12/11/2025
✨ Winning Wednesday ✨
I’ve never gotten to write the Facebook post that says: “Today my horse bested 600 entries for the W.”
I’ve never won a rodeo - other than a few from WAY back in my junior rodeo days.
I’ve yet to fill my WPRA permit.
For a long time, I believed that meant I wasn’t really a “winner.” And to be completely honestly? I still struggle with this.
Yet, over time and with wisdom and growth, I’ve had to learn that being a winner isn’t just about the clock, the check, or the buckle. It’s a mindset — and that mindset can be trained, just like a horse.
Here are 6 shifts that have helped me (and maybe they’ll help you too):
1. Redefine “Winning.”
Winning doesn’t always mean outrunning the field. Sometimes it looks like making a horse like Cosmo — so correct and honest she can pack anyone around and help them learn what a correct horse should feel like. That’s a kind of victory no stopwatch can measure.
2. Train Your Self-Talk.
I used to tell myself: “You’ll never be taken seriously without a big win.” Now I remind myself: “A buckle doesn’t make a winner or a horseman. The horses do.”
3. Collect Proof.
When I start doubting, I look back at the horses I’ve trained, the breakthroughs I’ve had, the students I’ve helped. That’s proof I’m already winning — just in ways the clock might not always show.
4. Borrow Belief.
On the days I can’t find belief in myself, I borrow it from my horses, my students, and my mentors. Sometimes, they see the win in me before I can.
5. Embrace Growth.
I’ve come close -- with a few horses -- to having the “big one.” But I’ve probably spent more time playing it safe. The thing is — even those “almosts” grew me, stretched me, and made me better. That growth? That’s winning too.
6. Practice Winner Posture.
This one might sound silly — but how you carry yourself matters. Shoulders back, chin up, breathe deep, ride with purpose and intent. When I do that, I feel like a winner long before the results come in.
I still want the big check.
I still dream about the day I get to write the post about besting the field.
But, I’m learning to believe that I already know what winning is — because it’s in the process, the progress, and in the horses and people I get to shape every day.
Tell me: what’s ONE quiet win you’ve had lately, in the saddle or in life? I’d love to celebrate it with you.
