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Oct 05, 2020
Daniel Stewart's Tip of the Month: Athletic Anthems
When you’re struggling to find your way out of a bad mood (insert frustration, disappointment, doubt, etc. here), it would be great if you could find a quick and easy trick – and an athletic anthem might just be one of those tricks!
You already know that music can calm you down, pump you up, and put you in a good mood, but did you realize that there’s a special sort of song that’s also been proven to improve your optimism and self-belief? That kind of song is called an athletic anthem, and it works because its lyrics contain hidden positive-affirmation sentences - messages that remind you to never quit, stay positive, and always believe in yourself. "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus is a good example. Here are the lyrics:
"There’s always going to be another mountain. I’m always going to want to make it move. Always going to be an uphill battle - sometimes I'm going to have to lose . . . I've got to be strong, just keep pushing on . . . "
When a song delivers an empowering message like this, it becomes more than music – it becomes an anthem. Its power comes from the idea that catchy music often has a weird way of getting stuck in your head, and that’s exactly what you’re hoping for! After all, what could be better than getting good thoughts stuck in your head at a time when you’re feeling bad?
The first step to finding an athletic anthem is to take a look at your playlists to see if any of your favorite songs are athletic anthems. You can do this by performing an online search to see if any of your songs have positive messages hidden in the lyrics. Once you find a few anthems, you can create a riding playlist using those songs. Perhaps you listen to a few calming, yet empowering songs the night before an important ride and a few upbeat songs the morning of those rides. Here are ten good examples of athletic anthems:
- "Have It All" by Jason Mraz
- "Love Myself" by Hailee Steinfeld
- "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift
- "Pompeii" by Bastille
- "Confident" by Demi Lovato
- "Fight Song" by Rachel Platten
- "Brave" by Sara Bareilles
- "Ain’t Nothing Going To Break My Stride" by Mathew Wilder
- "Cowgirls Don’t Cry" by Brooks and Dunn
- "Try" by Pink
There’s just one rule when it comes to athletic anthems: they’re only to be used before mounting! Our sport requires you to be hyper-aware while mounted so be sure to leave your earbuds at home - that's exactly why you want to listen to your anthems before you ride and why you want those positive and empowering lyrics to get stuck in your head before you mount up!
I hope you enjoyed this month’s tip and that I’ll get the chance to teach you in one of my upcoming fall clinics around the county (grab your mask and come join me!) For more information on my clinics, or hosting one, please visit www.pressureproofacademy.com.
Aug 01, 2021
Competitions
Major Contenders Pass Final Horse Inspection at the Tokyo Olympics
All the major contenders passed the eventing final horse inspection at the Tokyo Olympics and will carry on to contest the show jumping phase in a few hours’ time.
The ground jury (Nick Burton, GBR, Christina Klingspor, SWE, and the U.S.A.’s Jane Hamlin) and vets only failed to accept one horse - Fantastic Frieda, ridden by Poland’s Joanna Pawlak, who had completed the cross-country in 41st place with a refusal and 25.2 time-faults.
Aug 01, 2021
FEI Statement on Equine Fatality at Sea Forest Cross-Country Course
The FEI has announced that the Swiss horse Jet Set, ridden by Robin Godel has had to be euthanized after pulling up extremely lame on the Sea Forest Cross Country Course during Equestrian Eventing at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on August 1, 2021.
Aug 01, 2021
News
From the Magazine - Travers Schick: A Day In The Life
In 2002, at the age of 15, I was at my Aunt and Uncle’s farm in Maine while Tremaine Cooper was there building some cross-country jumps. I helped him build a trakehner, not realizing that this day would set the course for my future. A few weeks later he called asking if I could help him at Millbrook Horse Trials. From there I helped Tremaine during most of my school vacations and throughout the summers. After graduating high school I kept at it never looking back. I lived the gypsy lifestyle for about six years going from coast to coast and event to event. In 2013 my wife Kathryn and I settled down in Lexington, Kentucky. These days I spend roughly 60-75 percent of my time on the road preparing events or building private schooling areas. I’ve had the privilege of being involved with some really great events around the states and have cultivated many friendships all over the country. In 2019 I was asked to be a part of Team Evans Olympic cross-country building crew. As I write this I am on my third trip to Tokyo. Here’s a day in Tokyo . . .
Jul 31, 2021
Competitions
Tokyo Cross-Country Catapults Great Britain to Top Heading into Final Show Jumping Phase
The British team cemented their gold medal position at the Tokyo Olympics with three magnificent cross-country performances, all clear inside the time. Added to that, their first rider, Oliver Townend, holds pole position individually after the dressage leader, Germany’s Michael Jung, picked up 11 penalties for triggering a frangible device.
