Search results for ""author mary king""

A no-holds-barred story of what it takes to reach the top, and stay there, in the world's most dangerous sport - three day eventing.At the age of forty-seven Mary King won a Team Bronze at the Beijing Olympics. In the two 'Cavaliers' - 'Call Again Cavalier' and 'Imperial Cavalier' - she has two of the very best event horses in the world. Mary King's success in the world of eventing (now officially classed as the most dangerous sport in the world) has been hard won. She does not come from a privileged background - her father a verger and a long-term invalid so money was very tight. Her first pony was the ancient 'cast off' from the local vicar's children - and success with this pony gave her an iron will to succeed. And succeeded she has. To support herself in the early days she had a variety of unglamorous jobs (this included butcher delivery rounds and cleaning out toilets in the local campsite). Her talent was apparent from very early on and she first competed at Badminton in 1985, had her first win there on King William in 1992 and her second on Star Appeal in 2000. Just when everything seemed to be going well she suffered a terrible fall in 2001 and broke her neck but she was back competing at the very top level the following year.Fully updated for the paperback with the 2010 season, including Team GB's gold medal-winning performance at the World Equestrian Games, this is a fascinating account from inside the world's most dangerous sport.

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Possessing the right mind-set and relevant mental skills has long been considered vital in achieving top performances in all sports. And yet, to many riders mental fitness still remains something of an afterthought. In Perfect Mind: Perfect Ride, the author demonstrates how to develop and achieve the right kind of attitude, motivation and mental skills to make the most of the rider’s abilities whether it be riding as a recreation or as a competitive sport. Horses are highly sensitive flight animals – they’ll react first and ask questions, well, never...! In essence, this means that every time riders get on their horse, they need to be fully committed, aware and in control of their body, their thoughts and their emotions, in order to communicate with their horse in precisely the right kind of manner. The combination of research in the field of sport and performance psychology and real-life examples contained in this book will help readers identify with and understand different topics. Current scientific theories surrounding sport and performance psychology are translated into practice, allowing readers to fully understand why they think, feel and act the way they do – and what they need to do to change it. Hands-on advice on how to develop relevant attitudes and mental skills will make Perfect Mind: Perfect Ride an essential companion for the rider wanting to get more out of the sport. Foreword by Mary King MBE

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