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“I remember being at the World Cup Final in Leipzig in 2002 where I had two rails to give ahead of the last round. I went to the bathroom, sat in the stall and cried like a baby,” USA’s six-time Olympian and current world number eight McLain Ward – a legend of the sport – tells World of Showjumping. “I was pushing the win away; I went in the ring, and I choked. I had two down and ended up fourth.”

“That was kind of a game changer for me; I was on the cusp of a dream that I had had since I was a child, competing against my heroes – and I wasn't ready to accept that I could be the winner, that I could do it,” Ward tells. “That moment was a huge realization for me; I was standing in my own way. I decided to do something about it – and I'm really proud to now share my journey.”

The mental aspect of the sport has been something that I have struggled with

- McLain Ward -

“The mental aspect of the sport has been something that I have struggled with,” Ward (49) – who fulfilled his dream of winning the World Cup Final in 2017 – reveals. “And your own mental strength and mindset is a huge part of this sport – but not only that, it’s also part of how you live your life around and outside of it.”

Having worked on his own mental game and overcome the battle against his own self-limiting inner narratives, Ward has later in his career used his experience to help others struggling with similar scenarios. “McLain has had a tremendous impact on my life in the best possible way,” Lillie Keenan – who since 2018 has worked with Ward – says. “McLain has taught me that your mentality is what creates your reality. You have to believe in yourself if you want anything to happen.”

“What people see from the outside is often not the same as what the reality is on the inside,” Ward explains. “When I first started dating my wife Lauren, she pointed out how so many on the outside seemed to think it's just podiums, glory and ribbons – that everything is fantastic. But, when you are on the inside, it is stressful. There are questions, doubts, insecurities, diligence, and a lot of hard work.”

“We all have our own upbringings and unique journeys which can help us throw light on why we have shortcomings, inhibitions and insecurities,” Ward continues. “I decided that the mental side was a part of my game that could be improved. It was not only for my performance in the ring, but also for my life in general and the people around me – because all these things go hand-in-hand.”

There are questions, doubts, insecurities, diligence, and a lot of hard work

- McLain Ward - 

“I think in all sports, particularly in sports with fine motor skills, it's become very clear that the mental side is as much of a factor, and at times maybe even more of a factor, than the physical side,” Ward explains. “To some degree, the physical side is a simple process, right? You need to train your body and there's a certain level of talent that is always going to be a factor as well.”

“I was lucky enough to get an introduction to Dr. Bob Rotella – a leading sports psychologists, particularly in golf,” Ward tells. “He's truly an individual that has mastered the mental game of all sports. He's worked with athletes at the absolute top of their game in totally different areas. That just goes to show that in any competitive pursuit, the vast majority of your results are based off of your mental game.”

“Rotella’s work really gravitated with me. It was something that I believed in, and that I could apply. What I found was, interestingly enough, many of the concepts I already used,” Ward continues. “However, what I didn't do was organise them, have a process and an understanding of when I needed to apply them if things were going in the wrong direction. When things are going well, it is easy; you're in the zone. You need the skill set when things are going wrong – or you feel like they're going wrong. I worked at my mental strength – and have continuously worked at it – and I can see a 30% jump in my results.”

When Lillie Keenan arrived at Ward’s Castle Hill Farm in 2018, she had – despite a hugely successful U25 career – contemplated to quit riding altogether.

Growing up in America, Keenan successfully did hunters, equitation and jumpers from a young age. In 2016, Keenan was a recipient of the USET Foundation’s Maxine Beard Show Jumping Rider Award and that same year – as a 20-year-old – she had already represented the U.S. in the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final in Barcelona. But despite her early success, Keenan was struggling with lack of confidence and low self-esteem. Keenan's family reached out to Ward, who was more than happy to take her under his wings. “Growing up, McLain was an idol for me. I never imagined he would want to teach me or that he was interested in teaching at all,” Keenan tells. 

I would say in most cases, things that look so shiny and perfect on the outside, are not like that on the inside

- Lillie Keenan -

“Lillie was always a great rider, and to the contrary of her beliefs I was very excited and enthused to have the opportunity to work with her when the family approached me,” Ward recalls. “I'm very proud and appreciative that some of the best up-and-coming riders in the world still think of me as relevant enough to at the very least pick my brain. Lillie is one of several other top young riders in America that I now work with. I have influence and engagement with some of them on a small level, or as with Lillie, on a day-to-day basis.”

Almost seven years after arriving at Castle Hill Farm, Keenan has climbed to sit 25th on the Longines Rankings – the second highest ranked female rider in the world – but more importantly, she has built up her self-confidence. “If you would have asked me back then, I truly did not think I would ever be among the top 30 in the world,” Keenan, now 28-years-old, says. “It doesn't mean that I didn't want it, but I did not believe I deserved to ever get near that. I struggled with not just believing in myself as a rider, but also in terms of my identity and where I belonged. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate what I had – on the contrary: I was hyper aware of how lucky I was, but I felt like I was wasting this chance that somebody else deserved more because I wasn't good enough and I didn't matter.”

“I would say in most cases, things that look so shiny and perfect on the outside, are not like that on the inside,” Keenan says as she looks back on her own experiences. “Especially nowadays it’s important to remember this, because social media perpetuates this idea of only the good. That's also why I think it's so important to talk about the other side. When I was younger, and especially as a young woman, I used to be consumed by what people thought of me and it took years to get out of that.”

“McLain jokes that I tell people that he just told me to shorten my reins and go for it. However, the real meaning to what he taught me was that I needed to trust myself and get back to my own instincts,” Keenan tells. “That was the most valuable lesson. He put me on his horses and told me over and over again that I had to trust what I felt. If I asked him a question, he'd say ‘but what do you think?’ At first, I felt like a fish out of water; I didn't think that my opinion had any value. McLain transformed that for me at such a critical time in a young person's life. He got me to believe in myself. He has become a mentor not just in terms of my riding, but also in what really matters in life. He can, with a few words, get to my most vulnerable place that I need help with.”

I know what it's like to sit in a hotel room for 24 hours between rounds, what it's like when it goes south, when it doesn't work out

- McLain Ward -

“Over time, our relationship has morphed; McLain now says that he's not really my coach, he is my mentor,” Keenan tells. “I'm really lucky that my family found him because we have the same values. He's obviously an incredible competitor, but he also has a good heart. And that in the end, is the most important factor. There’s not an abundance of people that are as good hearted as him in this sport.”

“For me, it's something I'm proud to be a part of,” Ward says about the role he plays in guiding the next generation. “I'm proud to be relevant and help them be the best version of themselves by sharing my experiences and my journey. I always tell them to take that and make it their own – it doesn't have to be exactly like mine. If I can give some structure and ideas, I’m happy. I know what it's like to sit in a hotel room for 24 hours between rounds, what it's like when it goes south, when it doesn't work out – and I know you will survive, you will come back.”

“The people that I'm lucky enough to work with, are typically very professional, high-level talents,” Ward says. “With them, it isn't a matter of teaching the basics. However, this doesn't mean that you don't simplify it and get back to reminding people about basic good riding. A lot of what I do – the mentorship, the guidance and the influence – is a progressive thing.”

“One thing I do try to instil in the people that seek some guidance is a structure that is predictable and repeatable,” Ward continues to explain. “How do we run the stable? How do we organise our people, our team of horses and how do we manage sponsors? How do we prepare for an event that is a goal while simultaneously producing the up-and-coming horses? You need to have a structure which actually isn't that complicated. A lot of times people are very surprised when they spend time with me and see that the structure of things, the outline so to speak, isn't that complicated. However, we're very diligent to at the same time keep an open mind and being flexible. That comes with experience and confidence.”

One thing that I always believe in is that no matter how Sunday goes, we know exactly what we're going to do on Monday morning

- McLain Ward -

“My students have got to make their own version of a structure, because you have to own it,” Ward continues. “You have to be your own self. People do not have to live my story, but they can take the framework of it and they can make it their own. I've often said that we want to have enough success, but one thing that I always believe in is that no matter how Sunday goes, we know exactly what we're going to do on Monday morning. It's not a mystery. Because of that framework, we're not lost. You have to own it though; it has to become your own story, your own journey, your own version of it. It cannot be my life and my journey, because then they'll never have the pride in it.”

“I think McLain is one of the best, but he also always reminded me that you cannot try to be somebody else,” Keenan points out. “If you're going to do anything, it has to be how you envision it and not how somebody else tells you that you're supposed to do it.”

“I know everyone is going through their own struggles in some form. Trying to help others be the best version of themselves is something that I really enjoy,” Ward says. “For me, it is a dream come true to have the next generation – and maybe further generations – still engage with me and see the value in my experience.”

“I think the best advice I could give to someone else is to find your people – people who share your values – but most importantly encourage you to be you,” Keenan says. "And that includes being accountable for yourself, for the good and the bad. As a young person, you need to find people that allow you to find yourself and push you to be the absolute best you can be."

There have been ups and downs, a lot of tears, and immense growth

- Lillie Keenan -

“There have been ups and downs, a lot of tears, and immense growth,” Keenan says about her journey. “Part of improving and getting better is also questioning yourself. Now, I think that I have found myself, or at least I have found the path that I know I want to take forward. I know who I am and I'm all right if somebody doesn't like that.”

“Obviously sustaining top 30 in the world was a huge goal, but I have learned that there's also more to life than just your last result,” Keenan says. “I try to do my absolute best by my horses and enjoy this moment because it's not forever. Now, rather than feeling overwhelmed, I feel energised and motivated – because I believe in myself,” Keenan concludes.

27.5.2025 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.