For seasoned riders and rookies alike, exhibitions offer a valuable chance to iron out kinks, build confidence and refine techniques. More than just a warm-up, exhibition runs are a strategic tool that help set you up for success when it really counts. World champion barrel racer, Jordon Briggs, shares her strategy for making the most of practice runs—by setting herself up for failure.
Exhibition 1: Gauge your horse’s mental focus
“I do three exhibitions. The first one, I trot, lope, work on the horse’s weaknesses and see where their mental focus is. Are they focused on the barrel? Are they focused on everything else around them and don’t even know I’m up there? This first exhibition is to see where their mental focus is that day.”
Exhibition 2: Where are the holes?
“In my second exhibition, I cruise them through to find any holes. I go in on a loose rein, let them do their job and see what happens. If you’re constantly controlling every move your horse makes, you won’t know what you need to work on at home. I actually want my horses to do bad in exhibitions so I know where they’re going to fall apart. Then I know what processes to work through. I almost want to blow them up a little bit so I can put them back together and hopefully skip that step next time.”
Exhibition 3: Ride the horse you have
“My third exhibition depends on how the horse does. If they did great their second exhibition, I’ll trot them through the barrel pattern and tell them how great they did and how proud of them I am. Or I’ll have them cruise through again and hope their mental focus is a little better.”
Final thoughts
“Don’t go do your exhibitions with that mindset that you have to look perfect and don’t want to be embarrassed in front of your friends. Set yourself and your horses up for failure a little bit so you find your holes and know what to work on.”
TRAIN WITH JORDON BRIGGS. Learn from world champion barrel racer and Ride TV coach Jordon Briggs as she shares her expertise on a range of topics for success in the arena. Jordon dives into tuning barrel horses, providing valuable insights on honing their performance to perfection. Learn from her extensive experience working with young horses, uncovering the techniques that lay the foundation for future champions. Watch her full training library here.
