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We are pleased to introduce you to the dedicated people who work day in and day out to keep Legacy running smoothly...
- LAURI KIGER
position: owner/manager
specialty: considers herself a jack-of-all-trades
Lauri is the founder of Legacy Sport Horses. A dressage enthusiast, she feels that just one specialty is "dreadfully boring," and so can be found dabbling in just about anything on the property: she trains foals, handles breedings, teaches lessons, rides both jumpers and eventers, and pretends to have a clue what her hunters are doing. "I ride everything but western and hunters," she explains, "because I look really silly in a western saddle (no, really) and I just can't, for the life of me, understand hunters."
Lauri can be seen riding just about any horse at Legacy, but her favourite mount is her German Riding Pony gelding, Journey, with whom she won Olympic gold in 2007. She also regularly competes with Altara in level 6/7 jumpers, Malkieri in PSG/Int. I dressage, Tanzerin in PSG dressage, Kalaja in training dressage, and Azereos L in prospect halter classes.
- DERIAN KIGER
position: co-manager
specialty: stallions, higher-level jumpers and dressage horses
Not the talkative sort (and somewhat intimidating with his habit of wearing all black, all the time), Derian tends to fade into the background at Legacy, but that certainly doesn't say anything about his usefulness. His quiet assertiveness makes him a no-brainer as Legacy's main stallion handler. He's known for being the best person to handle Silverdown. "Silver respects him," says Lauri, "and he respects Silver. They're a great pair; if only he were small enough to ride Silver. But I assure you, I've seen that happen: it looks ridiculous."
Derian, like Lauri, can be seen riding any horse on the property--that is, any horse who can bear his 6-foot, three-inch frame--but he has his favourites. He has taken the energetic Thoroughbred mare Magic In The Air successfully through level 7 jumpers, and has been known occasionally to show a lower-level eventer. His biggest achievement has been reaching Intermediare I with his Oldenburg stallion, Rhapsody. Little known fact about Derian: he grew up competing in speed events on his uncle's cow ponies.
- HAYLIE KIGER
position: rider, constant presence
specialty: ponies, hunters, being everywhere at once
Growing up around horses ensures that Haylie, age thirteen, is a capable rider. She not-quite-jokingly attributes her skills to her feisty Riding Pony mare, Katja. "Kitty taught me to hang on and ride correctly," she says with a bit of a laugh. "Ride a pony who bucks you off every time you make a mistake, and you learn real fast not to make mistakes!" Although she says she'll always have a soft-spot for her first pony (with whom she now competes in High Pony Jumper classes), Haylie inherited her parents' tendencies to want to try every discipline. She claims she did NOT inherit Lauri's utter confusion regarding the hunter discipline, which seems to be true: in the beginning of 2009, Haylie became the youngest junior hunter on the Clip Clop circuit with her Oldenburg gelding Paradigm. She also competes in Large Pony Hunters with the Arabian pony stallion Sir Robin, Children's Jumpers with the Shagya mare Nostalgia, and has even begun eventing at the beginner-novice level with the Thoroughbred mare Beauty And Betrayal.
- MARK O'SHALE
position: assistant stallion manager
specialty: stallions
Mark is Derian's right-hand man in the stud barn and anywhere a gentle hand is needed. He has a knack for handling trouble horses, and is therefore who Lauri and Derian call when they need a patient handler. Although he usually works behind the scenes, making sure the daily care of the stallions goes without a hitch, he is also an accomplished rider, and competes in Intermediate Eventing and Level III dressage with the Dutch Warmblood stallion The Flying Dutchman.
- MACY O'SHALE
position: trainer
specialty: hunters
Lauri's lifelong best friend (and Mark's wife), it was a given that Macy would be involved with Legacy! Having years' worth of A-circuit experience from her teenage days, Macy brings invaluable hunter/jumper knowledge to the farm. She trains all of Legacy's hunters, and competes in the Regular Working division with Arabian stallion Silverdown and Trakehner mare Vienna.
- ANDREA LEE
position: trainer
specialty: eventers
Andrea's passion is combined training. She is a bold, confident rider who loves the thrill of a cross country run, and is therefore the perfect candidate to handle that aspect of Legacy's eventers' training. Her favourite mount is the Westphalian stallion Rhetorical, who competes at the Intermediate level, but she also regularly competes at the lower levels with Legacy's schooling mounts Boston and Truth Be Told.
- KARAI MARCANI
position: working student
specialty: eventers
Karai is Andrea's shadow. A recent high school graduate, Karai is taking time off before college, believing that hands-on experience is more valuable than any book education she could ever receive. She currently rides through Preliminary-level eventing. Her favourite mount is Bakari, whom she personally helped to train from a young jumper. Today, Bakari and Karai compete at the Preliminary level. Karai also has a soft spot for the lower-level mare Beauty and Betrayal, and enjoys competing her when Haylie is unavailable.
- ANNA BENTON
position: rider
specialty: Quidditch
Anna came to Legacy for one purpose: to ride the German Riding Pony mare Quidditch ("Keeper"). She and Keeper grew up together, and Anna claims they can read each other's thoughts when on a cross-country course. No one argues with that; the pair clearly has a connection! Anna is also convinced that Lauri is plotting to have her take a larger role at Legacy, as Lauri has developed a habit of claiming that she forgot to bring Keeper in and Anna should ride various other horses "just for the experience." So far, Anna has proven to be a capable rider for the ever-excitable Boston.
- LINDZEY BRYANT
position: rider
specialty: being cheerful
Lindzey came to Legacy as a hunter rider, and quickly earned herself a valuable place in Macy O'Shale's heart with her skillful riding of the small junior mare Rubina L. When Rubina L was sold, Lindzey had to decide: leave Legacy, or change disciplines? She decided to try eventing, and hasn't looked back. Lindzey currently competes at training level with Truth Be Told.
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