Meet Cadillac, “Caddy”, a 9-year-old Canadian Warmblood whose sire is the renowned hunter sire Cabardino and his dam is Viva’s Carina by Viva Voltaire. Additionally, he was bred by Charlot Farm. Caddy is a Chestnut gelding with a flaxen mane and tail, a large white blaze, and white stockings. He is owned and ridden by Leslie Toran who trains with Colleen Acosta out of Fairway Farm outside of Dallas, TX.
May of 2022 was Leslie and Caddy’s 1-year anniversary. Leslie shares her favorite memory with her sweet boy which was from this past winter. “Despite the fact that I hadn’t shown in more than 20 years, we decided to send Caddy to WEC Ocala this winter. I flew out with one of my closest friends to watch Colleen, my trainer, show him in the 3’ greens and the derby. We had a great time watching him go around, winning Champion in the 3’ Greens and placing in the derby on Friday (he was the only horse in the ring trying to eat his ribbon when they pinned the derby horses because he’s goofy like that). On Saturday, I got to take the reins to compete with my sweet boy. I was incredibly nervous, but Caddy was there for me. He held my hand through every round like he was saying, “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ve got you.” Caddy has a heart of gold and tries so incredibly hard. Nothing like jumping back into showing on the Florida Winter Circuit! Caddy made it so fun, and now I am hooked on horse showing again!”
“I have owned Caddy since May 2021. My previous trainers helped me find him. It was a months-long, nationwide search (literally from California to Florida and many points in between) with many failed PPEs along the way. I was losing hope when his video arrived. Unfortunately, he was in Virginia, and I couldn’t travel right away to see him. With horses flying off the market in days, I took a leap of faith and agreed to have one of my then-trainer’s friends who lived in Virginia to try him. She sent a gushing review, and we scheduled the PPE. I was on pins and needles waiting for the vetting. When he passed with flying colors I was ecstatic! About two weeks later, he shipped from Virginia to Texas. I had a deposition on the day he arrived. As soon as it was over, I changed out of my suit and into my barn clothes and drove to the barn. I remember walking down the aisle and this beautiful chestnut face with a big white blaze popped out of the stall next to my other horse to greet me, and I fell in love!”, says Leslie.
I think it’s safe to say that Caddy was meant for Leslie. He takes care of her, guides her, and he teaches her. They have become a team and brought so much joy into her life! Her heart horse.
Leslie shares how “special” Caddy is in every sense of the word. “He is the sweetest horse with the biggest personality, but he is also very sensitive and very emotional. We all joke that he identifies as a mare. He arrived with a life-size stuffed golden retriever that still “lives” with him in his stall! He loves to give big, wet, sloppy, kisses. He lives for praise and gets very upset if he thinks he has done something “wrong.” He’s very inquisitive. Nothing in the arena bothers him at all. Big “scary” derby jumps—no big deal! But he is always interested in everything going on outside the arena. He has a bit of ADD! And if there is anything he can put in his mouth, he will! He knows the sound of my car, and if he’s in his stall he always pops his head out of his window to greet me when I get to the barn. Really, he is a 1400-pound, overgrown toddler, but I wouldn’t change a thing about him.”
Do you feel like you’re getting to know Caddy’s personality yet? Surely it won’t surprise you when I say that he isn’t shy when it comes to treats and he will eat just about anything! Twizzlers, mints, carrots, apples, raspberries, bananas, watermelon—YUM!
Leslie fell in love with horses and horseback riding as a little girl. “There was a private horse farm behind my grandparent’s house, and I used to go stand at the fence that separated their properties and stare longingly at the horses. One afternoon, the owner of the farm took pity on me, and—with my grandparents’ permission—invited me over for a lead line ride on a little grey welsh pony named Sabre. I was hooked! As a Junior, I did eventing, but after a bad fall, I switched to strictly dressage as a young adult. Fast forward a few years, and I was a mom with an infant and a 4-year-old moving to London. I took a decade-long hiatus from horses. Then, a friend and I decided to attend the Belmont Stakes on a whim. It was the year Justify was running for the Triple Crown. Being around the horses that day made me realize how much I missed having horses in my life. Two days later I was calling barns around me to schedule a lesson. I went from a lesson a week to leasing a horse in four months. I then bought the horse I was leasing, Jack. And now, three and a half years after I started riding again, I also have Caddy.” When we asked Leslie what her favorite part of owning horses was, she shares that she couldn’t name just one, sharing that they really are such incredible, noble animals! She loves the trust-building process with such massive animals, their warm bodies, soft muzzles, and kind eyes. “When I am with my horses, the rest of the world falls away. It is the only time I am truly living in the moment. As a wife, mom of two teenagers, and a practicing attorney, that feeling of peace when I am with my horses is priceless. I also get to share my love of horses with my 13-year-old daughter who is every bit as obsessed as I am. Having that connection with her makes the sport all the more special.”, says Toran.
