Ride as One - Alpha Huan
Alpha Huan is a sophomore at the YK Pao School in Shanghai, China. In his piece, Ride as One, he writes about his journey as an equestrian and how he overcomes mental and physical hurdles as a rider.
In general, Equestrianism is an extremely unpopular sport in China. In the early stages of my childhood, and in the environment that I grew up in, there were only minute interactions between me and this brand-new activity. The only memory conserved in my brain was when I watched a show jumping event in China. I was absolutely startled by the height that these riders were reaching. It was not just a challenge for the athlete, but also a chance to push the limit of the horse. Every time a rider successfully landed on the last obstacle, a huge round of applause appeared to celebrate the glorious moment. The muscular wallop that these horses revealed is what dragged me into this fascinating sport. The excitement in the air is what motivates me to improve.
Fortunately, I have the resources that I dream of. My uncle owns a stable where I can practice, and it is one of the most advanced in the whole city. Then, I started my training. I became a boy who at first even struggled to balance on a horse, to a proper rider who can trot or fun freely in an open space. The first two years were simply plain training, but I did receive a lot of joy from my gradual improvement because I know from my heart, the motive that ignites my journey. I tried hard to control my horse and let him or her understand my instructions. During this time period, I met different horses with various characteristics - some were sensitive, some were lethargic, some were agile, and some were clumsy. These situations are all that I must deal with so I can become a more comprehensive and experienced athlete.
Of course, my journey isn’t pleasant the whole way, just like life isn’t. During the first competition that I attended, it was so much of a strike that I even thought about quitting. It wasn’t show jumping, but dressage, which is a category in Equestrian that I am not particularly good at. I was too nervous, standing alone with my horse in a stadium with a large audience. It raised by heartbeat significantly, and my horse was also a bit impatient, not listening to my orders. At last, I failed all two attempts. It was really bitter to watch all the other riders completing the route on their first try while I was still begging for another chance. After this event, I seriously reflected internally - am I suitable for this sport? With a lot of entangling opinions, I decided to sustain, because the chase towards excitement never halted. Furthermore, if I quit in midway through a competition, it is not ethically correct.
Later, I kept trying hard with my daily practices until I was finally ready to jump. This completely shifted my attitude. At first, I started with the easiest ones, just over a stick lying on the ground, to practice timing and rhythm. As I became more and more proficient, it was time to deal with real obstacles, aiming at the obstruction every time. I could feel the secretion of adrenaline in my body, as my heart is beat crazily, trying to squeeze out of my body. I remembered that being an Equestrian can be a dangerous sport, since you can fall off easily in refusals. At first, there was definitely a hidden signal telling me to cease. However, I overcame this feeling to get better, to enjoy the outcome. Today, this feeling skyrockets when the stick gets higher and higher, but this is what I like about this sport - the presence of tension in my mind, the process of evading it and fighting for it. In the end, I hope to achieve the result that I expected, and promise to not make the same mistakes as last time. This is me currently, not a professional, but a passionate rider who always seeks for improvement.
