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3
Wednesday, March 25 2020 / Published in Sidelines Spotlight

Kayla Kadlubek: The Pipeline to Success

Kayla Kadlubek

By Ruby Tevis

Portraits by Melissa Fuller

When Kayla Kadlubek turned 16, her parents gave her a choice — she could get a car or she could get a new horse. In true equestrian fashion, Kayla chose the horse. That was four years ago, and now that Kayla’s 20, she’s reflecting on her success through the dressage Young Rider pipeline, participating in Lendon Gray’s Dressage4Kids program, medaling at North American Youth Championships and representing the United States with the USEF Young Rider European Tour. As Kayla prepares for her future as a trainer and international dressage rider, she recognizes the importance of participating in these development programs.

Kayla with Perfect Step, known as Percy, a Grand Prix Hanoverian gelding.

Like many equestrians, Kayla’s journey started at a week-long horse camp in her hometown of Fairfax Station, Virginia. At just 8 years old, Kayla was hooked on horses and began riding as often as she could. A few years later, she acquired her first horse, Magoo, an Andalusian-Thoroughbred cross aptly named for his goofy personality. “I couldn’t have asked for a better first horse because I got to do a little bit of everything with him,” she said.

Together, Kayla and Magoo participated in almost every program the United States Pony Club offered. “Growing up in Pony Club was very educational and has been a huge asset to my riding. It gave me such a good base of knowledge — much more than just tacking my horse up and riding each day,” she said.

Pony Club offered opportunities for her to try many disciplines and eventually fall in love with dressage. “Magoo helped me find my love for dressage, mainly because I was tired of falling off every time I tried to jump him,” Kayla laughed. “One time, he stopped at a jump with hay bales underneath and took a big bite of the hay.” From then on, Kayla focused on dressage and never looked back.

Dressage4Kids and Perfect Step

Kayla became involved in Olympian Lendon Gray’s program Dressage4Kids in 2015. After a successful season competing at second and third level with her 16th birthday gift, Freewill, Kayla was accepted into the Winter Intensive Training program (WIT), a three-month training program for young riders in Florida. Kayla has participated as a student for two years, and recently spent the past season as a teaching assistant to help younger students in the program.

“The experience was life changing!” Kayla said. “Through the program, Lendon provided us with a lot of opportunities, but it’s up to each participant to make the most of any given opportunity. I did my best to take advantage of every opportunity I could. I don’t know where else I could’ve had access to the talent, knowledge and resources that I had at WIT.”

Due to a generous donation from Suzanne Dansby, and Lendon Gray matching the horse and rider, Kayla and Perfect Step are now partners

Kayla credits her success as a junior competing at NAYC, where she won team bronze and team silver, to her preparation in Lendon’s program. “After being in WIT, I had this mentor in Lendon that I could reach out to for advice and to share my successes and failures. Lendon cares so much about building the youth pipeline,” she said.

Though WIT opened many doors for Kayla, it was her constant dedication to improvement that shined bright, and this caught Lendon’s attention. “I got an email from Lendon saying she might have a nice Grand Prix horse being donated and she asked me if I was interested. Of course, I said yes!” Kayla said. “I don’t know how Lendon makes her selection of matching riders and donated horses, but after having me in the WIT program twice, Lendon knew I had big goals and was willing to work hard. I just didn’t have the right horse.”

Due to the generous donation from Suzanne Dansby, Kayla was matched with Perfect Step, a Grand Prix Hanoverian gelding. After chatting over email, Kayla was invited to try Perfect Step, affectionately known as Percy. Despite Kayla’s nerves over making a good impression, the introduction went well and Suzanne chose to send Percy home with Kayla. “I’m incredibly grateful to Lendon and Suzanne for giving me this amazing opportunity to learn from such an amazing horse,” she said.

Equipped with a capable schoolmaster, Kayla immediately dove in to preparations for her first year as a Young Rider. “It’s a big step from Juniors to Young Riders. Percy was helpful in the transition because he knew all the movements. He taught me what a good canter pirouette should feel like and how to get a fluid half pass zig-zag. There was also a huge mental factor involved. I was in a whole new ball game competing against people I looked up to,” Kayla said. “It was intimidating putting on my tailcoat for the first time, but thankfully I had a great support system to help with the transition.”

Kayla became involved in Olympian Lendon Gray’s program Dressage4Kids in 2015 — which turned out to be a lifechanging experience. Lendon matched Percy with Kayla and has also given Kayla a teaching assistant position at Lendon’s Winter Intensive Training program.

Dancing in Europe

Kayla’s dream of competing internationally came true early on in her career. After taking two bronze medals with Perfect Step at the NAYC in 2018, the pair was selected to travel abroad through the 2019 USEF Young Rider European Tour. “Europe was one of the best experiences of my life,” she said. “I felt a lot of pride getting to ride for my country.”

Based out of Jewel Court Stud in Wuustwezel, Belgium, the Young Rider team prepared for six  weeks of tough competition throughout Europe. Though she was halfway across the world, she never lacked family support. In fact, her father stayed with her through the tour while her mother and brother flew in for her shows in Compiegne and Hagen.

“I’ve never been more nervous than when I was going down centerline for the first time in Compiegne,” Kayla said. “Knowing I was chosen to represent my country was always present in my mind. I ended up doing better than I thought I would, which boosted my confidence for the rest of the tour. At the end of the day, it’s the same 20 x 60 sand box — only it’s in a different country.”

Upon returning home, Kayla rode with her newfound confidence into the NAYC, where she took home team gold, individual bronze and silver in the freestyle. Then just two weeks later, she competed at the Festival of Champions where she was named champion in the Young Rider division. “Europe played a huge role in my preparedness,” she said. “I was able to gain so much confidence in Europe that it felt like any other show. I got to watch European riders and see how they ride their tests. They go for a lot of power to get higher marks to balance out something that isn’t as good in the test. I brought this approach to my tests and the difference started to show.”

Kayla’s dream of competing internationally came true early on in her career. After taking two bronze medals with Perfect Step at the NAYC in 2018, the pair was selected to travel abroad through the 2019 USEF Young Rider European Tour.

A Head Start on the Future

Kayla’s not wasting any time as she prepares for the future. For her career, Kayla plans to become a trainer, and she’s recently been developing her abilities to coach others through a teaching assistant position at WIT.

After seeing Lendon at a show over the summer, Kayla mentioned her hopes of trying something new for the winter. “Lendon knows I want to be a trainer. She offered me this position to start developing my teaching skill set,” Kayla said. “I was beyond excited for the opportunity, since I’ve found I enjoy teaching the younger riders. It’s fun getting to be a part of the improvements of my students, and working with them helps me understand things that I could also be doing better.”

As both Percy and Freewill are reaching their late teens, Kayla has decided to put college on hold to focus on dressage. “For now, my parents and I agreed to take this time and focus on this competition year and my development as an instructor,” she said. “My parents are my biggest supporters. I’m eternally thankful for their sacrifices and all they’ve done and are doing to help me achieve my goals. I couldn’t do any of this without them.”

While Kayla’s focused on all things dressage, she recognizes the importance of taking breaks. “Having downtime to myself is when I can recharge,” she said. “I enjoy reading, playing piano and spending time with friends and family doing activities that don’t involve horses. I think it’s important to find something that takes my mind away from horses every once in a while. Otherwise, I’ve seen how this sport can burn a person out.”

Currently, Kayla’s training with George Williams as she works toward her goal of qualifying for the 2020 Young Rider European Tour and her last NAYC. “One thing I like to stress to our up-and-coming youth athletes is the importance of developing a good basic dressage foundation,” George said. “Kayla is an excellent example of someone who has the foundation, has talent, has the right attitude, works hard and was able to make the most of the opportunity of getting the ride on a terrific horse through the Dressage4Kids program.”

Eventually, Kayla plans to compete in the U25 division and become a senior team rider for the United States. “We all know luck can play a role with horses, but from what I’ve observed, Kayla sets goals and has the drive and talent necessary to achieve them,” George said. “In my opinion, she can go as far as she’d like in this sport.”

Photos by Melissa Fuller, msfullerphotography.com

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Tagged under: Dressage4Kids, Kayla Kadlubek, lendon gray, ruby tervis

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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 🦄 

#horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #equestrianlife #horselove #dressage #horselover #instahorse #love #cheval #showjumping #horselife #photography #nature #pferde #horseofinstagram #caballo #riding #horsebackriding #pferdeliebe #caballos #horsepower #horsephotography #instagram #Sidelinesmagazine
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 
#horseshow #horses #horse #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horseriding #horselove #horsestagram #instagram #showjumping #equestrianlife #equine  #horsebackriding #dressage #horselife #pony #of #horserider #horseshoe #horsemanship #horseshowlife #riding #instahorse #horseaddict #horseofinstagram #sidelinesmagazine
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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Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses—in a way, she was born into her career. She grew up in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, where her parents ran a farm. Her mother taught, and her father had a jump business and then created one of the first horse show software programs: Ryegate Show Services, Inc.

Riding all her life, Annette spent many years as a groom and loved it, but knew it wasn’t what she wanted to do as a career. After she finished college, Annette’s father recruited her to help process entries at Ryegate. Since her father, Lloyd Longenecker, founded it in 1981, Ryegate has provided show management and office staff for some of the largest shows in the country. Now, Annette has taken over from her father and directed the company as it focuses on managing memberships and rankings for organizations such as the North American League, WIHS Championships and Equitation, Rolex/USEF Computer Ranking and National Medal Series (THIS NCM and Ariat NAM). Ryegate also provides scoring software for use with video walls, and production teams for hunter and jumper shows.

“Besides running Ryegate Show Services and its various organizations, I can be found in the show office, running a scoreboard or judging jumpers at most shows,” Annette said. “I love getting to wear a few different hats at the show.”

When she’s not busy at a show, Annette lives in Annville, Pennsylvania, with her “fur-baby,” Maggie Mae, and enjoys spending time with her many godchildren. Though she doesn’t currently own any horses, Annette rides when she can at Rolling Acres Farm with Patty Foster, Ashley Foster-Worthington and Mary Lisa Leffler.

Read this month unbridled with Annette Longenecker by clicking the link in our bio. Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine! 🦄
📸Photo by Sheryl Sutherby

#horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #equestrianlife #horselove #dressage #horselover #instahorse #love #cheval #showjumping #horselife #photography #nature #pferde #horseofinstagram #caballo #riding #horsebackriding #pferdeliebe #caballos #horsepower #horsephotography #instagram #Sidelinesmagazine
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