From the Show Ring to the Grand Prix: Cate D’Antignac ’26 Interns on the Florida Circuit

At 7:00 a.m, Cate D’Antignac ’26 was already at the barn.

By the time most people were pouring their first cup of coffee, she had fed horses, filled water buckets, and begun prepping for a full day at one of the most competitive equestrian circuits in the country.

This winter, Cate spent her Co-Curriculum internship in Florida working at Memories Hill Stables, a Virginia-based barn that travels south for the circuit season. For Cate, an equestrian rider at Madeira, the opportunity was something she had been quietly working toward for years.

“I knew I wanted to go to Florida as soon as I realized it was an option,” she said. “I didn’t know if I’d have the skills by senior year — but I did.”

A Full Immersion in the Sport

Cate connected with Memories Hill, a barn she had known since her freshman year, through Madeira’s Co-Curriculum Office and Equestrian program. With support from faculty and her trainer, she secured the internship.

Her days were long and demanding, but very rewarding.

“I would get to the barn around seven in the morning,” Cate said. “I’d do morning chores, hay, water, turnout. Then I would groom and tack up horses for clients. I’d take them to the show ring, help set jumps, assist ringside. Then I’d ride my own horse, and at the end of the day, there were more chores.”

Most days wrapped up around 5:00 p.m.

“It’s a lot of hard work. A lot of hours,” she said. “Even when you love it, it’s demanding.”

But that full immersion, spending every single day at the barn, gave Cate something she doesn’t experience during a typical school schedule.

“It was really cool to be more immersed than I am when I’m just showing at school,” she said. “I spent my whole day there, every day.”

Learning From the Judge’s Eye

One of the most impactful parts of the experience was working closely with her boss, Ashley, who also serves as a horse show judge.

“I would sit with her at the end gate and hear what she had to say about each round,” Cate said. “It made my understanding of riding much deeper.”

Seeing competitions from a judge’s perspective sharpened her awareness of precision, pacing, and performance;  lessons that extended beyond the saddle.

During her final week, Cate had another unexpected opportunity: riding a lease horse and gaining experience on additional mounts.

“I just got to ride more horses,” she said, smiling. “It was really fun and I gained so much experience.”

A Giant Check in the Grand Prix Ring

The circuit wasn’t all work.

At the start of the season, Memories Hill entered a tack room decorating contest and won.

Ashley’s husband, a contractor, built a miniature replica of their Virginia barn, complete with opening and closing doors.

“It was really, really cool,” Cate said. “We got to go into the Grand Prix ring and meet all these people and we got to accept a giant check.”

For a working student who had spent weeks grooming horses and setting jumps, stepping into the Grand Prix ring for a celebration was a surreal full-circle moment.

“We got that in the bag,” she said with a laugh.

Shaping the Future

Cate plans to major in animal sciences in college, and the internship helped clarify what that path could look like.

“It’s made me consider maybe minoring in agricultural business,” she said. “If I wanted to go the path of being a barn manager or working on the circuit, that would be helpful.”

She also hopes to continue pursuing working student opportunities in the future and she’s already heading back to Florida.

For younger equestrian students considering the experience, Cate offers honest advice.

“If you’re not 100 percent in love with the sport, it’s hard,” she said. “But if you are, this is a good way to really decide if it’s what you want to do.”

For Cate, there was never much doubt.

“I wouldn’t have wanted to do anything else,” she said. “I want to go back.”