Page 76 - Equine Chronicle August Select 2020

a star on the rise - Kayla Budine
It seems that showing was in Kayla’s DNA, and she progressed from her pony to her mom’s show horses, then her own horses, continuing the family legacy now as a newly minted amateur. After learn- ing the ropes and finding success at local and regional shows, Kayla rode with trainer Nancy Sue Ryan. She remembers her time with Nancy Sue fondly, “Nancy Sue was a big part of me learning how to show properly. She made me into a great showman as well.” She rode with Liz and Cole Baker from 2015-2017, earning a Reserve Championship at the 2016 AQHA Congress, and, in 2015 and 2017, she was Top 3 at the Congress. She also earned an NSBA bronze trophy in 2017. Kayla says, “Liz and Cole helped me learn and progress so much in my riding. I’m very grateful to them.”
Kayla and her horse, Vinn Diesel
track team. In 2014, she was honored by her coaches with the “Mustang Award.” She recalls, “This award was given to me for being dedicated, hard-working, and a team leader.” In 2015, she was a standout member of the Oakdale High School track team. “In the Spring of 2015, I ran for the Oakdale High School Track & Field team and won our Valley Oak League Championship for long jump and was reserve for triple jump. In order to win these awards, I had to show up to practice every day willing to work my hardest on all of my events,” she says. After graduating from Oakdale High, Kayla attended Mesa Community Col- lege in San Diego for two years, working toward a major in Business Administra- tion. Now based in Arizona, Kayla is at- tending community college for one more semester before transferring to Arizona
Now riding with multiple Congress
and World Champion trainer Stacy Huls, Kayla has managed to balance a stellar career in the show pen with an active school and athletic life. The daughter of Marcie McClenon and Matt Budine, Kayla also has an older brother, Austin, and a new little brother, Caiden. Although she loved growing up in a small town, she al- ways had her sights set on bigger things. She explains, “Oakdale, California is a small town and everyone knows everyone there. It’s nice growing up in a small town, but it also made me want to adventure out, travel, and live in different places.” While her mother encouraged horseback riding, her father encouraged in- volvement in other sports. Kayla says, “My dad got me into sports like cheer and track, and I’m also thankful for that, as well. My dad is part owner of my horses. He has been so supportive, and he’s always willing to help Stacy and me. I’ve always had a busy schedule when it comes to sports, especially when I was in high school. I’m a very active person, and I can only thank my parents for that and for always supporting me in whatever I do.”
With her parents’ encouragement, Kayla turned her boundless energy toward her chosen sports: horses, cheerleading, and track. In addition to her achievements in the show pen, Kayla’s athletic involvement allowed her to expand her world outside Oakdale while achieving impressive results. When she was in eighth grade, Kayla’s cheerleading
team, the California Allstars, won at the National Cheer Association Competi- tion. Today’s cheerleaders are supreme athletes in a sport that has become a de- manding specialty, requiring strength, talent, and discipline. Kayla recalls that win saying, “This was an amazing ac- complishment for all of us because we worked hard for the title that we re- ceived. In the process of earning this award, I have come to learn many ele- ments of teamwork.”
While attending Oakdale High School, Kayla was on the cheerleading squad and was also a member of the
State University. She has her sights set firmly on a future includ- ing horses and competition, saying, “I’m planning to also get my real estate license while I’m still in community college. My goals for the future are to be a successful real estate agent so I can carry on with showing horses and any other activities I love to do.”
Those other activities include traveling, boating with friends and family, and enjoying water sports. While she enjoyed her days of running track and cheering in high school, Kayla chose to con- centrate on her studies and her horses in college. She explains, “I just decided to focus on showing once I got out of high school be- cause it was the activity that I enjoyed most.” With her dedication and focus on her horses and show career, Kayla is enthusiastic about her future, including competing with her talented horses–a 3-year-old Congress Champion mare, Made In The South (Quince), and her senior Congress Champion and Amateur horse, Vinn Diesel (Gus). Kayla says, “Stacy is a fabulous horse trainer, and I love how honest she is with her clients. She’s so hardworking and positive. I can’t wait to see where this team will go this year. I’m super-confident with where we’re going.”
With Huls as her coach and her mother and grandmother as her role models, Kayla is on track for an exciting future in the saddle. Although she and Marcie will be focused on different competition
goals and show schedules, the family bond is strong. Kayla still looks up to her mother, saying, “My mom is a big inspi- ration when it comes to showing! I love watching her show even though we don’t get to see each other as often as we used to. She has taught me quite a bit when it comes to riding and horses, and I’m so thankful for that. We always find ways to support each other at every horse show even if we aren’t physically there with each other.”
The future looks bright for this young equestrian and her talented horses.
Marcie and Kayla
70 - August/September, 2020