Exploring the flow state in professional jump jockeys: Content and connecting analyses.

<p>Research on flow in elite sport has largely focussed on traditional sports and has yet toconsider the possibility of unique performance experiences in the case of horse-rider sports.This study sought to explore; (a) the conditions influencing the occurrence of flow; (b) thecharacteristics of flow; and (c) the connections between the conditions and characteristics offlow in horse racing jockeys. Ten full-time professional National Hunt (jump) jockeys (Meanage = 28.1; SD = 5.21) participated in semi-structured interviews exploring the flow state inhorse racing. Data was analysed through an alternating process between content analysis(Colaizzi, 1978) and connecting analysis (Maxwell, 2012). The content analysis revealed thatten characteristics described the state of flow in jump jockeys, of which the optimalinteraction with the horse has not emerged previously. Synchronisation of horse and jockeyduring flow experiences was characterised by communication, physiological and locomotivefeatures. The optimal horse-jockey partnership involved the fusion of conditions pertainingindependently to both the horse and jockey and was subsequently expressed through alteredkinaesthetic sensations in the horse-rider relationship. Twelve facilitators, ten inhibitors andseven disruptors were identified as being influential to the state of flow in jockeys, with allthree circumstances including a novel theme; the demeanour, performance andcharacteristics of the horse. The connecting analysis extracted 35 links between theconditions and characteristics of flow, through which confidence, concentration and theoptimal interaction with the horse were highly influential. This study made two importantcontributions by characterising the experience of flow in the interspecies equine sport ofhorse racing and identifying the manner in which the facilitative factors influenced flow injump jockeys. Additionally, results also alluded to elements of the autotelic personality injockeys. Results are discussed in relation to previous research and recommendations fortheoretical and research developments outlined.</p>