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Monday, August 09 2021 / Published in Sidelines Feature

Kaitlyn “KK” Linck: Success With a Special Team

By Haylie Kerstetter

Photos by Melissa Fuller

Although 11-year-old Kaitlyn Linck may not have hired grooms or own a string of expensive ponies, her excellent work ethic and her strong partnership with her mother allow her to conquer anything she tries. Known as KK in the horse show world and currently training at her mother’s Merrifield Farm in Clinton Corners, New York, KK has been in the barn with her mother, Karolina, since she was just a few days old.

KK’s family has always been involved with horses, with both her mother and father teaching and training in the industry. Since day one, KK and her mother have worked together as a strong team, always relying on each other whether at shows or at home. Their teamwork has made them a powerful force in the equestrian world.

Karolina has been riding since age 12, competing later in her life and eventually opening a boarding and training facility. She has always taught KK and continues to do so, although KK occasionally rides with other trainers. “I think it’s really nice to have my mom as my trainer because she can help me any time I need her. There’s not much of a downside to it,” KK said. 

KK started riding at 2 and launched her show career at 3 years old. At age 4, she won the prestigious leadline class at Devon with her mother as her leader, riding Betty Boop, a small pony they leased. “She was a beautiful black pony. She’s pretty special. Leadline is her specialty because she’s very pretty and she’s super well-behaved in the ring,” Karolina explained. 

KK and Karolina spent months planning for the class, picking out everything from Karolina’s hat to KK’s bows. Even with Betty’s knack and plenty of planning, KK and Karolina were both shocked and overjoyed when they won the class — it was KK’s first big win.

By then, KK was already showing, competing her 4-year-old leased pony, Gingersnap, in walk-trot classes. Although they didn’t originally plan to lease such a young pony, her quiet and kind nature quickly won KK and Karolina over and convinced them to give her a chance. “They just really hit it off great, and that’s how we got her. Basically, they chose each other,” Karolina said. 

Early Teamwork

As KK continued to ride more challenging ponies, she began to have more catch-riding opportunities, and started gaining more experience riding and showing many of the ponies in the family’s training program. This gave KK the tools to ride nearly any pony or horse well, allowed her to ride top-quality ponies that she would not have the chance to own, and has led her to amazing new partnerships.

“We don’t have grooms or help in the barn,” Karolina said. “I’ve been training her mostly by myself. I’m the driver, the groom, the person who is mucking the stalls, and doing everything all the time. She does most of the hard work herself, so the catch riding is nice for us because we just have to show up at the ring.”

Although KK and Karolina love all of their ponies, one that will always have a special place in their lives is Juilliard’s First Encounter, or Winston, a small pony that KK started riding when she was 5 years old. Winston found a special place in her heart as her personal pet and best friend after their amazing success in the show ring, winning nearly every class they entered as they strengthened their bond and worked through challenges. 

Even though KK and Winston don’t compete in the show ring together anymore, Winston still goes to horse shows throughout the year and to Florida for the winter circuit with KK. There, he gets to enjoy galloping on the racetracks and jumping schooling jumps at the horse shows. “One of my funniest moments was with Winston,” KK said. “I asked for a lead change and I fell off because I stepped out too hard and forgot I didn’t have stirrups.”

Looking Ahead

More recently, Karolina introduced KK to a friend who trains and shows jumpers, Marcus Grünthal. KK rode several of his horses at his barn, and had the opportunity to show one of the sales horses in jumper classes. KK found a love for the jumpers, which came as a surprise to her mother. “KK never used to like the speed,” Karolina said. “She never liked ponies or horses going forward, so this was a shock for everybody because the mare she was showing was super forward.”

Karolina purchased Revita Belu, aka Rosi, a 13-year-old imported Oldenberg mare, to be KK’s first jumper.  “She’s super fun,” KK said. “She reminds me of the horse I was catch riding in the jumpers.” Although they were not seriously looking to buy, Rosi impressed KK and Karolina during the trial with her sweet personality.

With her schedule constantly becoming busier, KK recently began a fully online private school, which allows her to have more freedom to ride and show. “She’s a straight-A student,” Karolina said. “A social life is really not her priority and never was. She always chooses horses over any play dates or birthday parties.”

When they aren’t together at a horse show, KK and Karolina enjoy skiing, ice skating and sledding in cold weather. “If I didn’t do riding or go to Florida in the winter, I would definitely be on a ski team,” KK said. When they have down time during the summer, they go to the lake for the day and take their boat out, go to a water park, or explore a new place. 

Looking ahead to KK’s Junior years, she hopes to continue showing ponies, while also trying jumpers, equitation and Junior hunters. Most importantly, KK and Karolina are excited to do what they love together each day.

“The most important thing is that we get to spend every day together,” Karolina said. “Life is too short and they grow up way too fast. I am very proud of her. Her hard work is paying off, and it’s not always easy, but she will do anything to make it work.”

Photos by Melissa Fuller, msfullerphotography.com

Photos taken at Merrifield Farm South in Ocala, Florida. Navy show coat, white and burgundy breeches and Navy Cheval Everyday sun shirt from Espoir; belt by BoyOBoy Bridleworks. Kaitlyn is sponsored by Espoir/Somerset Equestrian Trading.

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Breeding season is underway at Iron Spring Farm! W Breeding season is underway at Iron Spring Farm! We're proud to offer exceptional modern Sporthorse stallions, with wonderful temperaments and quality gaits to North American breeders.
 
Among our stallions are Cum Laude and Kaiman. Cum Laude (Apache x Weltmeyer) is a winning FEI horse and sire of quality dressage horses, breed show champions, and offspring scoring 9.0s on gaits.
 
Kaiman (Dark Pleasure x Gribaldi) earned high scores at his stallion testing and in the young horse classes. He's also the sire of a Licensed Oldenburg stallion. Kaiman's first North American foal crop is arriving now and they are gorgeous!
 
If you're looking for top international bloodlines please check out our 2023 stallion collection, now available fresh, frozen, and by the dose.

Among our stallions are Cum Laude and Kaiman. Cum Laude (Apache x Weltmeyer) is a winning FEI horse and sire of quality dressage horses, breed show champions, and offspring scoring 9.0s on gaits.

Breeding season is underway at Iron Spring Farm! We're proud to offer exceptional modern Sporthorse stallions, with wonderful temperaments and quality gaits to North American breeders.

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@iron_spring_farm 

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❗️George Williams column❗️ The FEI World ❗️George Williams column❗️
The FEI World Cup Final in Omaha is coming up quickly. That means that it’s starting to heat 
up as the end of the qualifying period for both the Western European League (WEL) and the 
North American League (NAL) nears. I started to write this column before the Amsterdam CDI- W, and I was using the FEI Ranking List from January 15 as a reference. As I sit down to finish 
my column, I’m now looking at the results from Amsterdam. While the list of the top contenders 
for the WEL hasn’t changed, they’re definitely moving around on the ranking list. The WEL has 
three more legs, as they’re referred to: Neumünster February 16–19, Goteborg February 23–26, 
and ’s-Hertogenbosch March 9–12, and they could change things dramatically.
Looking at the top 12 athletes from the WEL as they were ranked on January 15, there are five 
from Germany, three from the Netherlands and one each from Great Britain, Denmark

➡️Read Georges's full column by clicking the link in our bio, and never miss an article by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine 🦄 

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Lisa Goldman-Smolen and Ivaro N strike gold in Gre Lisa Goldman-Smolen and Ivaro N strike gold in Great American $300,000 Grand Prix at HITS Ocala!! 🏆🥇

Crowds filled the stands at the HITS Ocala Grand Prix Ring on Sunday afternoon to watch the world’s top athletes compete in the Great American $300,000 Grand Prix. The day concluded with a thrilling five-horse jump-off featuring athletes 
representing four countries. In the end, it was Lisa Goldman-Smolen (USA) and Ivaro N who produced the only double clear effort of the day, claiming one of the biggest wins of her career. Scott Keach (AUS) and Noble De La Chapelle earned the second-place prize with the fastest 4-fault jump-off, while Aaron Vale (USA) and Obi Wan placed third as the day’s pathfinders.

“I'm still on cloud nine, I still can't believe it – I’ve used up all my luck for the year,” smiled Goldman-Smolen after her win. “I've been knocking on the door a long time in these bigger classes. I am so proud of my horse – he gave every ounce of effort.”

Sunday’s Great American $300,000 Grand Prix marked the conclusion of the 2023 HITS Ocala circuit. HITS CCO Joe Norick concluded, “We are so excited about the new HITS, with 2023 as the launch. New footing, many new arenas here, and a lot of our facilities across America are getting a lot of love and new footing. Our partnerships with Worldly Martin and others across America including our footing leader Bart Poles overseeing our operations – it really makes a big difference for us. Today is about Ocala and these three riders sitting next to me who supported us this entire winter. We want to be a proud destination for our exhibitors and our friends. We know we have to provide them a beautiful showplace to work from that's horseman friendly, and that's our go goal. 

Congratulations to all of the riders, horses, owners, and groom who participated in this prestigious class!!! 🎉
📸 @esi_photography 
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It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is. It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is...

 ✨PF'S DIAMO BLUE✨
Diarado-Diamant de Semilly- Chacco Blue
17.0hh, Oldenburg International Hunter Derby/ Jumper Stallion
An outstanding Pedigree- Chacco Blue and Diamant de Semilly
WBFSH/ Rolex top ranking Jumping Sires 2017 thru 2022
Standing at Ryan Pedigo Sport Horses, in California

For more information, you can contact 
🖥Ryanpedigosporthorses.com
🖥Ryan.p.f@hotmail.com
☎️(714) 357-2714

You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

@ryanpedigosporthorsespf_

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