Published: October 09, 2009 04:51 pm      

Fayette tot nabs two 1st place ribbons at horse show

On Saturday night, 4-year-old Alle Legg was anticipating her first horse show at Blue Circle Ranch in Mount Hope.

The Sunday event would mark the first time Alle would show a horse completely on her own.

“She was so excited, we like to never got her to bed on Saturday night,” said Betty Legg of Scarbro, Alle’s grandmother. “She was that excited about going.”

After the horse show, Alle’s family members were the excited ones; riding English-style, Alle had won two first-place ribbons and trophies.

All of the riders Alle competed against were at least in their teen years.

“She was the youngest one,” noted Tana Higginbotham of Oak Hill, Alle’s grandmother.

Alle, the daughter of Aaron Legg, 31, of Scarbro, and Mandy Jo Higginbotham, 26, of Oak Hill, said her favorite walk is “fast-lick,” a term she created to describe her horse speeding up into a fast walk.

“I just get up there, walk ... and I train my whip,” said Alle.

When she wants Gracie to pull back, she tells her, “Whoa!”

Riding makes her feel happy, Alle said, adding that she started riding when she “was a baby.”

The Legg family owns and shows several horses, which they ride and keep on their Scarbro property.

“It’s a family tradition,” said Legg. “I started out when I was 4 years old, riding, and then I’ve ridden horses and shown (them) close to 20 years.”

From the time she was born, Alle’s dad surrounded her with the family’s horses, too.

“Ever since she was a baby, she’s always liked to ride on the horses with me or go out and pet the horses,” said Legg. “She’s always been around them.”

When Alle was 2, she could ride by herself as long as Legg walked beside of the horse.

“She was holding the reins,” said Legg. “I gradually just weaned myself away from her.

“She went off on her own,” he added. “She’s been riding at the house completely by herself for a good year and a half.”

Alle began competing in horse shows when she was 3.

Her favorite horse is Eb’s Miss Grace, or “Gracie,” a black Tennessee walking horse who has a white blaze on her face.

Alle and her cousin, Dalton Boggs of Scarbro, showed their horses over the summer at the West Virginia State Fair.

Until Sunday at the Blue Circle Ranch, Alle had always shown her horse riding “lead-line,” or with her dad leading her horse.

Sunday was the first time she’d ever shown Gracie completely by herself.

Legg said that when he entered Alle in her competition Sunday, he was a little anxious.

“She was about the youngest one riding by herself,” he said.

When Legg enrolled Alle for the second class, Open Walk/Favored Gate, only six other riders were signed to compete.

“I didn’t want to put her in there with a bunch of horses and her have to go around all the other horses in the ring,” he said. “I thought with seven horses, it’s a pretty good sized ring, it should be OK.”

When Alle’s Class was called, Legg grew nervous when he learned there were actually 10 riders, he said.

“I said, ‘Alle, there’s going to be nine other horses in there with you,’” said Legg.

According to Legg, Alle got quiet for a moment, shrugged her shoulders, and replied, “Oh, don’t worry about me.

“I’ll be all right.”

Alle garnered her first place ribbons and trophy cups while competing against much older riders in the classes Open Walk/Favored Gate and Plantation Pleasure Walk/Favored Gate.

Legg said Alle will be entering more local horse shows throughout the year to gain showing experience.

Alle’s goal is to compete at the 2010 State Fair — a plan Legg said he plans to support.

“I want to go there, and I want to show by myself,” said Alle.

— E-mail: jfarrish@register-herald.com