From Baby Days to Show Days

ridesawayblog

Oct 5

2 min read

By Kayla Ross

After having my second baby in June, I never expected to be back in the saddle just a couple of weeks postpartum, let alone walking into the show pen a month later. There’s something addicting about show season, especially for someone like me who grew up in competitive sports — the early mornings, the training rides with an end goal in sight, the hours spent ringside with like-minded people, and pumping milk so my husband could watch the kids while I put in the hours in the saddle. Somehow, it’s all worth it.

For me, 2026 was a season of trying something a little different and spending more time learning the art of the ranch horse. It was about stepping outside my comfort zone, putting in the work, and finding a new appreciation for a different and more practical side of the western world.

We spent the season showing in ranch classes—a style of western showing that is rooted in the way a good ranch horse should move and work. The ranch classes are meant to showcase a horse that looks like it could leave the arena and go to work on the ranch. These classes can include events such as Rail classes, and pattern classes like: Horsemanship, Ranch Riding, Ranch Trail, and Ranch Reining. In ranch riding and horsemanship, horses are judged through a predetermined pattern that demonstrates their transitions, gaits, and responsiveness. Ranch trail adds obstacles that test a horse’s willingness, control and ability to navigate different situations. Sometimes those situations can include the terrifying slicker, the log drag that sounds like you’re being chased by a very angry beast, or the suspiciously life-like fake animals in the ring that your horse is absolutely convinced are plotting his demise.

Judges are looking for a horse that is willing, responsive and balanced, with natural-looking movement rather than an overly mechanical performance. They consider things like the quality of the gaits, transitions, manners, responsiveness to the rider and how naturally the horse carries itself through the pattern.

The 2026 season was about learning, improving, enjoying the process, and being patient with myself. After watching me on the sidelines, my daughter Addie got to experience her first show day doing the lead line class, and both my daughters got to see that they can do anything they set their minds to, even in the future when they welcome a family of their own.

There were good rides, challenging rides, lessons learned and plenty of moments that reminded us why we love being on horseback in the first place. At the end of the day, the ribbons are nice, but the real reward is the partnership built along the way. The judges critiques from the shows give me a list of things to work on, and goals to achieve during the long Canadian winters while waiting for the 2027 show season to begin!