From the moment Kailey King-Hale could walk, she was riding. Whether she was astride a horse with her mom or grandparents, or on the ground aboard a spring-loaded rocking horse, her life has always been intertwined with the horse world. Hailing from a family that has been training horses since the 1950s, Kailey combined the art of riding cow horses, reining horses and now ranch horses to create her unique style. Showing horses quickly became a passion for her as she pursued her dreams of being a top competitor. Through the ups and downs of it all, her family has encouraged her to keep chasing her dreams.
Growing up in a horse family with the care of the horse at the forefront of their minds built a special bond for Kailey and her horses. The horses helped her to build a strong sense of responsibility and care for others from a young age. “You learn things quicker about taking care of something larger than yourself and those beings you have to put before your own needs,” she reflects. While her first memory of riding is a bit hazy, she was only two years old after all, she vividly recalls her first showpen experience. At six years old, Kailey stepped into the showpen for the first time. She was mounted on a notoriously hot horse called Runnin On MT. Despite the horse’s tendencies to dance around for open riders, Runnin On MT understood his role of being a packer for the day and cruised around nicely for Kailey. “I think we marked a 6.85.” It most likely was a lot of ‘cute’ points but it was the run that had me hooked in reining,” she says.
A sweet sorrel mare named Little Ilean came in to Kailey’s life to advance her as a rider and to help bring her competition to the next level. Little Ilean may have been tiny in stature, but the mare was mighty at heart. When she gave her all to Kailey, the two were unstoppable, but Kailey had to put in the work to garner respect from her mare. “When she was on, no one could touch us, but when she decided otherwise, we just hoped for good stopping photos,” she shared with a laugh. Little Ilean help form Kailey into the rider that she is today, preparing her for the highs and lows that naturally come with showing horses. Kailey learned to never give up and to work with her horse to find a way to allow her to be the best that she can. Their youth career culminated with an dream coming true of placing fourth at the AQHA Youth World Championship Show.
When it was time to head to college, Kailey made the choice to stay close to home and pursue a sociology degree from CSU Long Beach. Once she completed her degree, she was faced with the choice of helping run her family’s commercial construction sales business or continue school to earn her master’s degree and become a professor. The choice was simple as Kailey found her perfect career within the family business. Working alongside her family allowed her to work remotely, which is ideal for maintaining her horse show schedule. However even though she can work remotely, doesn’t mean it comes easy. She has mastered the balancing act of working at horse shows while giving both work and her horse the best of her time. “Juggling is not for the faint of heart,” she says, laughing about the number of times that she has thrown her phone to a friend as she walks into the pen and asked them to take any call that comes through. “Tell them I’m in a meeting and I will call them back!”
Kailey has a great support system that includes her husband, mom, dad and barn family. She and her husband Daniel met in high school; however, he wasn’t completely privy to the showing scene until they got engaged. “Up until we were engaged, he really didn’t see that much of the horse show life. He knew about the long days/nights but never understood what it took to be up for 18+ hours at shows until we were married. Daniel is truly a gift and helps out so much.” He and her mom are always there to meet her at the back gate with a smile and a word of support regardless of the outcome.
Reining is more than a passion for Kailey, it is in her blood as something that will always be a part of who she is. With deep roots in the sport stemming from her family, she is determined to carry on the legacy. This year Kailey will take he dreams to new heights as she competes at The Run For A Million with her current horse, Gotta Have Style. They two spent last year getting to know each other and have been racking in the accolades left and right this year. “I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to compete on such a stage as TRFAM,” she said with excitement about facing the deepest set of competition she’s gone against to date. She has been putting in the work both at home and in the show pen to prepare herself mentally and physically for the tough competition and she is ready.
Aside from giving it her all in Vegas, Kailey and Gotta Have Style will be looking to deliver top notch performances at The High Roller Reining Classic and The Best of the West. Her goal is to add money to her mare’s record and improve as a team with each ride. Her advice to fellow amateurs on this crazy journey with horses is simple: “Just keep swimming.” She knows that it can be stressful to compete at the highest level while maintaining work and home life, but if you take it one day at a time and know what your ultimate goal is, it will all be worth it in the end. With every ride, Kailey continues to honor her family’s legacy of being great horsewomen.
By Lauren Crivelli
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