Cayla Richards
A Compliment to the West CoAst
Winning All Four Impressive Medal Finals
Paves the way to the Future
Cayla Richards has accomplished unrealistic or not enough for them to didn’t just go out there and do it!!!”
something no other fourteen and un- work at for the year.” Cayla chimes in with, “I did my goal
der rider has been able to do…win all “With Cayla this year, we thought sheet for 2008, gave it to Nick and
four of the prestigious fourteen and how difficult her goal of winning the then focused on that goal of winning
under Medal Finals here on the West CPHA Foundation Equitation Cham- the Foundation Finals. I knew it was
Coast. pionship would be,” he went on. “No a high goal but that is what I wanted
Starting her impressive string of other rider had ever been able to win to do and I worked all year for it. I
Medal Final wins in 2005, as an elev- was riding Kaava in the beginning
en year old, Cayla won the fourteen but I got the chance to lease Aspara-
and under Rosewood Medal Finals gus from Sage Flynn and that made
here on the west coast. The following it great. I only got to do four shows
year, 2006, she won the highly com- with him before the Finals but I spent
petitive Onondarka Finals against a every single day with him so I would
huge field of riders at LA. Then came really understand how he thinks.”
2007 where she won the fourteen and When asked how she prepared for
under PCHA Horsemanship Finals, this class that meant so much to her,
against all the older riders. she replied quickly, “I went to the
Now, in 2008 she has won the CPHA barn everyday and practiced a lot at
Foundation Equitation Championship home. To keep focused at the shows
Finals for fourteen and under riders, I sit alone and tone everything out, it
successfully ending up in 1st place at makes my nerves work for me and not
all the West Coast Medal Finals pos- against me. I can’t stop the nerves but
sibilities for fourteen and under riders. I did learn how to make them work in
Also awarded to Cayla that day, was my favor.”
the Hap Hansen Perpetual Trophy for “At the Finals show I went early in
equitation excellence. the week to get ready. On Wednesday
“She kind of has ice in her veins I did a whole flat lesson without stir-
when it comes to entering the show rups, Thursday I went around a cou-
ring,” said Kost Karazissis, one of her ple of hunter classes to get him in the
trainers. “She can control her focus ring. On Friday I started showing and
and keep her cool where most kids won both the Flat Equitation and the
have a problem. She is a remarkable USEF Hunter Seat Medal.”
young lady and it has been a privilege “When the Medal class started on
to have her, training her entire life Saturday,” she continued. “I went late
with us at Far West.” in the order so I got the chance to
“Beginning of each year we do a watch everyone first. It worked great
goal sheet that covers personal, horse- all four and it was a kind of an ‘elusive for me and I won that round with
manship and competition goals with thing’ out there somewhere. We talked scores of 83.5 and 88. Then on Sun-
each of the riders,” said Nick Karazis- about the difficulty of it and it not be- day, for the second round, I had to
sis. “It gives us the opportunity to dis- ing done before so we could be sure go third and I was glad so I didn’t get
cuss what they want to do and it gives she had a real understanding of what more nervous. I won that round too
us the chance to adjust what is either work it would take. Darned if she with and 86 and an 87.”
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