The Big Day   NZ Bulletin – August 2006   Peak Performance is what we all strive for on Competition Day.   It  is achieved when our mind is so focussed that it is still and can be at one with what our body is doing.  The ultimate state for peak performance is when we can allow ourselves to be “in the now” and everything just happens naturally with no real effort or force.     This is the ultimate competition state and can only be achieved when we have complete confidence in our preparation.   By developing your own personal “Game Plan” that can be applied to your competitions, you are preparing yourself completely so that you can give yourself over on the day, with 100% confidence, to achieving your own  Peak Performance.    Naturally a Game Plan is incredibly personal and developed in line with your  personal goals, training etc.  I have developed mine in conjunction with my Sports Psychologist and the principles can be applied to help adapt your own.   Essentially I have identified the “Four P’s” of Preparation which make up a Game Plan.  They are…   Practical – The ‘Lists’ – the Plan that will get you to the day completely prepared.  Personal – Your specific competition goals and your individual tool kit to keep you focussed on the day Performance – your training, your rehearsal prior to the event and your warm up  plan/routine for the day Praise – your personal reflection/celebration and key learning’s analysis that is applied to ongoing training and competitions.     Practical.   This is essentially the mechanical details that you need to do to get you to Show Day.  Basically this is where you sit down and plot everything on paper.  Some of these may seem incredibly remedial yet if they are written down and part of your game plan then nothing is left to chance and nothing is left to clutter your mind.  If you rely on your memory for all of these things then you are assigning some valuable head space to some very basic tasks.   There are three components within the Practical Preparation.  They are the 4 Week Countdown Plan, the Truck list and the Show Day Timing Plan.     Firstly your 4 Week Countdown Plan is where you break down by week what needs to happen in your training I the four week lead up to the competition.  In my case I identified my two dressage tests that I needed to learn and then set up each week with a run through of each test.   From this I identified the three areas that needed work and then spent that particular week working through those.  I repeated this each week with my final week just containing a consolidation of the three weeks prior as a lead up for the big day.  Everything was written out by week and I know exactly what was required on a daily basis over the four weeks.  This I also a great tool to share with your trainer or a friend so that they can work with you each week in the countdown to show day and also sharing this upfront will also highlight their thoughts on what you may also need to include.   The Truck List is exactly what you need to take on the day and this is everything that needs to be in the truck at the event so that you can get on your horse and go.  This will include everything from your saddle, to a hay net, the tests for the day, gear cleaner etc etc.  Once this is developed at the beginning of the season it doesn’t change but each item should be checked off each time.  Think also  here about your “Plan B’ items, or those that you may need in emergencies.  The items that you think about here can be incredibly valuable in times of panic – a leather hole punch, spare rubber bands, spare jods etc.    Now take some time out to develop your own personal Show Day timing plan.  Again this can be refined for each show but will basically be what you use each time you go out to compete.  A great test to ensure that this is full proof is to give it to someone to see if they could get themselves to the show ready to get on your horse by following your plan.  Work back from entering the ring right back to what time you get out of bed and allocate the minutes required for everything.  How long does it take to drive to the show, plait your horse, warm your horse up, tack him up at the show?     Spending time here to ensure you have enough time prior to the bell ringing will again ensure that you are calm and relaxed, again nothing is left to chance.  Don’t forget here to leave some areas of extra time so that if unforseen events occur you have a bit of time up your sleeve – another allocation here for “Plan B’s”.   I have a plastic sleeve that contains all the components of my Game Plan.  It is kept in the truck on Show Day and represents everything that I used to carry around in my head.  I can refer to it at any stage and know that all of my preparation is covered off.  As well as my Truck List, Timing Plan and 4 week Plan it contains my dressage tests for the day and copies of the draw etc.  It also contains my Personal Preparation which I will go over in detail next month.  This will cover how to set competition goals, incorporating a competition tool kit (June Bulletin Article) and also tips for maximising focus and being in the present within the intensity of show day.   We can be contacted at nicki@performancehorse.co.nz