In as wide-ranging a conversation as Tracey has had with any of her guests, Erynn Ballard makes a thought-provoking appearance to take the podcast to the next level.
“Every time you get on a horse, treat it like it’s the best you’ve ever ridden.”
The women cover the gamut of topics with easy candor, going from how riding is both a passion and a job at the same time and you need to love both sides of that coin, to dealing with the realities of an injury that could very well have ended her riding career. By being forced to hit the reset button, Erynn came face-to-face with the fact that her dream and her goals were not aligned like she thought they were – but getting back in the saddle, she came to the realization that she was where she was meant to be.
In the not-too-distant past, Erynn had the distinction of being the highest-ranked female rider in the world, and she and Tracey used that as a jumping-off point to discuss the level of equestrian sport in Canada and how, when Erynn was top-ranked female rider in the world, she still trailed a number of males in the FEI rankings. The irony of the situation she experienced while being lauded for her achievement was not lost on Erynn, as a crisis of confidence happened to set in right around the time she claimed the ranking that put her at the head of the women’s class.