Addie’s Big Day with Peaches

By Kayla Ross

I’ve said before that it’s pretty special sharing the love of horses with your hero - my dad - I didn’t think I’d be able to top that feeling but now seeing my daughter's eyes light up around horses the same way mine did as a little girl is a whole new feeling of incredible. 

At just 2.5 years old, my daughter is already finding her own little place in the world of horses. Shortly after her first ride on Peaches I knew this hobby was likely going to stick and I was raising a little horse girl. The joy on her face when she got to sit in the saddle alone was contagious and brought me back to home videos and photos of myself at that age with the same look of happiness in my face. She’s watched her mom go to shows since she was 6 months old, asking to sit in the saddle with me and walk around on my horse Major, but this weekend it was her turn to shine in the leadline class!  

It was impossible not to smile ear-to-ear seeing all the little cowboys and cowgirls with their snap shirts and blue jeans being led around on their own little ponies. The concentration on the task at hand was short-lived with the excitement of the outside fair. You could hear one little boy go “look Mom, Kubota tractors”, another comments on the snacks, and Addie follows suit by excitedly commenting on a bouncy castle she sees in the distance. I think the judge noticed this, and called everyone into the middle to ask them their ponies names and got them to back their horses up - this was Addie's favourite part! 

There will be early mornings, dusty boots, nervous excitement, lots of encouragement, and hopefully a whole lot of fun. More than anything, I’m looking forward to watching her experience it all and making a memory that we’ll both look back on someday. It’s not about the ribbons or how we place. It’s about the two of us, side by side, doing something we love. Here’s to Addie's first show - I hope this is just the beginning of many rides, adventures, and memories together. And to the moms trying to balance it all - you can do it