About CEA
Meet Holly Cook
Coach & Founder of Cook Equestrian Athletics
Holly Cook
Coach & Founder of CEA
I believe riders are athletes - and that becoming a stronger competitor is about more than what happens in the show pen.
I created Cook Equestrian Athletics (CEA) to help equestrian athletes build the mental skills that support confident, consistent, and sustainable performance.
My approach combines my experience in the equestrian world with nine years of professional experience in the mental health field, including extensive work with athletes navigating eating disorders, performance pressure, identity, recovery, body image, perfectionism, and the complicated relationship between achievement and self-worth.
Through that work, I've developed a unique understanding of the pressures athletes face—the drive to perform, comparison, fear of failure, difficulty recovering from mistakes or injury, and the tendency to allow a score, placing, or performance to become a measure of personal worth.
Mental performance coaching is not therapy, and our work together is not focused on diagnosing or treating mental health conditions.
Instead, CEA is forward-focused and performance-oriented. We work on developing the mental skills you can intentionally practice and apply in training, competition, and everyday life as an athlete.
Your Horse Is an Athlete.
So Are You.
Equestrians spend an incredible amount of time thinking about their horse's preparation.
We condition them, protect their confidence, evaluate their recovery, adjust training when something isn't working, and recognize that progress isn't always linear.
As a rider, you deserve that same level of attention.
How we'll Work
The CEA Methodology
Mental performance isn't something you either have or you don't. It's something you train.
My coaching approach is individualized, evidence-informed, goal-oriented, and practical. Rather than relying on generic motivation or simply telling riders to “be confident,” we look at the specific mental patterns influencing your performance and develop skills you can actually practice.
Our work may incorporate:
- Goal Setting & Performance Planning
We identify where you want to go and break larger outcomes into specific, controllable performance and process goals.
- Mental Skills Training
We build tools for focus, confidence, visualization, self-talk, emotional regulation, preparation, and responding effectively under pressure.
- Performance Reflection
Instead of labeling a ride as simply “good” or “bad,” we learn to evaluate what happened objectively: what worked, what needs adjustment, and what information you can take into your next ride.
- Resilience & Recovery
Mistakes, injuries, setbacks, disappointing scores, and difficult seasons are part of sport. We work on how you respond to those experiences so one moment doesn't become the story of your entire season—or your ability as a rider.
- Process Over Outcome
Placings and scores matter when you're competing, but they aren't completely within your control. We identify what is within your control and build your performance around those factors.
- Athlete Identity & Sustainable Performance
You can care deeply about your sport without allowing your results to determine your value. CEA emphasizes developing an identity and sense of worth that can withstand both success and disappointment.
The objective isn't to eliminate nerves, never make mistakes, or feel confident 100% of the time. It's learning how to perform even when those things show up.
In Session
What You Can Expect From Coaching
CEA isn't a one-size-fits-all program. Your coaching should reflect you, your horse, your discipline, your goals, and where you are in your competitive journey.
In our 1:1 sessions, you can expect a collaborative and supportive environment that also challenges you to grow. We'll identify what is getting in the way of your performance, clarify what you want to accomplish, and create practical strategies you can take directly into your rides and competitions.
Depending on your goals, sessions might include developing a pre-show routine, working through a recent run, creating process goals for an upcoming show, practicing visualization, identifying unhelpful self-talk, rebuilding confidence after an injury or mistake, or developing a plan for responding when things don't go as expected.
You can expect me to be supportive, curious, practical, and willing to challenge you when needed.
You can also expect to leave sessions with something to work on.
Mental performance skills become effective through repetition—not just conversation.
Between sessions, you may practice a mental skill, track a performance goal, use a reflection exercise, develop a routine, or intentionally apply a strategy during your rides.
Over time, my end goal is for you to need the tools more than you need the coach.
Who I Work With
Riders who take the mental side as seriously as the physical side.
You don't have to be struggling to benefit from performance coaching. You may simply know you're capable of more and want support turning your goals into intentional action.
CEA may be a good fit if you find yourself thinking:
“I ride better at home than I do at a show.”
“One mistake ruins the rest of my ride.”
“I know what I am supposed to do, but I cannot get out of my own head.”
“I keep thinking about my last bad run.”
“I want to feel more confident walking into the pen.”