Elevate: Meet Kiara Williams-Brown

Welcome to Elevate, our new spotlight series to honor, lift up, and highlight riders just like you from all disciplines and walks of life. If you’re like us, supporting and growing our equestrian community is an important mission, and a mission we are proud to hold at the heart of Sterling Essentials.

This month, we’d love you to meet Kiara Williams-Brown, a young amateur dressage rider from Canada powering her way through the U25 ring while still juggling school and more during the time of COVID.

SE: Have you always been wild about horses? When did you start riding, who introduced you, and how did you get started?

KWB: My mom, Simone Williams, is a Grand Prix dressage rider herself, so I guess you could say it was in my blood! I started riding at a very young age, but I was pretty timid, and for a while, riding was tied with a few other sports for my favorite activity. That all changed when I was seven years old, and I was lent the pony of a lifetime to learn to ride on. “Toby Tyme” was the most wonderful pony I’ve ever met, and within weeks I had gone from too afraid to trot to galloping in the fields with him. I will always credit him to fueling my passion for riding.

SE: What an awesome pony to learn with! He sounds like a hard act to follow, but who are the horses in your life now, and when did you begin working with each of them?

KWB: I’m very lucky to have the opportunity to ride many different horses owned by Queenswood Stables! The main horses I am working with at the moment are Lady Bug, Linden Ein, and Farley.  

Lady Bug is a 2002 Hanoverian mare that I started working with when I was around 10 years old, and since then she has helped me progress from training level all the way up to my first U25 Grand Prix. 

Linden Ein and Farley are both 2004 Hanoverian geldings who I began working with this year and hope to compete at the FEI Junior level in the coming season.

SE: What are their personalities? Do they have any fun habits, quirks, likes or dislikes?

KWB: Lady Bug is a total Queen Bee, in the best possible way. She is kind, generous, and loves dressage. Her favourite movements are piaffe and passage; I think it’s because she knows she’s great at them and likes to show off! She is super gentle with her friends and loves to spend time outside grooming them and snuggling. 

Linden Ein (or George as we call him in the barn) has such a puppy dog personality! He loves humans, other animals, and anyone paying attention to him. He’s really affectionate, and any time you go into his stall he always nuzzles you and waits for cuddles! 

Farley is regal and charming on the ground and an electric ride under saddle. His gaits are very powerful and he loves to have fun in his work. His favourite activities are hacking and grazing outside. He is very food motivated and will do anything for a yummy snack!

SE: All three of them sound like such a hoot and such fun! What are their favorite treats?

KWB: Lady Bug is quite picky about her treats, and she really adores natural foods like apples and carrots.  

George is our most adventurous treat eater, and his current favourite is Uncle Jimmy’s Hanging Treat Balls. 

Farley is a sugar fanatic and is very suspicious of any treats that seem even moderately healthy. His favourite treats are good old fashioned sugar cubes!

SE: What sets your spirit on fire about dressage? Has it always been your discipline or have you explored others, as well?

KWB: I love how technical dressage is, everything from the aha moment when you finally perform a movement correctly, to when it all comes together in the ring at a competition. I’ve always specialized in dressage, but I used to show in the pony hunters when I was younger, and I really enjoy cross-discipline training. If the opportunity arose I would love to get into the hunter and jumper rings as well!

SE: What dressage level are you currently working through? What is one particular challenge you’re tackling at the moment?

KWB: Recently I’ve been working on refining the U25 Grand Prix work with Lady Bug, and one of the most difficult challenges I’ve encountered is the one-tempis (where the horse changes leads every stride). In the test pattern there are 15 one-tempis, and I’ve found it very difficult to sit tall and straight enough to accomplish all 15 consistently. To fix this issue I am spending some time trying to perfect the aid for straight single flying changes, while keeping my position neutral and quiet in the saddle.

SE: What is one of your most favorite riding or competition moments? What was memorable?

KWB: My favourite competition moments would have to be both times I competed as part of the Canadian team at the FEI North American Youth Championships in 2018 and 2019. The atmosphere and competition there was insane, and to have been able to walk away with a bronze junior team medal in 2018 was probably the most memorable competition moment of my life. Attending the podium ceremony, the press conference and victory lap on Lady Bug with my team was surreal. 

SE: As a Junior riding at the upper levels, how do you balance your riding and competition schedule with school and family life? No doubt 2020 has made this even more interesting than normal. What have you adjusted?

KWB: Balance is something I often struggle with, especially when it comes to time management (which is not my strong suit!). However, I try to combat this by prioritizing my schedule so that I can concentrate on the most important things first. This helps me relieve stress and make sure I am always prepared for any opportunities that arise, whether that be catch-riding a horse, completing an extra credit assignment, or having fun with my friends. New for 2020 I have been taking school online, which has given me more time to ride! Time spent in the barn is also a much deserved reward after long hours spent filling out assignments online.

SE: What are your dreams for the future? Will we be following your career as a professional soon?

KWB: I would like to go to university, and then eventually become professional! My dream is to represent Canada on a Senior Dressage team one day.

SE: How do you like to let off steam when you’re not riding?

KWB: When I’m not riding I love to go running with my dog and miniature pony and take spontaneous adventures with my friends and family.

SE: What are the top three things on your bucket list – riding or otherwise?

KWB: 1. Visit all 7 continents

2. Run a marathon

3. Bring a horse to train in Europe

SE: Which is your favorite:

• Free hay for a year or a covered arena?

KWB: I would say free hay because great quality hay is so expensive in our area, and I am blessed with two wonderful covered arenas at my home farm Queenswood Stables. 

• Trail ride or sleigh ride?

KWB: This one’s a difficult one! I’m going to have to go with trail ride because all of our horses love to go for a walk on the trails, and it’s so wonderful to see how happy it makes them :).

• Sunrise or sunset?

KWB: Definitely sunrise! I am a morning person, and I love getting a head start on the day, especially with early morning rides and time at the barn. 

SE: What is your favorite Sterling Essentials fragrance?

KWB: My favorite Sterling Essentials fragrance is the Lavender! I love it because it’s such a relaxing scent and really helps me decompress when cleaning tack after a ride or before a big competition. It’s like an aromatherapy session and a powerful leather cleaner all in one!

It was delightful to chat with Kiara and get a peak into her day and dreams! We wish her much luck with her goals in 2021 and invite you to journey along with her adventure by following her on Instagram at @kiara_eq.