My competition-morning food for a focused ride

Competition mornings begin long before the first bell. At an Australian horse trial, I may be awake before sunrise, checking rugs, filling water buckets and trying to remember whether my dressage test is in the car or tucked inside my grooming bag. The food I eat has to support all of that activity without leaving me heavy, jittery or distracted.

What I eat on competition morning to stay focused is fairly ordinary: familiar carbohydrates, a little protein, enough fluid and coffee in a sensible amount. I am not chasing a perfect “athlete” breakfast or testing a new supplement beside the float. I want food that works during a dressage warm-up, survives a long gap before show jumping and leaves me ready for cross-country when the nerves are loudest.

I start with food I already trust

My first meal is usually eaten at home or in the car park, depending on the start time. If I am leaving for a venue outside Melbourne or travelling from Sydney to a regional event, breakfast may happen at 4.30 am. At that hour, a large cooked meal is unappealing, so I keep it simple: toast with banana and peanut butter, porridge with berries, or yoghurt with oats and a little honey.

The important part is familiarity. Competition morning is a poor time to discover that a new protein bar causes stomach cramps or that a large serving of eggs sits heavily through a dressage test. I eat foods I have used on training days, especially before a lesson where I know I will be riding intensely and managing a few nerves.

Carbohydrates are useful because they provide accessible energy for riding, walking the course and helping with the horses. Toast, oats, fruit and rice cakes are all easy options. I include some protein when I can, such as Greek yoghurt, milk, peanut butter or a boiled egg, but I do not turn breakfast into a complicated nutrition project.

The early meal has to suit the timetable

Eventing rarely follows a neat breakfast-lunch-dinner schedule. A rider with an early dressage time may eat a full breakfast before leaving, then have a smaller snack before warming up. Someone with a late dressage time might need two modest meals rather than one enormous plate. I work backwards from my first ride and allow enough time for food to settle.

If I am riding at 8.00 am, I prefer a proper breakfast two to three hours beforehand. That might be porridge made with milk, sliced banana and cinnamon, followed later by a piece of toast. If I have a later start, I may have yoghurt and fruit early, then a ham-and-cheese sandwich or another piece of toast closer to the ride. The aim is steady energy rather than a dramatic burst.

I also pack food for the gap between phases. A muesli bar, banana, sandwich, crackers and a small tub of yoghurt are easy to eat beside the float. Australian competition grounds can be far from a café, and the food van may run out of the useful options before lunch. At country events, there might be only a sausage sizzle and packets of chips available, so a soft esky is part of my preparation.

Planning this way also reduces decision fatigue. When I am thinking about plaits, studs, test movements and whether the weather will turn, I do not want to negotiate with myself about food. A short list of dependable items makes the morning calmer.

Coffee helps, until it does not

I enjoy coffee, and I am not pretending that a competition morning feels complete without it. Usually I have one regular coffee at home, made in the same way as on an ordinary day. If the day begins very early, I may take a second small coffee later, but I am careful with the timing.

Too much caffeine can feel exactly like excitement. My hands become restless, my thoughts race and every small mistake seems significant. That is particularly unhelpful before dressage, when I need to breathe, listen to my horse and ride accurately rather than react to every sensation. Caffeine can also increase the feeling of a dry mouth, especially on a hot day.

The Australian coffee habit makes this tempting. A flat white from a café in Sydney, Brisbane or Adelaide can be part of the morning ritual, but café sizes vary and a “large” coffee may contain much more caffeine than the drink I make at home. I try not to add a giant takeaway coffee to the one I have already had simply because the queue is moving slowly.

Water comes first. I drink steadily from the time I wake up and keep a refillable bottle in the car, along with a second bottle for later. For hot summer events, I may include an electrolyte drink, particularly if I know I will be outside for hours. I do not wait until I feel thirsty, because by then I am often already distracted by heat and fatigue.

Snacks keep the long day manageable

A competition day can involve far more movement than the riding alone suggests. I walk from the dressage arenas to the cross-country start, carry grooming gear, help with tack changes and spend hours standing in the sun. A small snack every few hours is easier for me than waiting until I am ravenous.

My reliable choices include a banana, apple slices, a jam sandwich, oat bars, pretzels and rice crackers. These are quick carbohydrates and do not require cutlery. If I need something more sustaining, I choose a cheese sandwich, yoghurt or a handful of nuts. I try to combine foods rather than relying on confectionery, because lollies can provide a fast lift followed by a noticeable slump.

Texture matters when I am nervous. On an anxious morning, I may not want a dry muesli bar, but a banana or a small smoothie can be easier. On a hot day, chilled grapes or watermelon are welcome. I pack more than I expect to eat so that an unexpected delay, a second horse or a late-running class does not leave me searching for food.

Food safety is part of this planning. In Australia, chilled foods need to stay cold, so yoghurt, cheese, meat and prepared sandwiches go into an esky with frozen ice bricks rather than sitting in a warm float. Food Standards Australia New Zealand provides guidance around safe handling and temperature control, and I take that seriously when the forecast is pushing past 30 degrees. A dodgy sandwich can ruin a day faster than a disappointing score.

I keep nerves from choosing my menu

Rider nerves can change appetite. Before an important event, my stomach sometimes feels tight even when I know I need fuel. I have learned that forcing down a huge breakfast makes the sensation worse. Smaller portions, eaten earlier and repeated later, are more comfortable.

The night before, I usually prepare food while packing the riding gear. I wash fruit, portion snacks, make sandwiches and put drinks in the fridge. This is an ordinary habit, but it makes the morning feel more controlled. There is something reassuring about opening the esky and seeing food I recognise instead of relying on whatever happens to be available at the venue.

I also avoid treating competition food as a reward or punishment. If dressage goes badly, I still need to eat. If cross-country feels brilliant, I still need to drink water and have a snack. The horse may be responding to my tension, and my own low blood sugar will not help me sit quietly, make decisions or support him through a difficult question.

Reading and reflecting on sport has helped me think about these routines more broadly. My approach to equestrian sport has changed through books, coaching and experience, particularly around separating useful preparation from rituals that create more pressure. Food belongs in that same category: it should support the ride, not become another performance to judge.

The menu changes with the Australian season

Weather has a major influence on what I pack. A winter event near Canberra may call for porridge in a thermos, warm toast and a flask of tea. A humid summer competition in Queensland requires lighter food, extra water and careful cooling. Even in Victoria, a cool morning can become surprisingly hot by the time cross-country starts.

Fresh produce is usually easy to source from Australian supermarkets and local markets. Bananas, apples, mandarins and grapes travel well, while seasonal berries are useful when I can keep them chilled. I do not need expensive imported “performance” products. A supermarket sandwich, plain oats and a carton of milk can do the job just as well when they suit my body.

I pay attention to labels, especially when buying packaged snacks. Australian and New Zealand food labelling laws require declared allergens, which is helpful when sharing food around family, friends or the wider eventing community. Peanut butter, muesli bars and some protein products can contain nuts, milk, soy or wheat, so I check before putting food into a communal esky.

There is also a practical environmental side. I use reusable containers and bottles where possible, buy larger packs rather than many individually wrapped items and carry rubbish home if bins are overflowing at a busy event. These details are small, but horse trials already involve plenty of gear, plastic wrapping and disposable cups. Good preparation should make the day easier without creating unnecessary waste.

My simple competition-day rhythm

A typical day might begin with water when I wake, followed by coffee and toast with banana and peanut butter. If there is time, I will have porridge or yoghurt as well. Before dressage, I may eat half a sandwich or a rice cake, depending on how close I am to riding. After the test, I have fruit and water rather than waiting for the next phase.

Between dressage and show jumping, I want something more substantial. A cheese sandwich, yoghurt with oats or crackers and fruit gives me enough energy without making me sluggish. If cross-country is later, I keep sipping water and have another small snack around an hour beforehand. I avoid eating a large amount immediately before mounting because a full stomach makes it harder to breathe freely and stay relaxed.

After the final phase, I am ready for a proper meal. That may be something picked up on the way home, such as rice with chicken and vegetables, or a simple dinner waiting in the fridge. Recovery matters, especially after a long drive and hours of physical work, but I do not worry about making it perfect. Eating enough, replacing fluids and getting home safely are the priorities.

The best competition-morning routine is the one that disappears into the background. When the food is familiar, the timing is flexible and the esky is packed, I have more mental space for the horse. I can think about rhythm in the warm-up, the first fence, the next movement and the partnership that brought us there.

Pack the breakfast you know you can eat, add a few reliable snacks and make hydration part of the plan before loading the horse. A focused ride is built from many quiet decisions, and a sensible competition-day menu is one of the easiest to put in place.