TORONTO – Kaitlyn Wagg remembers clearly the first time she made the trip from her hometown of Kenilworth to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
She was seven years old, and her love of horses was just starting to sprout – she hadn’t yet started riding, but enjoyed watching Heartland with her family at home.
Heartland star Amber Marshall would be at the Royal that year, and Wagg’s parents took her along to check things out. And she was enthralled.
When she saw women barrel racing, she thought, “Oh my gosh, that’s the coolest thing ever.”
She dreamed that one day, she’d be one of those cowgirls, racing around barrels on horseback.
And 13 years later, not only was Wagg out there in front of the crowd competing in one of Ontario’s most prestigious equestrian events, but she was shaking Marshall’s hand after winning first place.
Kaitlyn Wagg shakes hands with Royal emcee and Heartland star Amber Marshall. Submitted photo
“It feels very surreal,” Wagg said.
She won first place in both rounds of barrel racing, tying for first in the second round, and placed first overall for average time.
Wagg said her horse, Sadie, seems to love competing at the Royal, where crowds are “just electrifying.”
About 300,000 attend the fair each year, according to officials.
Wagg said hearing people cheer for her is probably one of Sadie’s favourite things, and the mare really feeds off the excitement in the air.
She said while many horses get overwhelmed by the big crowds at the Royal, Sadie stays super calm and “does her job so well.”
“That’s how you can tell that she loves it.”
Wagg doesn’t get too overwhelmed by the crowds either. She tries not to think about them and focus instead on the task at hand: getting around those barrels at top speed.
“It’s just me and my horse,” she said. “I don’t even really hear the cheering.”
Times are so close that every millisecond counts, Wagg said, so one small mistake could cost you the win.
Wagg works with standardbred horses in Arthur. Her employers Shannon and Trevor Henry told the Advertiser Wagg is “a very humble young lady.
“As her bosses we are so proud of her and absolutely think she needs to be recognized for this first place Royal buckle.”
As for what’s next, Wagg said she hopes to do more competing in the United States and at big rodeos such as the Calgary Stampede.
And she can see Sadie taking her to those new heights, as the 10-year-old horse is in her prime. But when it comes time for Sadie to slow down, Wagg is already working with a few younger horses she hopes will carry her on her next adventures.
