sport horse snippets
Social Media Helps NAJYRC Event Rider By Liz Cornell
she was fourteen, Kaylawna suddenly announced a new dream: she wanted to ride again, setting her sights on the NAJYRC (North American Junior Young Rider Champion- ships) in Kentucky—then less than four months away! The daughter of California event rider and trainer Tamra (Tamie) Smith of Next Level Eventing, Kaylawna was once again eager to compete in eventing as a Junior. At 18, this was her last year to qualify in the CCI*. “When I started high school I became involved with
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water polo and volleyball, so I had no time for horses. I only made it out to the barn on rare occasions,” Kaylawna explains. Then she changed her mind. “I’m sure everyone thought I was crazy, especially since I needed to find a horse and qualify in three short months.” Her mother Tamie posted on Facebook their desire to
locate a horse for her daughter to ride at NAJYRC. This is where Warmbloods Today’s own Brittany Whiting (our west- ern regional sales manager) stepped in. She immediately replied to Tamie’s appeal offering her own nine-year-old Holsteiner gelding, London Calling OHF (Lordship x Linaro), fondly referred to as Metro. “In 2013, I put Metro in training with Tamie, and the pair
moved confidently up the levels, from Novice to Prelimi- nary,” Brittany says. Metro had returned home to her last November. “When I saw Tamie’s post in March, I right away called to ask if Metro would be suitable, knowing he would be in great hands.” Tamie and Kaylawna jumped at her offer and the moti-
vated teen and Metro went to work immediately. In three months, the pair competed five times, taking on one Train- ing, two Preliminaries and then two CIC*s. At their last event in late June, they came in second place. Kaylawna had beat- en the odds and qualified for the NAJYRC competition! At the big event in Kentucky, the pair had a fantastic
start. “We were first after dressage with a 45.6,” Kaylawna recounts. With time faults cross-country and one rail in stadium, the pair ultimately finished in ninth place individu- ally. It was an impressive result, given their brief history to- gether. Unfortunately, the rest of her Area VI team suffered difficulties on cross-country, leaving Kaylawna and Metro as the only pair to continue on to stadium jumping. “The other team members were disappointed of course, but rallied around me and walked the stadium course with
58 September/October 2014
London Calling OHF and Kaylawna Smith tackle the cross country at the NAJYRC, where the pair placed ninth.
me,” she reports. “They supported me 100 percent, which was a great feeling going into the arena.” Kaylawna says the NAJYRC competition was an unfor-
gettable experience—and one she could never have ex- perienced without the gracious loan of a wonderful horse. “Metro is a gentle giant at 17.2 hands. I so enjoyed riding him and he gave it 100 percent in Kentucky. He’s a huge, loving horse and luckily we just ‘clicked’ right away.” In 2008, Brittany had purchased the then lightly started
three-year-old Holsteiner from his breeder, October Hill Farm. “I saw his sales video online, and just fell in love. This was the first horse I purchased from a breeder and the ex- perience was so fantastic,” she says. “I spoke extensively with both Wendy and Erin and couldn’t be more pleased with my decision to buy him without even going to see him in Texas! He’s been the easiest horse for me as an amateur to work with,” adding that it was always her hope and plan to see him in an eventing career. “For Kaylawna to step back into the irons so successfully
after four years out of the saddle is a tribute to her drive as an athlete,” Brittany continues. “For Metro to be able to rise from Training Level to a one-star in such a short time demonstrates not only his athleticism but also his nature and character as a horse that always gives everything to his rider. I couldn’t be more thrilled with their partnership!” Clearly, Kaylawna has caught the eventing “bug” once again. She is now considering taking Metro to the American Eventing Championship (AEC) this fall.
ighteen-year-old Kaylawna Smith recently accom- plished something most Junior Riders would never attempt. In March, after not riding or competing since
Photo byKim MacMillan/MacMillan Photograhy
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