On the Road with Anna, Part One: Being a Student-Athlete in the Horse World
By: Anna Markcrow
Hi everybody! My name is Anna Markcrow, I am 17 years old and have been competing on the show circuit for almost eight years. I am from Manchester, VT. I compete primarily in the equitation and ride with Bobby Braswell at Terrapin Hill Farm. I am committed and signed to ride on the Division 1 Equestrian team at SMU, and plan to major in Finance.
For me, the balance between horses and my education has not always been simple. As a young kid, I struggled a lot with time management and being organized in general. It began to reflect in not only my schoolwork, but riding too, and I realized I needed to make a change. My family values education very highly, and to be able to keep doing what I loved I needed to improve. As I got older, I continued how to learn and balance the most important components of my life. For me, all I had to do was follow a couple simple rules:
1. Master Time Management and be Overly Organized
We all know riding/horse showing is one of the most time consuming activities, especially when you are competing at a high level. I believe allocating a certain amount of time on weekdays to various tasks such as (lessons, horse care, Zoom meetings, studying, etc) is extremely important. When I was younger, I would be so busy with all of my horse commitments, I would commonly forget assignments or procrastinate to the very last second, and then not achieve the result I was hoping for. One major thing that made a difference in my life was the use of a physical planner. Being able to look at an overview of my week and write out all of my academic and horse related events allowed me to be extremely organized.
2. You Are An Athlete, So Treat Yourself Like It.
To be able to perform at the highest level of competition, what you do and how you treat your body outside of the saddle is imperative. This includes: ensuring that you get enough sleep every night, fueling your body with nutritious food, and exercising regularly. Although the excitement and business of horse showing can lead to a decrease in amounts of sleep, it is so important to prioritize. This goes hand in hand with fueling your body with nutritious and protein filled food, so that you can think and perform your best. I also like to workout when I can, focusing on exercises that aid you in riding, specifically core and strength. Ensuring all of these components means you are not only showing up for yourself, but for everyone that helps you along the way. This may be: parents, trainers, teachers, friends, grooms, but most importantly; your horse. It takes a village to get to the show ring, and you want to make sure you are putting your best “hoof” forward at all times.
3. Build A Support System
I am so fortunate to say I believe I have one of the best support systems. From my parents who work hard to make my dreams come true, to my tutoring family at Blue Ribbon Scholars, I always feel like I have someone in my corner. I began to work with Mira and the Blue Ribbon team in 7th grade, and have been since then. I always feel like I have someone to rely on and am never afraid to ask for help. Having BRS as my academic support system has allowed me to grow and thrive as a student-athlete and I could not have done it without them.
