By Laura Scaletti
Photos by Melissa Fuller
In Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch,” we learned, “Ohana means family. Family means no one gets left behind.” When it comes to sharing the magic of horses, Kimberly Dey made sure that even though her daughters, 17-year-old Kingsley and 13-year-old Kendall, were born in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in Hawaii, they didn’t miss out on the opportunity to be equestrians.
An avid rider on both the USHJA and the Quarter Horse circuit as well as the 2000 AQHA Amateur Working Hunter World Champion, Kimberly had ponies for her daughters to ride from the start. Raised in Hawaii until 2016, both girls had easy access to all things horses with the family owning a farm on the island.
“My mom never got to ride ponies, since she started riding in earnest as an adult, so when Kingsley was born, she bought her a pony right away,” Kendall said. “When I was born, she bought me a pony as well.”
Unfortunately, even though the Dey family farm was situated in a picturesque location, with a beautiful view of the Ko’olau Mountains, with a covered ring, outdoor ring and huge field, Kingsley wasn’t interested in horsing around on a regular basis. “Anytime my mom would mention going to the farm to ride, I would start crying. The only time I would go was when my mom promised my pony would be dressed head to tail in purple: polo wraps, saddle pad, bell boots, reins, braids, the whole shebang,” Kingsley said.
Kendall, on the other hand, was always eager to join in trips to the barn. “Since I was born, my mom had been bringing me to the barn and giving me pony rides at our farm in Hawaii, but I was too young to really pursue it much further,” Kendall said.
Mainland Moves
In 2016, Kingsley and Kendall moved to New York so their mother could take care of her ailing father. The following year, both girls began riding and they haven’t stopped since.
It was the younger sister, Kendall, who came up with the idea that they should take riding lessons and insisted Kingsley take them with her. “I had seen a barn named Hunters Moon as we drove around town and begged my mom to take me for a lesson. I also ended up dragging my sister along to the barn with me, despite her not wanting to go,” Kendall said. “After that first lesson with Pamela Polk, we both fell in love and continued to go back for lessons.”
After two years in New York, the Dey family moved to Wellington, Florida, so the girls could focus more on horses. While in Wellington, the family had their own farm and worked with their private trainer, Molly Sewell.
With an 18-year-old brother, Charles, also in the mix, the Dey family was on the move again in 2020 to New Hampshire so Charles could pursue his hockey ambitions. While in New Hampshire, both Kendall and Kingsley tried their hands at reining. However, hunters and equitation always reigned supreme for them.
“I started my riding career in the hunters. It was easier to learn the ropes as it’s a slower and calmer division. When I was 13, I competed my hunter in my first-ever equitation class,” Kingsley said. “My trainer entered me because she thought I would excel and that I naturally had good equitation.”
Since Kendall was doing the Short Stirrup, she’d watched Kingsley in the equitation ring and was always intrigued by it. “It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I knew once I moved off ponies I wanted to be in the Big Eq ring too. I’ve found that I enjoy doing the intricate courses that come with equitation rather than the simpler hunter courses,” Kendall said.
It was while they were in the Northeast that Kingsley and Kendall began working with Chrissie Kear and Ken and Emily Smith at Ashland Farms in Lexington, Kentucky. The girls got closer to the Lexington-based farm when they moved once again in 2022 to Nashville so Charles could continue to live his hockey dreams. As a result, he was recruited to play for the Nashville Jr Predators.
Juggling Act
With the barn in Lexington and home in Nashville, it quickly became difficult for the girls to attend school in person. “When we’re home in Tennessee, we’re not able to ride, so we do end up traveling for long periods of time to train and show. A couple of years ago we made the switch to online school. That’s made keeping up with my education a lot easier while traveling for riding,” Kingsley said.
Kendall takes advantage of the online school situation to schedule her work to times that are less busy for her. “I tend to work ahead when I know I will be showing or traveling so I don’t need to worry about getting as many assignments done on show days,” Kendall said.
In addition to working hard in the virtual classroom, the girls work hard while in the saddle. They both credit their trainer Chrissie Kear with shaping them into the equestrians they are today. “Chrissie has shown me the ropes of riding and how to really excel at it,” Kendall said.
Kingsley agrees that Chrissie has a big impact on her riding career. “Her knowledge about the sport shows through her coaching,” Kingsley said.
But as much as the girls love and respect Chrissie, they longed for a smaller barn atmosphere. In June, after careful consideration, they relocated to Kelly and Tim Goguen’s Boggs Hill Farm. They’re excited about what the future holds with Kelly, and look forward to continuing to build on the foundation that Chrissie helped set.
Family Affair
The Dey sisters have been on their riding journey together since day one, when Kendall convinced Kingsley to take that first lesson together. Although Kendall was the one who got them into the sport, it’s Kingsley who inspires her younger sister every day.
“I’ve always looked up to Kingsley for her excellent riding and the way she perseveres through any troubles she may face, on or off the horse. Having her by my side as we both progress and grow is something I will always treasure,” Kendall said. “Whether I’m going into the ring at finals or walking into a warmup round, looking down and seeing her standing beside me gives me an extra boost of confidence every time.”
Both Kingsley and Kendall love doing the sport as a family and being able to make memories together. “Watching Kendall ride to fifth place at USEF Pony Medal Finals is definitely a special memory for me. Being with her throughout the process and seeing what it took to get there made the whole experience that much better,” Kingsley said. “Even as competitive as I am, watching my sister grow and succeed is just as important to me as my own success.”
While the girls always support each other in their show-ring endeavors, Kendall’s favorite family riding memory is from when she was 7 years old on an “off day” at the Lake Placid Horse Show. On a scorching hot summer day, the girls wanted to take the ponies on an adventure outside of the ring.
“We decided to venture into a stream that was on the horse show grounds. We were riding bareback in shorts, a t-shirt and flipflops. Once we made it through the woods to the stream, I happily went right into the water atop my pony. Although it took Kingsley’s pony a little bit longer to decide the water was OK, he eventually went in,” Kendall said. “We splashed along in the water with our ponies with my mom and trainer at the time alongside us. It was one of the best times we’ve had together!”
Next Steps
Currently both Kingsley and Kendall can be found competing in the equitation ring. Kingsley competes her horses Jones and Joker De Fallonge in the WIHS, Dover Medal, ASPCA Medal and USHJA Medal. Kendall is currently leasing Horseware Diadini and competing in the 3’3” equitation classes.
The sisters also have a young horse, George, that Kingsley is making up for Kendall while competing in the 3’6” Large Junior Hunters and stepping into the Big Eq ring from time to time. “George might end up being my equitation horse, but he’s very young and not ready for me yet,” Kendall said.
With Kingsley committed to join the University of Georgia Equestrian team in the fall of 2025, the girls are soaking up every minute they have left together on this equestrian journey they share. “I think it’s going to be a big change not having Kingsley around. She’s been with me every step of the way, so her absence will take some getting used to. I’ll miss our off-day adventures and her company at the show ring,” Kendall said. “I can’t wait to go and support her at the Georgia riding meets!”
Kingsley is looking forward to experiencing the sport at the NCAA team level. “Being with people who are competing and working toward the same goal together is something that makes me excited,” she said.
As Kingsley looks toward her last Junior years, she has a long-term goal of winning an equitation final. “Right now, I want to become as consistent as possible with my rounds. Being able to keep a cool head, go in and lay down solid rounds, consistently, is important to me,” she said. Kendall also has her eyes on equitation finals, as she wants to qualify for the THIS National Children’s Medal Finals and 3’3” equitation finals.
Throughout the journey, while the ribbons and accolades were numerous, what’s meant the most to Kingsley and Kendall are the memories they’ve created together. “I’m so grateful to be able to live this kind of lifestyle, traveling around the country and experiencing all of this with my horses and family,” Kendall said.
Follow Kingsley on IG @kingsley.dey and Kendall @kendall._.dey
Photos by Melissa Fuller, melissafullerphotography33.mypixieset.com
