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Analyze your Mental Attitude with
The Competition Quiz
Fighting your head can be one of the biggest hurdles to overcome to become a winning barrel racer, but many barrel racers overlook the problem, feeling that it will work itself out.
It seldom does. Like every other aspect of competition, mental and emotional winning attitudes can be improved and strengthened.
 The first step is to determine exactly what your competition strengths and weaknesses are with this questionnaire. Be completely honest with yourself, as this is a personal tool for you to increase your mental competitive skills.
When you have completed the questions, read the commentary to find what your answers might mean about you.
QUESTIONNAIRE
1. Do you enjoy competing in barrel races? _____
2. Do you like other kinds of competition? _____
3. Do you dread the announcer calling your name to compete?
___ never
___ sometimes
___ often
___ always
4. How keyed up do you get before competition?
___ psyched, and ready to beat'em.
___ edgy and aggressive
___ a little nervous
___ quite nervous
___ sick at my stomach
___ "I wish I was somewhere else."
5. After you make your run
___ I would like to make another better one, because I know where I could improve.
___ I don't know exactly what happened out there, because I never can remember.
6. These things make me nervous (CHECK ANY THAT APPLY)
___ side entries ___ long patterns
___ center alleys ___ short patterns
___ coliseums ___ indoor arenas
___ being required to ride in the grand entry
TRUE OR FALSE
7. ___ Crowds of spectators intimidate me.
8. ___ Other barrel racers who are champions or "tough" intimidate me.
9. ___ If other people come to watch me practice, I usually mess up.
10. ___ Runs where a lot of money is up really get to me.
11. ___ In a two go-round barrel race, if I am winning after the first go, I really have
problems maintaining my composure on the next run.
12. ___ If I have to wait a long time to compete, it makes me nervous.
13. ___ There are certain things that can happen before a barrel race that can me feel that I
cannot win.
14. ___ If I don't get to go through my preparation routine exactly, I will not be able to
win. If things aren't just right, I can't concentrate enough to win.
15. ___ Other people talking to me before I run can cause me to mess up.
16. ___ If I argue with my husband (father)(mother)(boyfriend) before I run, I usually will
not do well.
17. ___ I usually don't win if I don't draw up in a good position.
18. ___ I am a lucky person.
19. ___ I am not very lucky.
20. ___ I am a consistent competitor.
21. ___ I am a good competitor.
22. ___ If I were a betting person, I would put my money on me.
23. ___ I feel in control when the announcer calls my name and I enter the arena.
24. ___ I pretty much feel that it's up to fate when I enter the arena. There's not much I
can do at that point other than just see what my horse will do.
25. ___ I don't have any physical problems that are interfering with my barrel racing.
26. ___ I'm too nervous to eat before I run barrels, so I get a little weak and shaky. |
Now, let's take a look at what your answers mean:
The first five questions concern how you feel about your barrel racing and competition.
1. DO YOU ENJOY COMPETING IN BARREL RACES? You should, after all, this is supposed to be a sport you love and an activity you enjoy. If you honestly have to say it is not fun, then you need to make some changes to insure that it is a pleasurable experience for you.
2. DO YOU ENJOY OTHER TYPES OF COMPETITION? This is important for a couple of reasons. If you enjoy other competition but are having problems with your barrel racing,
more than likely, you have a problem with some aspect of your approach to running barrels, or you might be having a problem with your horse.
There may be some
 sort of mental block that is keeping you from enjoying barrel racing even though you thrive on other types of competition. Play games that are competitive, and play to win, just like you will be barrel racing to win. Several top cowboys have been quoted as saying, "I just rodeo for fun, and the more I win the more fun it is!"
Winning IS fun; whether it's a card game, a basketball scrimmage, or a tennis match. Imagine what would happen if former San Francisco 49er quarterback, Joe Montana, was uncomfortable in a pressure-packed, competitive situation. In Super Bowl competition, he would not have been able to perform at a world class level if he were overcome by the pressures. Learning not to feel intimidated by the game is an essential part of learning to win. So, if competing is a problem, maybe you should become a more devoted competitor. Make your entire day one contest after another, even if it's only with yourself. Time yourself as to how long it will take you to clean out a stall, then try to beat your time next time. If you are in school , or
at work in an office, compete with yourself on completing an assignment. How many little competitions can you involve yourself in? Your goal in doing this is to convince your subconscious mind that competition is a challenge to meet and enjoy, not an uncomfortable test to trip you up.
QUESTIONS NUMBER 3, 4, AND 5 CONCERN HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT COMPETITION.
A big step toward learning how to win is learning how to make those "butterflies" or nerves work for you...to make you more intense, to help you really give your all...to concentrate completely. That "edge" should help you. If, instead, competition fills you with dread, makes you sick or in some other way, defeats you, then you are going to have to find the hidden barriers to success that are keeping you from competing successfully. So, admit to yourself how you feel about competing. If there is a problem here, recognize it and find the cause. Use a 21 day improvement program to help you in whatever area needs work. If you are so up-tight while competing that you are mentally or physically sick about it or don't even remember your run, you need to concentrate on relaxing, your body and your mind. You are going to have to figure out what causes and contributes to your nervousness and fix the problem. Maybe you have a self confidence problem. You need to feed your mind some confidence. Plan to spend three
 weeks on this, to change the way you look at yourself and your abilities. When you get up in the morning, jump up out of bed and clap your hands and tell yourself, "I am a winning barrel racer". Yes, you will feel silly doing this, but not as silly as you do when your nerves cause you to do something embarrassing
during a barrel race. After you are out of bed, make your first
action of the day something that will help your barrel racing.
Whether it's studying a book, looking at a video, or doing exercises
to get in shape, make sure you start your day by getting closer to
your desires. And while you are doing whatever it is, think "this is
helping my barrel racing. I am devoting this effort because I am a
winner!" All through your day, take the time to devote to being
a winner. Pretend you are already a winner. Go through every day
pretending that you just won a big barrel race the night before. The
best way to become a winner is to act like you already are one,
because you convince yourself that you are. And, when you believe
it, it IS true!
Lets talk about NUMBER 6. Some people automatically
decide not to win under certain conditions. Usually, they blame it
on their horse, and sometimes horses do have problems with certain
conditions and circumstances.
But part of being a winner is learning how to overcome
those obstacles and problems. If your horse has a problem with a
side alley, for example, tune on him that situation until YOU and HE
are both sure that you can win with a side alley. Don't just say you
can't win because he has a problem with it. In many cases, the rider
is more intimidated by the situation than the horse.
NUMBERS 7, 8, & 9 deal with people watching you
perform. You have to talk yourself out of this one. There are two
things you need to remember. First, most of
the people out there watching already admire you, because you are
doing something they would like to do, but can't. The other this is,
that they will most likely not remember you in ten minutes, unless
you do something outstanding. Although they are watching you, they
are not a part of your life. Those champions sitting around watching are a problem
for many barrel racers. This should not be; if anyone can appreciate
how hard it is to become a winner, they should. They were all
beginners once, themselves. Every mistake you make brings you closer
to being where they are. Some people are automatically intimidated when someone
comes to watch them, in practice or in competition. Suddenly, what
they just did smoothly and well becomes mechanical and difficult.
Nothing has changed, but the rider is now paying more attention to
"trying not to mess up' than she is to smoothly working her horse. If that sort of thing bothers you, you need to learn to
shut out the outside influences and let your barrel racing happen.
You can't force it when the pressure is on.
NUMBERS 10 THROUGH 17 are the distracting things. They
get between you and your accomplishments if you let them, so don't. Remember, shut out those outside influences. When it's
time to compete, they are not important. Winning is. No matter what
has happened before, you still have the task at hand. That task is
winning the barrel race. Don't get distracted by little irritations
or obstacles and lose sight of your goal.
NUMBERS 18 THROUGH 21 deal with how you see yourself.
You can take this one to the bank with your winning checks---IF YOU
DEVOTE ENOUGH TIME, WORK HARD ENOUGH IN THE RIGHT WAY, AND MAINTAIN
A POSITIVE MENTAL BELIEF, YOU ARE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL, CONSISTENT
AND GOOD. Try it and see.
NUMBER 22 is interesting. Every time you enter a barrel
race, you are betting on your ability and that of your horse. Do so
with confidence.
NUMBERS 23 AND 24 reflect everything you have done to
prepare. If you don't feel that you are in control when you enter
the arena, then some part of your program is missing or wrong.
NUMBERS 25 AND 26 are to help you remember that your
health is an important part of winning. Take care of yourself,
mentally and physically, and you can be a winner.
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