Most of us will never forget our first ride. Perhaps it was a pony ride at the local fall fair, or at a neighbour’s farm, or even on the coin-operated horse outside the supermarket. The first ride Kahla Ishoy can remember, however, was a little bit different.

As the daughter of Olympic dressage medallist Cindy Ishoy and the late Neil Ishoy (a celebrated trainer and grand prix competitor in his own right) Kahla’s childhood memories are the stuff dressage dreams are made of.

“I have this vivid memory of when I was three years old,” the Hamilton, Ontario, resident says. “It was the spring before my mom left for the 1988 Seoul Olympics and CBC was shooting a short documentary about the Games. My dad was riding World Cup and I was sitting on the saddle in front of him. My mom was riding Dynasty and the three of us were walking down the driveway of our farm while CBC was videoing.”

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