The Candy Lane Acres IEA Team . From left to right : Claire Rockacy ( Pine- Richland ), Katie Finley ( North Allegheny ), Madelyn Trebilcock ( Pine-Richland ), Jacqueline Chalifoux ( North Allegheny ), Chelsie Stair ( Coach )
Jacqueline began riding horses when she was just 6 years old . “ My mother used to ride horses when she was young ,” she explains , “ so she signed my sister and me up for horse camp at Candy Lane .” Jacqueline began taking regular lessons year-round when she was 11 years old and has been riding routinely for almost two years .
At this year ’ s Nationals , she rode in the Future Beginner category on the Flat class , which is for riders in Grades 6 through 8 who have been competing in IEA for one to two years . “ Riding at Nationals was one of the best experiences of my life ,” says Jacqueline . “ It was a lot of fun to watch all the amazing riders from across the country , and see all the different horses at the show . The venue was very professional and it was exciting to ride there .”
Katie Finley , 12 , also attends Marshall Middle School . She is the daughter of Chris and Amy Finley , and participates in the school choir .
Katie has loved horses since she was 3 years old , and began riding them at 5 . “ I ’ ve always loved animals . When I was younger , I often played with animal figures , particularly Breyer horses ,” she says .
“ I was so happy to qualify individually for Nationals because this is the first year I was eligible to participate in IEA ,” she notes . Katie competed in the Future Novice Over Fences Cross-Rails division and placed 5th out of the top 18 riders nationwide . “ The horse I drew was frisky when we started our course ,” she says . “ But luckily he settled down after the first jump and then we had a nice ride — a memory I will never forget !”
Pine-Richland ’ s Claire Rockacy , 13 , is the daughter of Wendy and Doug Rockacy and was introduced to horse riding by chance . “ About seven years ago , my friend invited me to her horse-themed birthday party at Candy Lane Acres where I instantly fell in love with the sport of riding ,” she explains . “ My mom signed me up for lessons , and I have not stopped since !”
Claire ’ s experience at Nationals was unforgettable . “ I loved how organized everything was , and how pretty the arena was ,” she says . Claire competed in the Future Novice Over Fences and Future Novice on the Flat . She placed 7th in Over Fences , and 4th on the Flat .
Madelyn Trebilcock , 13 , is also from Pine-Richland . She is the daughter of Tim and Jodi Trebilcock . “ My mom tells me that as soon as I could talk , I started talking about horses ,” laughs Madelyn . “ When I was 4 years old , my mom and dad took me to ride for the first time and I ’ ve never stopped !” She has been studying at Candy Lane Acres since she was 6 years old .
At Nationals , Madelyn competed for the team in the Future Intermediate Over Fences ( 2-foot ) and the Future Intermediate On the Flat , where she took 7th place . She placed first in the Over Fences category . “ It was such an exciting experience ,” she says . “ My coach and I knew that I had a great ride , but I never dreamed I ’ d take first in my first national competition !”
Overall , the Candy Lane Acres team took 5th in the nation under the direction of their coach , Chelsie Stair , 26 , of Sewickley . Stair graduated from Lake Erie College in 2014 with a degree in Equestrian Teacher and Trainer . She has been working with the girls for the past six years . While she has been around horses her entire life , Stair began coaching IEA four years ago , and has been teaching riding for a total of eight years at her family-owned stables , Candy Lane Acres .
“ I have so many wonderful memories with my students , but my favorite is watching them grow from little girls who could barely trot , to the amazing riders they are today ,” Stair says proudly . “ I love seeing their reaction when they accomplish their goals that they have been working so hard to attain .”
The IEA season started in September of 2017 , and the girls have been focusing their goals toward that since . However , they make sure to keep up the work on improving their equitation and riding skills weekly . “ One of the most important things we focused on during IEA lessons was equitation and riding a large variety of horses ,” explains Stair . “ I have 22 lesson horses so the girls get to ride a large variety , helping them with comfortability and control .”
She notes , “ This was the first time these girls made it to Nationals and it was actually Katie Finley ’ s first year on the team !” Stair has been to Nationals the past two years with an individual rider , but this was the first year she had a team compete . There were 692 middle school teams at Nationals this year from across the nation , and only 18 qualified .
All four girls express great gratitude to Chelsie Stair for her hard work , excellent training and dedication to their passion . “ Chelsie is an amazing coach ,” says Jacqueline . “ She ’ s helped me and my teammates grow as riders and gave us the opportunity to compete at Nationals as a team . Candy Lane Acres is a great barn — everyone is really friendly and the horses are the best !” ■
Claire Rockacy and Madelyn Trebilcock
Katie Finley and Jacqueline Chalifoux
NORTH ALLEGHENY ❘ SUMMER 2018 21