EquestrianStylist.com Founder, Ashley C. Cagle writes a personal experience from the Winter Equestrian Festival at the Wellington International‘s Week 11, the Leadline Finale.
It’s Week 11 for the Winter Equestrian Festival at The Wellington International Equestrian Center, and 1:00 PM starts the final Leadline class of the season right before the CSI4* $226,000 Bainbridge Companies Grand Prix, making it quite the spectacle at the International Ring. Trainers, parents, ponies, family and friends show up from all over to support the nation’s youngest riders.
Oh, how the memories started flooding back as I walked my 3-year-old daughter, Sage Cagle into the International ring on the small pony, Royal Symphony…
I grew up horse showing here as a little girl dating back to the early 90s… Wow, I feel quite old saying that! Back when there were only a couple of food trucks next to the rings, and only a handful of people would stay to watch the Grand Prix. There were only a few vendors scattered about, yet walking around always felt magical during “Winter Equestrian Festival Season”. Our friends would come in from up north we hadn’t seen in a year, and the camaraderie at the pony ring made us want to stick around until the very end of the day.
The “french crepe man” was a spot we frequented for snacks along with a family owned Chinese food stand with a giant wok out front sizzling with steam as they stirred the fried rice everyone craved. The hottest days during the winter felt like summer since we were wearing wool coats and breeches, with clear chinstrap helmets sans vents. Dedication was an understatement, especially since mom drove us up from Fort Lauderdale to compete here every weekend (with an occasional weekend off). I still remember driving the 42 miles back home after the Large Junior Hunter division, and then our trainer Jennifer Bieling calling us that afternoon telling us to come back in for the night class in the International Ring, a precursor to the “Saturday Night Lights” events. Remember when the International arena was a grass field?! Oh, those were “The good ole days”, and it all seems like it was just yesterday. But it still feels like home in a way, especially when I see many of the same faces either riding or training, and now bringing their children in to do the same. The equestrian sport continues, and just keeps growing…
Now, it all begins full-circle with my daughter Sage Cagle catching the riding bug. The Leadline class is the first division for the littlest riders. Unfortunately I didn’t get the opportunity to do this as a child, but so thrilled to share the experience with my first born.
The preparation for the Leadline event is on another level. Moms and Dads, not only thinking of ways to calm their nerves, but also have to think about nap times, snacks, babysitters for their other children, placing grandparents and friends in the stands, coordinating the pony / groom / trainer at the ring, and making sure the outfit is ready ahead of time (and fits!) Kids at this age grow so quickly that you never know if those paddock boots are going to be too tight on their toes the morning of this special class. Or, in our case, a matching bow went missing a few days before hand because little Sage decided to put it in “a special place”, (hehe). A huge thanks to Belle & Bow Equestrian for pulling off our last-minute requests.
Prepping the outfit ahead of time is key, however as you may know, kids grow SO fast at this age, so be sure to try everything on about a week out to be sure everything still fits. On Course Consignment in Wellington, Florida is a great consignment store that carries children’s equestrian apparel for any last-minute items you may need to buy, and it’s only a few miles away from the Wellington International.
Coordinating our whole “look” took some time, but starting with a color scheme really helps as a starting point and tie everything together. Sage’s favorite color is pink, so finding the right coordinating pinks was key. I knew I wanted a stand-out hat, and Christine A. Moore Millinery always has the best ones to choose from. So, I found a great dress that matched Sage’s pink “Belle” bows from Belle & Bow, and was able to coordinate the hat. The “Double Rose Toyo” Hat is a hand blocked paper toyo broad brim hat with two large, hand made silk roses. This has to be one of my favorite hats I’ve ever worn… not only was the color perfect, but it was so comfortable and really made our look stand out in the crowd.
The complete outfit listed below:
- Mom’s Hat: Double Rose Toyo by Christine A. Moore Millinery
- Mom’s Dress: Hill House Ellie Nap Dress in Mermaid
- Mom’s “tacking up” Shoes: Tulip by Ilse Jacobson in Platinum
- Mom’s “In the ring” Shoes: The Carolina in Flamingo by Charleston Shoe Co
- Mom’s Necklace: Charm necklace by La Enovese Designs
The complete outfit listed below:
- Child’s Helmet: XXS Ovation helmet
- Child’s Saddle: 12″ by Belle & Bow Equestrian
- Child’s Show Shirt: Belle & Bow
- Child’s Riding Jacket: Belle & Bow
- Child’s Paddock Boots: Belle & Bow
** Use code: TWINS 10 for 10% off at Belle & Bow
While some Leadline handlers dress up and some come dressed in riding attire straight from the another ring, ultimately it’s all about the littlest riders in the ring. The smiles, laughs, the waves and cheers from the crowd is what makes this class so special. It makes the parents’ hearts flutter and the child’s eyes light up as their magical pony dream comes true. Leadline at The Wellington International is unlike any other Leadline event because they get to show in the “big ring”, the International arena, where the Olympic level show jumpers compete each night during the Saturday Night Lights events and other Grand Prix’s on Sundays. Not many riders get to compete in this ring, so that’s what makes it even more special.
Walking next to the “Big Giant Jumps”, as little Sage (3) says, is an experience in itself. The littlest riders and ponies parading next to these fences is simply foreshadowing the future. Life goes by so fast, we have to remember not to take these moments for granted. Living in the moment. Soak up these little “wins” while they are so young – it’s not about the ribbons and trophies, it’s about the memories. While the preparation is quite massive for the Leadline class, it is SO worth it because these are the memories that will last a lifetime.
One moment these children are so small, but as the years pass by like seconds, they will be grown in the blink of an eye. Then in a flash, those big jumps won’t seem so big anymore.
I still remember the feeling getting to lead my little sister Amy around the International Arena at WEF for Leadline on my small pony “Cinnabon” back in the day, it was probably almost 30 years ago. It felt surreal back then, but now it’s on another level! Wow, thinking of that makes me feel really old… And now, as a mom myself, I can truly appreciate this event so much more. And woah, how this sport (and Wellington) has grown so much!
The adorable chestnut roan small pony, Royal Symphony, could not have been a better pony for this class. We really lucked out in picking the perfect match. So many ponies at the Winter Equestrian Festival have to be heavily prepared before entering this big ring — so many things to look at and potentially spook at. With having such littlest riders with little experience, it’s really important to make sure you have a very safe mount for the child even with someone leading the pony things can still go wrong. “Royal” came to the ring without any preparation, like he owned the place! He was absolutely perfect, and I really felt like he was smiling, too.
While this class was happening, jumps were being moved all over the ring to get set up for the Grand Prix. Tractors with trailers moving everything from poles to palm trees in the background can surely make any horse (and pony) a little nervous! However, “Royal” was very calm, and loved the job of posing with Sage. We walked a few times around, reversed, and halted in the ring according to the judge’s request. Each time we halted, he set himself up for the model – truly showing off. It really seemed like he had done this before.
While this isn’t a “judged” class, it still acts like one in terms of following directions. At the end of the class, everyone lines up in the center of the ring just like you would in a regular under saddle class while the prizes are awarded.
The final photo op at the Wellington International jump on the way out of the International arena. The smiles just kept getting bigger and bigger. Can’t wait to see what the future holds for this little girl in her equestrian journey… Special thanks to the entire village who made this event possible for us: Jimmy & Danielle Torano at Jet Show Equestrian / Jet Equestrian with Royal Symphony, Belle & Bow Equestrian, Christine A. Moore Millinery, “MiMi” Kathy Cline, Daddy Andrew Cagle, “Pop Pop” Dr. Robert Cline, Sage’s twin brother Sullivan, and younger sister Summer, Heather & Dwight Kuhl, and all of our supportive family and friends near and far.
There’s something about the love for a pony that will always make everyone smile, but when the little one’s smile is this big, you know you’ve got something really special. As I unpack the bag and clean the car full of crumbs and snacks, throw the laundry in the wash, run through the list of things to do in my head that come along with being a mom of three, I think i’ll just leave the dirt on those itty bitty paddock boots for a few days while I just continue to live on this high. Thankful for our great God for giving us this beautiful Sunday Blessing! Until next time, y’all!
Gallery of all of our images below courtesy of Kathy Cline Photography
