By Emily Hamel
Team Barry celebrated completing the five-star in Pau, France. Left to right: Jessica Seider, Lauren Rock, Emily Hamel, Kayla Pawlowski, groom Rachel Russell and Emily’s fiancé, David Repko.
Hello, fellow eventers and horse enthusiasts! As this is my first column for Sidelines, I would like to welcome you to this space where my goal is to help equestrians by sharing things that have been useful on my journey. For those of you who don’t know me, you may know my horse, Corvett, fondly known as Barry. We recently completed our 10th five-star event together at Pau in France and made history by becoming the first North American horse-and-rider combination to complete all six Northern Hemisphere five-star events. As I write this, I’m on my flight back to the States, and it’s the first time I’ve had a chance to truly reflect on the whirlwind experience I just had.
When you’re working so hard towards a goal, it can be all-consuming. For me, this whole year has revolved around competing at Pau. The amount of time, money and effort that it took to make this happen is mind-blowing. This, combined with the fact that I flew my 18-year-old horse halfway around the world to compete in our 10th five-star event together, while trying to maintain our 100% completion rate at this level and simultaneously making history, certainly added to the pressure of the situation. I did my best to stay present during the competition so I could focus on the immediate task at hand and not get bogged down with all the details listed above. My mantra the whole week was to give it my all and enjoy the ride. Thanks to a strong mental game, a fantastic horse and a great team, I was able to do just that.
Team Barry celebrated completing the five-star in Pau, France. Left to right: Emily’s mother, Deana Hamel; Kayla Pawlowski; Emily’s fiancé, David Repko; Emily; Emily’s stepdad, Paul Sprague; Jessica Seider; Crystal Follendorf and Lauren Rock.
The funny thing is, at the end of the competition, I was already being asked, “What’s next?” I must admit my Type A personality was already thinking the same thing. I had barely finished my flute of celebratory champagne when thoughts of what goal I could set next were floating through my head. Luckily, my fiancé is a man of reason and reminded me to take a moment—or, preferably, several moments—to appreciate this achievement. It’s safe to say that most goal-oriented people, whether equestrians or not, have been in a similar situation. Why is it difficult to enjoy the thing we worked so hard for? Why are we immediately driven to chase the next goal?
Emily Hamel discovered eventing when her 4-H club took a trip to the Kentucky Three-Day Event, where she decided she would do whatever it took to compete there one day. Since then, she has dedicated her life to eventing—coaching students of every level and producing several horses up to CCI4*. While head rider for Olympian Phillip Dutton’s True Prospect Farm, Emily founded her own Emily Hamel Eventing and met Corvett, aka Barry, her “horse of a lifetime.” Beginning with their five-star debut at Kentucky in 2021, Emily and Barry have completed 10 five-stars together—and made history in 2025 by becoming the first North American horse-and-rider combination to complete all six Northern Hemisphere five-star events. Emily is now based out of Good Fortunes Farm in Aiken, South Carolina, where she’s developing a promising group of young horses.
Photo by Adrienne Morella
Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t the worst quality to have, and it deserves credit for making dreams come true. I much prefer it to the alternative of having no drive or goals to work towards. However, it may be robbing us of some much-deserved joy along the way. So what’s the solution?
I went to the all-knowing Google to find out, and here is what I learned, thanks to the AI Overview: “To savor wins without getting caught up in the next step, acknowledge your achievement, take time to physically and mentally appreciate the moment, and then decide how to move forward from a place of accomplishment rather than urgency. You can achieve this by setting aside specific reflection time, engaging your senses and sharing your successes with others, all of which can help build confidence and reinforce positive behavior for the future.”
So simple, yet profound. I intuitively know this, but knowing and doing are two different things. However, after reading these insightful AI-driven thoughts, I am compelled to put this into practice. This example could explain why some people are afraid AI will take over, but what can I say? I’m a sucker for good advice. Armed with this knowledge, here is what I plan to do and encourage you to consider.
- Open the fancy champagne! It’s been sitting in my fridge for way too long, and I’ve been waiting for the “right time” to open it. I think this qualifies. In addition, I will make a toast to acknowledge my partnership with Barry and the team of people who were integral to the journey.
- Buy the pictures! Then, actually print and display them in my home. I couldn’t tell you how many pictures I haven’t bought because I already have so many, or I did buy, but then never printed them. It’s time to display our achievements as a reminder of how far we have come over the years.
- Share the stories! I’m always happy to share my experiences with others, but sometimes I shy away from the details because it feels frivolous. The details are what make the story and help create lasting memories. I want to remember this moment and achievement for years to come.
- Enjoy the holidays! Conveniently, the end of event season coincides with the beginning of the holiday season, which is a great reason to take time off. There’s no need to plan the next thing just yet.
