Winners Edge Issue 1

Go Ahead- Act Like A Winner!

How do you go about becoming a winner when you haven’ t won anything, yet?

Martha Josey, says that if you want to be a winner, you need to look like a winner. She always does.

Her reasoning is that if you dress the part and look the part, you are one step closer. You feel good about yourself.

Martha is equally meticulous about the appearance of her horse. Together they present a polished picture.

But back to the question of how do you go about becoming a winner when you have yet to win anything, here is the key:

The best way to become what you want to be is to act like you already are. So if what you want to be is a winning barrel racer, you need to start acting like one. Right now, right this minute! You might be thinking,“ That’ s easy to say, but I can’ t just start acting like a winner... I haven’ t won anything, yet!”

I guarantee you. No one is going to

Getting to( or Getting Back to) the Winner’ s Circle

Whether you’ ve been there and are trying to get back, or you’ ve never been to barrel racing’ s top level and want to get there, competition is a journey. It involves preparing your horse, but equally important is preparing yourself. The raw materials you’ ve got to work with determine how much you’ re going to have to work at it.

That’ s the hard truth. But stepping up to the plate and committing to give that extra effort is how unknowns and underdogs become winners.

If you’ re a world champion riding a proven winner, your raw material( winning record plus experience plus experienced winning horse) puts you in a psychological place where you and your horse do a lot of things automatically. Make no mistake, many former National Finals Rodeo qualifiers still get nervous, very

- Cheryl Cody come up to you and say,“ I’ ve been watching you, and I have noticed that you’ ve been acting like a winner everywhere you go. Well, I checked and YOU HAVEN’ T WON ANYTHING, YET!”

If that’ s what is stopping you, relax because that’ s just not going to happen.

Instead, what does happen is that you become who you want to be. Even if you’ re one of many, out there, who is uncertain, unsure, and really nervous about competition- even beginners.

You see, every beginner is already a winner. She’ s won over just thinking about it but not having the nerve to try.

Beginners have won over letting the fear of looking silly in front of people keep them from living the dream.

Those beginners have won over a thousand people who are afraid to let their hearts hang out.

Yes, every beginner is a winner, and every winner was once a beginner!

nervous in some cases. But even though they might still get butterflies and have to work to stay calm and focused, they have the advantage of having been there, and knowing they can achieve at that level.

For others who haven’ t yet begun to win who are riding horses that have not yet established themselves, winning takes a lot more work. But it’ s a goal that has been accomplished countless times and every winner was once a beginner!

If that’ s where you are, commit to more preparation, more application and more work to put you into a place that you can take that inexperienced horse into the arena and make his best run. You can do it- just get started today!

Martha Josey’ s Comeback Strategy

During my career, I’ ve had major injuries three times.

In 1968, my first year in the WPRA, I was coming out of the arena at Houston and my horse stumbled in the alleyway running out, did a flip and I ended up with a brain concussion. I went ahead and completed my next go-round at Houston. But, since my equilibrium wasn’ t good, I didn’ t win the money that I thought I should. I still wanted to compete so much because this was my first year in the pro ranks and I knew I had the horse that could do it.

R. E. and I headed to California by way of San Angelo and I went around the first, got to the second, turned and didn’ t go around the barrel. I asked Josey why they flagged me out. He said,“ You didn’ t go around the barrel.” I didn’ t even realize that I’ d missed the turn.

I had the want-to but this concussion was really a lot worse than I thought. I had asked the doctor when I could ride again he said when you feel like it. He assumed it would be six months to a year before I felt like it and what he didn’ t understand is that I really, really wanted to make the finals— so, I felt like it a week later.

R. E. had always wanted to go to Chowchilla roping and I wanted to go to some of those early California rodeos. We headed to California and I won a couple and then here it’ d go- I’ d miss the pattern again. A friend asked,“ Martha how are you doing after your accident?”

“ Wonderful”, I said, as I was pouring a coke down the front of my blouse. We both realized then I needed to go home. We headed for Texas. That was probably the year I could have won the world on

Martha’ s Comeback- Cont. on P. 4