before so I can get ready faster. Brush my teeth and hair, all that jazz… and make sure, to eat a good breakfast! Plus drink plenty of water. I normally head out to the show super early, to take pictures, hang out with my friends, and talk to my horse, dino. Talking to my horse helps me so much when I am very stressed out. After I get ready for showing, make sure my boots are polished, my saddle is clean, and my horse is clean! Then I’m ready to take on my show!
More about my show: I showed three days! The first day I ended up getting two firsts and one second! (This was also my first ever show on Dino I know really scary). The second day I competed with 17 girls and won two of my classes. And lastly, the last day I ended up getting third in the classic. This was one of the best weekends I had had in a really long time. It helped me gain all my confidence back and become a better rider every day.
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