United States Eventing Association

The 2017 USEA Annual Meeting and Convention may have come and gone, but thanks to our friends at Ride On Video you will have the chance to relive the action as we share videos of the different sessions! 

In this session, Sports Psychologist Abigail Lufkin discusses some of the things she wishes she’d known about how to train her mind when she was riding at the upper levels. She starts by telling the story of what drove her to seek out a sports psychologist when she was competing, and then covers some of different aspects of sports psychology, including clarity of purpose and goal, understanding your ideal performance state, how you can train your mind, thoughts versus feelings and how they affect each other, what your thoughts can do you, getting comfortable being uncomfortable, and separating who you are from what you do. Lufkin also provides some techniques that you can use to up your mental game!

Abigail Lufkin began riding at age three and began competing in horse trials when she was 11. Lufkin had substantial success as a young rider, winning multiple gold and silver medals at the North American Junior/Young Rider Championships. She competed extensively in the United States and Europe with top-10 finishes at such events as the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Fair Hill International, Blenheim, Luhmulen, and Saumur. Lufkin won medals at the Pan American games, competed at the World Championships, and was selected for the 2000 Olympic team in Sydney before having to withdraw due to her horse sustaining an injury. Sports Psychology was an essential part of Lufkin’s success, and upon retiring from eventing, she received her Masters degree in clinical psychotherapy and continued to study sports psychology. She resides in Santa Monica, California where she has her own Performance Coaching practice. Lufkin assists individuals across the United States, many of them equestrians, to achieve their personal and competitive goals.

About the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention

The USEA Annual Meeting and Convention takes place each December and brings together a large group of dedicated USEA members and supporters to discuss, learn, and enjoy being surrounded by eventing enthusiasts. The USEA organizes multiple seminars in addition to committee meetings, open forums, and tons of fun! The convention is made possible through the support of sponsors: Adequan, Devoucoux, Nutrena, Charles Owen, SmartPak, Rebecca Farm, Mountain Horse, Merck Animal Health, Standlee Hay, Auburn Laboratories, Eventing Training Online, DG Stackhouse & Ellis Saddles, Point Two, Professional’s Choice, Bit of Britain, Staples Inc., World Equestrian Brands, Gallops Saddlery, RevitaVet, CWD, H.E. Tex Sutton Forwarding Company, and Parker Equine Insurance.

Learn more about the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention by visiting the Convention page on the USEA website.