Kail Quarter Horses – A Family Tradition of Success

Click here to read the complete article
34 – May/June 2019

By Sue Winslow

Ryan and Andrea Kail are third-generation horsemen, following the family tradition of quality and success at Kail Quarter Horses in Scottsdale, Arizona. They’re an equine power couple that’s managing a thriving family business in a demanding industry while raising two energetic sons, Lane and Carter. They’re living proof that if you have a village, in the form of a loving, supportive family, and clients who feel like extended family, the sky is the limit.

Coming up through the youth ranks, both Ryan and Andrea honed the skills they draw on today. Riding with Tommy Sheets, Andrea won her first Congress Championship at the age of 10, competing with Zippo LTD in 11 & Under Trail. She put a few more Congress Championships and Year-End High Point titles under her belt before having one of the most memorable years of her life in 1998. She recalls the amazing feat that resulted in a record that has not yet been broken. She recalls, “In 1998, I won every class I showed in at the Congress aboard Zippo LTD: 12-14 Showmanship, Horsemanship, Western Pleasure, Trail, and Western Riding, and 12-14 Youth All-Around. It’s a record that I believe still stands – the most classes won by one horse and one rider in one year. Jason Martin also won Senior Trail on LT that year. He was an amazing horse.” She and LT, who became a Hall of Fame inductee, continued their winning ways under the guidance of Vicky Holt, earning multiple Congress Championships, a World Championship in Trail (winning the prelims and finals under all 5 cards), a Reserve World Championship in Western Riding, and a Bronze in Horsemanship.

The success she earned as a youth competitor inspired Andrea to choose a career in the equine industry. “My youth career was the reason I became a horse trainer,” she says. “I loved everything about horses and showing. I knew I didn’t want to do anything else.” She’s modest about her many wins and quick to give praise to the people around her who helped develop her talent. “I’ve been very lucky to work with some of the absolute best. Jason Martin, Charlie Cole, Vicky Holt, and Kim and Curtis Reynolds taught me so much. I use something that each one of them taught me every single day–sometimes with the horses and sometimes with life! Most importantly, I’m grateful to my parents, Lana and David Farley, who made it possible for me to learn from all these amazing people. They instilled the importance of family and the right way to treat people,” she says. It’s a lesson she and her husband, Ryan, are passing on to their sons, Lane and Carter.

Click here to read the complete article
34 – May/June 2019