March 28, 2024

NHS senior delighted by chance to show at state fair

DES MOINES — Kaylee Lange has been showing horses since she was a freshman in high school, but until this year she never had a chance to show them at the highest level in the state.

Finally, as a 17-year-old senior at Newton Senior High School, Lange got the opportunity that every young equestrian in Iowa hopes for — an opportunity to exhibit at the Iowa State Fair.

“I never really had the transportation to get here, or the funds or the horse. My other horse I showed was blind in one eye, so we didn’t want her to be up here and take a chance,” Lange said.

Lange said thanks to the generosity of another local family, the Shaws, she was able to make it this year.

The two horses she brought with her this year are Ruby and Booger, and the curly haired teenager is just grateful she’s getting to spend more time with them.

“Just being with my horses, getting to work with them and I also love getting them ready and getting myself ready and being in the ring,” Lange said.

She admits things at the state fair have been more competitive, which is a big adjustment for a first-timer in comparison to the more relaxed atmosphere at the county level. However, as an FFA member, she is eligible to compete until she is 21 or three years out of high school and she plans on coming back.

“I’m excited to keep coming back,” Lange said. “Just being here is a big step from my freshman year when I first started, because I have to pay for everything. Just knowing that I earned this and I earned the money to get here is a big step for me. So that’s very exciting that I was able to get here.”

Contact Senior Staff Writer Ty Rushing at (641) 792-3121 ext. 6532 or at trushing@newtondailynews.com.