
It is competition season and some of us will have to face the dilemma of should I “play it safe” and ride safely, if I am now in the lead?
What happens to you if you have been in the lead position at an event? How do you ride from that moment on? Leg on or back off? Clear head or nerves and worry? Focused thoughts on the task at hand or no clue which fence is next?
Many riders play it safe because they become quickly distracted by mental worries about a last second mistake, a sudden fall. Such fear of trying to avoid mistakes and ruin things is a trap that many riders fall into.
Fear creates anxiety which reduces trust in your own skills, creates doubt and often leads to making the mistakes you are seeking to avoid in the first place! Suddenly you drop from red rosette to blue or worse!
The lesson is to maintain the same style of riding that helped you get a lead.