From a young age, Kaleigh loved all sorts of animals. However, horses weren’t always the focus.
Obsessed with having any pet of her own, Kaleigh asked for a hamster, then a turtle, then a rabbit, then a
bird (the list goes on), until her father made the mistake of jokingly saying “you could have a pony if you
could pay for it”. And with that, Pandora's box was opened. The next 6 months consisted of young
Kaleigh’s adorable but delusional fundraising in hopes of buying herself a horse. Eventually reality set
in... but it didn’t take long for Kaleigh to receive a pack of riding lessons for her 10th birthday.
From there, nothing could stop horses from consuming her life. A pack of lessons lead to joining
a full lesson program and pony club. Then it was years and years of partboarding until getting her first full
lease just last year. So many incredible horses along the way turned Kaleigh into the rider she is today.
Two pesky ponies made up her early days, giving her a sticky seat and teaching her to persevere. When
she sadly outgrew them, Kaleigh discovered her love for off the track thoroughbreds. Countless ottbs
provided teachings on patience, empathy, determination, and good horsemanship. It was her first lease, a
fiery ottb mare, who Kaleigh credits most for her riding abilities.
That mare also brought Kaleigh to the same barn as Equestrian For Everyone founder and owner,
Jennifer Crawford. Jenn and Kaleigh barely knew each other. That is, until Jenn approached Kaleigh with
the opportunity of a lifetime: catch-riding her horse, Beau, on the Angelstone circuit. Previous to this past
season, Kaleigh had an extremely small show record. Showing Beau made a dream come true, all thanks
to Jenn’s incredible generosity. The opportunity also introduced Kaleigh to the amazing organization that
is EFE and gave her the privilege of being involved in such a great cause.
Now 16, Kaleigh’s love for horses is stronger than ever. With big goals in the eventing world,
Kaleigh works hard to support her dreams. She is currently looking to lease or purchase her next horse.
She balances 3 jobs on top of highschool in order to help fund her horsey habits. In her spare time, she
enjoys writing, reading, and making pointillism art pieces. Her many hobbies, jobs, and commitments
have formed a responsible, mature, and practical young horse woman; a far cry from the little girl who
believed lemonade stand money would buy her a pony. Above all, Kaleigh is grateful to have an
incredible support network—including the aforementioned father who, despite getting far more than he
bargained for, has done everything in his power to fulfill Kaleigh’s equestrian dreams.
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