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HI-YO SILVER… AWAY! Meet the trainer of this iconic horse / p16

DORIS DALEY IN IRELAND Documentary filming cowboy poet’s roots / p5

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ALBERTA WISH TRAIL RIDES Three unique rides to choose from in support of kids / p38

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

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Inspired by horses and people

HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

CONTENTS

Volume 36 · Number 7 · July 2013 EDITOR Craig Couillard craig.couillard@fbcpublishing.com (403) 200-1019

WESTERN PHOTOGRAPHY

TRACY BURTON

SALES ACCOUNT MANAGER Crystal McPeak crystal@fbcpublishing.com (403) 360-3210 (866) 385-3669 (toll free)

Following in her grandmother’s footsteps

SALES ACCOUNT MANAGER Natalie Sorkilmo natalie.sorkilmo@fbcpublishing.com (403) 608-2238 SUBSCRIPTIONS subscription@fbcpublishing.com 1-800-665-0502 PUBLISHER Lynda Tityk lynda.tityk@fbcpublishing.com (204) 944-5755 PRESIDENT Bob Willcox Glacier Media Agricultural Information Group bwillcox@glaciermedia.ca 204-944-5751

THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS: Darla Rathwell, Doug Mills, Amanda MacFarlane, Kelly Sidoryk, Glenn Stewart, Ted Stovin, Julia MacKinnon, Luke Creasy, Robyn Moore, Cindy Bablitz, April Clay, Craig Couillard, Wendy Dudley, Dianne Finstad, Heather Grovet, Darley Newman, Terri McKinney, Natalie Sorkilmo, Mark McMillan, Doris Daley and Jochen Schleese PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY: Farm Business Communications 1666 Dublin Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3H 0H1 ADVERTISING DEADLINE Second Monday of the month SUBSCRIPTION RATES (includes GST) 1-800-665-0502 One Year: $30.45 Three years: $63.59 One Year Overseas & US: $62.00 Make cheques payable to Horses All. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. Published Monthly by Farm Business Communications ISSN 0225-4913

CANADIAN POSTMASTERS Return undeliverable Canadian addresses (covers only)to Circulation Dept., P.O. Box 9800, Winnipeg, MB R3C 3K7. Return undeliverable US & foreign addresses (covers only) to Circulation Dept., P.O. Box 9800, Winnipeg, MB R3C 3K7. US POSTMASTERS HORSES ALL (ISSN 0745-7294) is published monthly for $62.00 per year by Farm Business Communications. c/o U.S. Agent, Transborder Mail, 4708 Caldwell Road E, Edgewood, WA, 98372-9221. Periodicals Postage Paid at Puyallup, WA, and additional mailing offices. U.S. POSTMASTER: Send address changes (cover only) to Horses All c/o Transborder Mail PO Box 6016, Federal Way, WA. 98063-6016, U.S.A.

PROFILES

INSPIRATIONS

Kelly Koss-Brix Granddaughter heads up Spruce Meadows equine program

HORSE, HEALTH & HOME

Bernie Brown

Overcoming obstacles

What’s new with this prolific artist?

Doug Mills breaks it down step-by-step

COLUMNS A Breed Apart . . . . . . . . . 18 Alternative Methods . . . 27 Back Country Travels . . 26 Doing it my way . . . . . . . 12 Equitrekking . . . . . . . . 31 Eye on the Industry . . . . 43 From the field . . . . . . . . . 4 Get a Grip . . . . . . . 25 & 30 Going Down the Trail . . 35 Going in style . . . . . . . . . 22 Hands on horsekeeping . 27 Homeward Bound . . . . . 10 Hooked on bulls . . . . . . . 14 Horse Health . . . . . . . . . 26

Ranch Rodeo 20th Anniversary of Medicine Tree Ranch Rodeo in Nanton

FEATURES Horse Heroes . . . . . . . . . In it to win it . . . . . . . . . . Inspirations . . . . . . . . . . My Tunes . . . . . . . . . . . . Our Way of Life . . . . . . . Rhymes from the range . Riding out of your Mind . Talking Back . . . . . . . . . . Time to chill . . . . . . . . . . Two-Bit Cowboy . . . . . . Western Art . . . . . . . . . . Where are they now . . . . Women of the West . . . . Young Guns . . . . . . . . . .

18 7 19 23 13 23 28 4 24 4 20 9 5 15

None of the material, written or artistic, may be reprinted or used in any way without the specific permission of the editor. The opinions and statements expressed in the articles and advertisements found in Horses All are not necessarily those of the staff or owners. Therefore, HORSES ALL will not be responsible for those opinions or statements included in the articles or advertisements. However, the staff and owners of HORSES ALL would appreciate written notice of false advertising. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of material published, no responsibility will be assumed for advertising received by telephone and in no case will liability be assumed for greater than the cost of the advertising when errors or omissions have occurred. HORSES ALL may not be held responsible for the loss or damage of any photographs, drawings, logos, manuscripts, etc., that are sent or brought to the office.

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

OUT FRONT Welcome to Ho rs e s A l l GET I N THE SADDLE

CONTRIBUTORS

I’m afraid I’m losing my marbles Seriously… and I’m trying to do something about it before it’s too late TWO-BITS FROM A TWO-BIT COWBOY Craig Couillard - Editor

y brothers Hal and Dana Couillard wrote a best-selling and awardwinning book called Lifeworth — Finding Fulfillment Beyond Networth t h a t p r e m i e r e d i n D e c e m b e r, 2 0 1 1 (www.life worth.ca). Maybe this is a little unabashed family promotion but many of the principles contained in it are relevant to horse people. One of its core messages is that we are all “losing our marbles.” And I’m not talking about our intellectual marbles. Most of us have played marbles which means we’ve also owned a bag of marbles at some point in our childhood. In life, each of us has been gifted three types of marbles — time, talent, and treasure. As we grow and age, we invariably end up with more or less of each kind of marble in our bag. For instance, when we are young, we would have more time marbles, but less treasure and talent marbles. Hopefully, as we mature and grow in our professional and personal endeavours, we end up with more accumulated treasure and talent marbles. But, unfortunately we end up losing a lot of our time marbles as the years march by. I read the book when it first came out, and it continues to resonate with me. Not because my brothers wrote it, but as I approach my 58th birthday this summer, I know I will have one less time marble in my bag. Those of you that have followed my editorials know that one of my 2013 resolutions was to ride more. I’m pretty happy with my progress on that front.

But I was thinking of how many excuses I’ve used over the years not to ride. So I’ve come up with my Top Seven Excuses. I’m betting they will resonate with some of you. 1. Don’t have the time. I remember hearing a speaker debunk that excuse. He said rather than saying, “I don’t have the time,” we should say, “I didn’t make the time.” That was a big attitude adjustment for me several years ago. 2. Nobody to ride with. There are over 200,000 horses in Alberta, and more across the west. When faced with the same excuse, Edie Koski in Saskatoon placed an ad in her local paper and started her own club. It quickly grew to over 50 ladies. Your tack and feed stores would also be a good place to place a notice looking for people to ride or compete with.

3. The weather sucks. I’ve always said a good day on horseback, regardless of the weather, is still better than a day in the yard or an afternoon on the couch. I need to keep reminding myself of that. 4. Can’t afford it. It goes back to excuse No. 1. If it’s a priority, you will find the money, even if it means getting a part-time job. And several websites offer good deals on used gear and broke horses. 5. Don’t have a good horse. If you’ve got the wrong horse, then start preparing a plan and budget to get the right horse, whether you are competing or trail riding. There are lots of reputable horse people that will help you look. 6. Not a good rider. My brother Hal and I often take family and friends into the mountains who have rarely been on a horse. But we know and trust our older horses. If you’re just starting out, then look extra hard to find that well-broke horse. Don’t buy chrome… buy dependability. You don’t want to be a green rider on a green horse. 7. No trailer. That can be a bit more of an obstacle. But once you hook up with a group, you will find horse people are very generous. You might have to throw a buck or two on the dash for gas. So how many did you recognize? At various points in my life, I’ve used all seven. I know that being in the saddle is the best thing for my emotional and physical well-being so I’ve slowly acquired the right treasure marbles (horses and gear). I like to think I’ve acquired more talent marbles over the years and I’m a better horseman than I was 30 years ago. But… and it’s a big but... my time marbles unfortunately continue to slip away. And lastly, my award-winning, best-selling brothers love to point out that I’m also losing my intellectual marbles. What can I say… I’m just the little brother, and a twobit cowboy.

READERS SPEAK

Reader feedback — Send your comments to: craig.couillard@fbcpublishing.com Horses All contributor Darley Newman and her TV show Equitrekking won a Daytime Emmy Award for the episode filmed in Botswana, Africa. This is Equitrekking’s third Daytime Emmy win for Photography and eighth nomination. — via e-mail Please accept my appreciation and pass to Dianne Finstad my compliments on the article that she wrote. Her identification and writing of the issues facing the horse industry was very well put. — Bill desBarres via e-mail

Visit us at www.horsesall.com or like us on facebook: www.horsesall.com/facebook

Amanda Macfarlane’s life with horses started with her family’s Clydesdales as a toddler. Autumn weekends were spent travelling to fall fairs all around Ontario to show. Riding lessons started at age nine and, since 2009, her partner has been a Thoroughbred mare named Moon. In 2012, Amanda graduated from the University of Guelph with a degree in Equine Management. She currently lives, works and rides in Guelph, Ontario.

Darla Rathwell is about as country as they come! She is a freelance writer, amateur photographer, a board of director for the Certified Horsemanship Association in Kentucky, and Black Elk Cutting Classic’s administrator. When Darla’s not working, you’ll find her at her trainers who lives a short distance from her Hay Lakes, Alta. acreage. She’ll be practicing horsemanship skills and working the flag and buffalo on her four-yearold cutting bred mare Pretty Bo Chrome (aka Bella) by Sophisticated Catt.

Talking back

Horses All is online!

Darley Newman is the three time Daytime Emmy Award nominated host and producer of the Emmy-winning Equitrekking TV show on PBS and on international networks in over 65 countries. Darley travels the world horse riding with locals to experience great ranches, history, culture and trails. Watch videos and learn about riding vacations and ranches at www.equitrekking.com and www.equitrekkingtravel.com.

BEHIND THE COVER Horses All Field Editor Crystal McPeak attended the Innisfail Pro Rodeo in June, and discovered that one of her clients, Carrie Suitor of Suitor Quarter Horses has taken up a new hobby — photography. One of her shots was of South Dakota cowgirl Nikki Steffes shown here. PHOTO: CARRIE SUITOR

Front cover photographer

Cover photo: The Lone Ranger debuts in Alberta theatres on July 3. Photo courtesy of Disney.

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

profiles Stories from People who Live, Work and Compete with Horses cowboy poetry

Documentary film follows Alberta poet to the Emerald Isle Doris Daley traces her rhyming talents back 150 years to Irish bards WOMEN OF THE WEST Personal profile

By Wendy Dudley Turner Valley, Alta.

Heading and heeling was all that he knew — If he read, it was just Horses All. He roped on the dummy till daylight was through And he spoke in a Bob Tallman drawl — Doris Daley, 1982

lberta’s award-winning poet Doris Daley has been telling stories since her days of scribbling poems and scripts while riding the school bus. Her Grade 2 report card notes that she “reads aloud with expression.” Even then her poems, whether about the Inuit living in igloos or her brother winning the 1982 Alberta Team Roping saddle, boasted rhythm, thanks to a vest pocket rhyming dictionary her parents gave her. She still has the tattered treasure, its pages well worn and much loved. Born on a ranch west of Granum in southern Alberta, Daley had no idea where her passion for poetry came from — until now. It turns out that the O’Daleighs of Ireland were known as the bards of the county, a story to be told by filmmaker Denise Calderwood who lives adjacent to the Daley family ranch northeast of Pincher Creek. In June, Doris and Denise, along with a cameraman, travelled to Ireland for 12 days to meet with folklorists and historians. “We want to find out more, if we can, about the O’Daleighs. It’s in Doris’s DNA to be a spoken poet,” said Calderwood in an interview before the trip. But the documentary isn’t just a story about Daley, who now lives in Turner Valley, said Calderwood. “It’s about all of us who are curious about our origins. What’s in our past can be inextricably linked to our destiny. So it is a personal and universal story.” It’s also a window to the culture of storytelling and how, despite social media with its shorthand texting, the literary art survives and thrives at cowboy poetry gatherings in Canada and particularly in Texas, where Daley recently became the first non-Texan to win the cowboy poetry gathering’s Texas Heritage Award. “We still love stories, and I just happen to package my stories as poems,” said Daley. “In stories, we

Award winning poet Doris Daley travelled to Ireland in June to explore her ancestry. She dates back to Irish bards and poets from the 1800s. Her story and the culture of storytelling is the focus of a documentary to be launched later this year. Photo: Wendy Dudley

DORIS DALEY ACCOLADES

• Texas Heritage Award, Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering, 2013 • Top 5 cowgirl poets in North America by the Western Music Association in 2007, 2008 and 2009 • North America’s Best Female Cowboy Poet and Best Cowboy Poetry CD (Beneath A Western Sky), by the Western Music Association, 2009 Filmmaker Denise Calderwood, of Granum, Alta., travelled to Ireland in June with Turner Valley poet Doris Daley to track down her family roots, and explore the culture of Irish storytelling. From left to right: Denise Calderwood (producer/ director); cameraman Morton Molyneux; poet Doris Daley and film assistant Lorene Anderson. Photo: Doris Daley

look for that moment of truth, because it’s part of the human condition.” Her great-grandfather was Irishman James Daly (later changed

to Daley), a stowaway on a ship to Canada in the 1860s. He worked on an Ontario farm, and in 1875, rode West as a member of the Northwest Mounted Police. In 1883, he

• Best Female Cowboy Poet in North America by the Academy of Western Artists, 2004

established a ranch north of Pincher Creek, now a historic homestead still in the Daley family. His family records were thin, without even a birth certificate. “It

was Denise’s research that discovered the O’Daleighs were bards and poets,” said Daley. “When I found out, it was a goosebump moment. Isn’t that something that here I am, 150 years later, a poet.” When she was in her 20s, a surrogate grandmother read her tea leaves and pronounced that she would one day be speaking in front of people. “I said, ‘Are you kidding?’’” Obviously not, as Daley has since stood on many stages throughout Canada and the U.S., earning accolades from her peers. And now on to Ireland, where she’s eager to discover how contemporary Irish poets turn a phrase, and whether rural poetry is still recited orally. “Also, is it as tough a go there as it is here? Are poets considered village idiots or are they revered? Are there farming and horse people expressing their thoughts through poetry?” Ireland happens to be where many cowboy songs originated, such as the Streets of Laredo, which was originally the Irish ballad Bard of Armaugh. Daley will be reciting her poetry in pubs and at festivals, with filming also taking place at castles. Ironically, this is also Come Home to Ireland Year, an invitation for the Irish diaspora to return. “So I hope that works in our favour,” she said. “It will be exciting to listen to the language used in a new, clever and vibrant way. I also want to know if those who stayed in the Old World are as curious as those who left.” Under the working title I Found My Tribe, the film is being funded by Denise through her Chinook Fire Productions. This will be her ninth documentary. “I make films to tell stories,” she said. “This is the biggest project I’ve done.” Work on the film began two years ago, with footage gathered in various locations, including the Bar U and Anchor D ranches, Heber City in Utah, and at the family ranch branding. A launch date has been planned for November in Calgary, with screenings also in Turner Valley and in Fort Macleod. Copies also will be available for purchase. “This is about somebody who is achieving something that comes right out of her DNA,” said Calderwood. “It celebrates her success, and her life and love of the West. I hope it raises her profile, and takes her career to another level.” Anyone wishing to become involved with the film by making a donation will be granted a private poetry reading by Doris, a VIP invitation to the launch, and a mention in the credits. For more information, contact Denise Calderwood at denisecalderwood@gmail.com.

HORSESALL.COM

HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

P ROFILES spruce meadows

Horse-crazy granddaughter Kelly Koss-Brix is building Spruce Meadows’ equine program to be premiere location for horse buyers YOUNG GUNS Kelly Koss-Brix gets up close and personal with Elmo, one of the Spruce Meadows’ Hanoverians she is in charge of as head of the facility’s equine program.

Up and coming stars

By Wendy Dudley Spruce Meadows, Calgary

elly Koss-Brix reaches up and gives Elmo a good scratch and rub along his neck. His muzzle relaxes, his eyes soften, and he leans into the massage. The Hanoverian gelding is in heaven. And so is Kelly, who has the dream job of managing the horses that are trained at Spruce Meadows. “The hard work. The dedication. It’s all worth it because I’m doing something I love,” said Kelly, who became manager of the worldrenowned facility’s horse program in late 2011. The job offer came during her gap year while she was training over in Europe. “I didn’t have to sleep on it. I didn’t even pause,” said the 27-year-old who is the granddaughter of Ron and Marg Southern who founded Spruce Meadows as a family operation. Kelly is about as comfortable in a saddle as she is in a soft chair, having followed a similar path as her mother Nancy Southern and aunt Linda Southern (now president of Spruce Meadows). Like them, Kelly began her riding career taking lessons from Joe Selinger back when Spruce Meadows was in its infancy. By the time Kelly was six, she’d be tossed to the ground numerous times by Merci, her spunky German riding pony. Now 32, the pony’s face is greying but she’s still spirited and remains an honorary resident in the Spruce Meadows barns. Merci made Kelly a better rider, teaching her balance and persistence. She moved on to bigger mounts, and in 2010 became the only member of her family (her brother Ben Asselin also competes, as does her stepfather and Olympian Jonathan Asselin) to win the Six Bar competition, her first victory in the International Ring. At that time, she described it as “the biggest and craziest night of my life.” But it hasn’t been a smooth ride for Kelly. In 2008, she broke her back, having been pitched from her horse during a speed derby. “I’ve never been in that much pain. It was a very down time for me, but I worked with a sports psychologist, and did everything to come back. If I was going to leave the sport, I would have done it then.” But she was determined to get back in the saddle; undeniably, horses are in her blood. As head of the Spruce Meadows horse program, she begins each day determining specific training for the facility’s 40 horses. Including Kelly, there are six professional riders. “It’s a big operation, every day.” And then she turns to her own development, training horses for competition. She is currently rid-

Photos: Wendy Dudley

The family that rides together stays together; Kelly Koss-Brix (left) rides with her stepfather, Olympian rider Jonathan Asselin, and her brother Ben Asselin. KossBrix is also the manager of Spruce Meadows’ horse program. All are accomplished competitors.

Kelly Koss-Brix exercises Do Re Mi, a Selle Francais stallion and a new horse in her program at Spruce Meadows.

ing Chalacorada (a dark bay Holstein mare nicknamed Chocolat) and she has a new mount, a white Selle Francais stallion named DoRe-Mi. As the sport evolves, Spruce Meadows isn’t sticking to just Hanoverians, a former coach horse that was refined with Thoroughbred blood. “There’s a new modern type of horse. With time allowed so tight, you need speed but also a careful

from Europe,” Kelly said. “I want Spruce Meadows to be the number one destination for people buying horses.” Spruce Meadows has one breeding stallion, a top Hanoverian named Le Primeur, and breeds between four to six mares each year. Now married and living in Calgary, Kelly is grateful for her huge family support. Her greatest mentors are those she knows best:

horse. You need lighter horses with more blood,” she said. “So we’re now bringing in Oldenburgs, Selle Francais, Holsteiners and Dutch Warmbloods. Our main focus is to have our riders compete at a high level.” That will in turn help boost sales of jumpers and hunters throughout North America. “We want to build a foundation for Canadian-bred horses so people don’t always have to import

stepdad Jonathan Asselin and her brothers, Ben and Kyle. When Kelly competes at Thunderbird Park in Vancouver, they fly out to cheer her on. So will Spruce Meadows one day become her domain? Is she being groomed? She laughs at the question. “I don’t know about that. I have a long way to go yet. But I do hope to follow in their footsteps. What we have at Spruce Meadows is very unique.”

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

P ROFILES Dressage

Cowgirl turned international dressage competitor Karen Pavicic isn’t afraid of hot horses when she competes in dressage IN IT TO WIN IT Competitor profile

By Heather Grovet Galahad, Alta.

ow does a youth cowgirl become a professional international dressage competitor? Well, for Karen Pavicic, the path was a long and interesting one, strongly influenced by a few good horses. Pavicic began riding as a young child, starting in Western tack on her family farm. “When I was ten I joined Pony Club, where I evented on a grade thoroughbred-cross horse my mother raised,” Pavicic says. “But a few years later the horse was injured and had to stop jumping. He was still sound enough to compete in dressage, and that’s the discipline I slowly began to focus on.” Pavicic competed in her first national dressage competition at age 12 and her first international competition when she was 17. “I rode average horses into my 20s, and then started working with warmbloods,” Pavicic says. “Actually, my first warmblood was less than ideal. He was fairly cold blooded, and by then I was accustomed to riding horses that were much more forward.” Pavicic is now a Canadian NCCP Level III certified dressage coach, and has represented Canada at the international level for 20 years. She runs Centre Line Dressage Stables located at Surrey, B.C. It was there she met one of her star

dressage partners, a dark bay 16.2 hh Oldenburg gelding named Don Daiquiri. “Five years ago one of my clients bought Dono, but it soon became evident that while the gelding was handsome and eye-catching, he came with a lot of baggage,” Pavicic says. “He was young, athletic and hot, and threw my client a few times. Eventually she put him up for sale.”

“He was young, athletic and hot, and threw my client a few times. Eventually she put him up for sale.” — Karen Pavicic

“I was looking for a new horse, and Dono was priced right,” Pavicic continues. “And I thought he had a lot of potential even though he came with a real edge. Dono had three natural paces, and an incredible ability to collect, which would be needed for piaffes and canter pirouettes. Plus I’d grown up riding hot horses, and thought I could help Dono reach his full potential.” “Dono is 11 now, and he’s become a sweet, kind horse,” Pavicic says. “But he still has his issues. He struggles with one-tempi flying changes; they give him a lot of mental tension. I’ve had to be creative to find ways to get him through these difficulties. I

know this is really unconventional, but I use food as a reward when we’re working on challenging areas. If Dono does something positive, he gets a reward, and this makes a huge difference in his attitude. It helps him feel relaxed and positive. Mind you, I don’t use treats all the time, just for specific purposes.” The highest level of modern dressage competition is the Grand Prix level, and this is where Dono and Pavicic have been competing for the last two years. They had several major wins at California over this year’s winter season in Grand Prix classes and also Grand Prix Freestyle, which is performed to music. Pavicic credits much of their success to her personal coach, Dirk Glitz. “Learning never stops no matter how many years you’ve ridden,” Pavicic says. “I wouldn’t be able to compete at this level without the assistance of Dirk.” One of Pavicic’s goals is to compete in the 2014 World Equestrian Games to be held in Normandy, France. “We have a good chance of qualifying for the World Games, but we still will need financial support and funding,” Pavicic says. “I’m also considering going to Europe well before the World Games and competing for a season there. That will allow us to gain a lot more international experience.” “There are a lot of people who think they could never do dressage because it’s just too difficult, but that isn’t true,” Pavicic says. “Dressage at the beginning levels is simple, it’s just training. Dressage can be useful in any discipline because it helps your horse become more responsive and obedient.”

What they’re saying about us We had the opportunity to have Whoa Dust applied to the Round Pen and arenas at our recent Mane Event at Westerner Park in Red Deer and we were amazed at the result. Whoa Dust transformed these locations into practically dust-free areas! Thank you to Strathcona Animal Bedding for such a wonderful product!

Every barrel racer should have this product in their arena. Improved our footing, eliminated dust, and reduced our need to water.

Christine Rusnak-Drisner, Still Meadows Ranch

The Mane Event

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

P ROFILES RODEO ENTERTAIN M E N T

Wild West Riders

B.C. ladies start up exciting new rodeo drill team

There are 12 girls on the team and everything has to be precise

OUR WAY OF LIFE Making a living with horses

By Mark McMillan Meadow Springs Ranch, B.C.

he announcer speaks, the music gets cranked, the gate flies open, and in thunders the Wild West Riders grand entry team! This all-girls drill team is based in Williams Lake, B.C. where drill teams have been part of rodeo for the past two decades. Bruce Watt, a Chilcotin cowboy, was known as a guy who loved fast horses and pretty women so it was probably no surprise to anyone when he started the Williams Lake Stampede Classics around 1990. Unfortunately girls grow up, horses get old, people move... and the Classics kind of petered out in 2008. A couple of other drill teams were formed but they too, fizzled out over time. In 2011, a local rodeo association approached Brenda Phillips and asked her if she’d consider starting another drill team. Brenda had been a successful and well-liked coach of other teams. Brenda talked to other potential members like Pat Coster. Pat started riding with the Classics in 1998 and now, at 62 years young, is known to the other girls as ‘Hot Granny Pat.’ Their first proposal was presented to the 100 Mile House Rodeo committee; it was accepted and Wild

The Wild West Riders performing a pattern at the 100 Mile House Rodeo. PHOTOs: Mark McMillan

West Riders was formed. That year they performed at 100 Mile, Billy Barker Days in Quesnel, and the BCRA Finals in Quesnel. All went super well. “What’s behind the scenes of an all-girl rodeo drill team? … A whole lot of estrogen,” says Brenda, “including me!” Brenda says she had to learn a lot

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of self-control when speaking to the girls, “they all have a different way of thinking, different ideas, different ways of doing things.” At one practice one of the girls piped out, “you guys make me so mad I could just light my hair on fire!” Hmmm, sounds like a tough job to me... I picture it like taking out a dude string with all mares as mounts. As we all know, horses have their own issues, too. One horse decided that he didn’t trust the arena loud speakers and kept watching the scary speakers! The problem was when it came time for the anthems, they lined up facing the audience and away from the speakers. All but one! This horse stood in the line backwards. The girl had to make ear plugs for her horse which actually work. The horse now faces the crowd. Commitment? You bet... tons of it. They start in March with a practice once a week and, in April, they hit the arena twice a week. Some of

the members travel up to an hour and half drive each way, but the horses have to be in shape, and the girls have to know the patterns. Before this though, many hours are spent planning. Riding patterns have to be choreographed, music has to picked, contracts made and sent out, and so much more. They even have their own seamstress, Shelly, who makes their matching shirts, saddle pads, and horse boots which makes them look as professional as they ride. There are 12 girls on the team and everything has to be precise. They have to pick their lead riders and lead horses... and backups. Hours are spent going over routines. Timing has to be perfect and spacing dead on! Says Pat Coster, “We have more rodeos booked this year than we planned on.” They started with the 100 Mile House Rodeo, Clinton the following weekend, and they carried the flags for the National Anthems at the Williams Lake Stampede.

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Everyone lined up for the national anthems.

“What’s behind the scenes of an all girl rodeo drill team? ... A whole lot of estrogen.” — Brenda Phillips

They will open for the RCMP Musical Ride July 18 in Williams Lake and on the 19 they head to Quesnel for the Billy Barker Days BCRA Rodeo. Their season wraps up in Quesnel when they ride at the B.C. Rodeo Association Finals in September. On top of all the prep work and expenses, it costs a lot for fuel to get to the rodeos. The Wild West Riders say they’re happy to do it if they can cover some of their costs. I watched them perform at the 100 Mile House BCRA Rodeo and thought they did a great job. Keep it up girls, you look awesome!

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

P ROFILES career transiti o n

Champion bronc rider becomes successful businessman in Phoenix Mel Coleman still strives to excel, pursuing team roping with the same drive that earned him 12 Canadian championships WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Catching up with heroes of the past

By Dianne Finstad Red Deer, Alta.

ne of Canadian pro rodeo’s most decorated champions applies the same winning philosophy to his equine-related business in Arizona. Mel Coleman rewrote the history books of rodeo when he came on the scene at the age of 18 from his home base of Pierceland, Sask. Saddle bronc riding was his specialty, and that’s where he collected an impressive seven Canadian championship buckles. But he was also mighty handy with a rope, and that helped him earn an additional five titles as AllAround champion. At 57, Coleman’s rodeo career is far from over, although his bronc saddle isn’t in active duty anymore. But he still makes time for the sport, despite the demands of running two feed and tack businesses in the Phoenix region. Coleman started with purchasing C & H Hay in north Phoenix in the early 1990’s; then expanded with the addition of Black Mountain Feed in Cave Creek in 2007 to become one of the prominent feed dealers in the North Valley region. “We buy hay from farmers all over the Valley,” explained Coleman, “and even from as far away as California and Colorado. Ninetynine per cent of my business is equine related. Our clientele is from every aspect of the horse industry; from backyard feed and leads, to dressage, ropers, and barrel racers. Basically, anybody who rides a horse for any reason, we have something for.” The Phoenix region is a fascinating equine world, with stables both elite and basic tucked in right among residential neighbourhoods. The harsh desert landscape that seems only suited for cactus growth turns green and productive with the lifeblood of irrigation. “All our hay comes from irrigated ground. They can get eight cuts a year.” “There’s no pasture around here, so horse owners have to buy feed for every day of the year,” adds Cole-

Mel Coleman, shown here heading at the 2008 CFR, has made an amazing 23 appearances at the Canadian Finals Rodeo in saddle bronc riding and team roping. Photo: Mike Copeman

man. “It’s just a matter of getting them to buy from you.” “It’s like the grocery business, where it’s about having a quality product at a reasonable price, and customer service. We’ve got a knowledgeable sales staff.” In fact, Coleman’s staff of 15 includes some long-time workers, including a manager who’s been with him for 18 years. “I’ve been fortunate enough to find really reliable people that I can trust. All my crew has been with me six to eight years at least, so they don’t need me looking over their shoulders.” That gives Coleman the freedom to pursue his team roping passion, something that’s more addictive and available in Arizona than even golf! “You can team rope down here pretty much every day, all year round. Well, it dies down a bit in the summer, when it’s just too hot for it. But in the winter, you can rope seven days a week if you’re so inclined. I’ve been going to four or five jackpots a week for the last six months.” As a professional athlete, Coleman isn’t going just to hang out with his buddies. He’s there to be competitive, and it’s a circuit that pays handsomely to those who have the ability, the horses, and the desire to do well. So how does a Saskatchewan

rodeo cowboy wind up becoming a Phoenix hay magnate? Coleman admits it all began as a way to avoid the snow and cold. “I’d spend my winters rodeoing out of here,” he recalled. “It was cheap to fly back then, and it was a good central location. When (my son) Jake went into first grade, we decided to come down here. I felt the business was something I had a bit of experience in, so I bought a little store, and it grew from there.” “Plus I knew if I wound up digging ditches, the ground at least would be thawed out!” chuckled Coleman. “I was lucky to get into the right thing for me, at the right time. I like it, and it’s been successful for me.” “Trust me, rodeoing full time was the best job I ever had, and I still think that. But you can only do it so long before you have to start thinking about the future. Some people struggle with that, and I might have too if I hadn’t gone into this.” But just like getting on a rank bronc when a championship is on the line, there was pressure in making the leap to the traditional business world. “I put all my rodeo money into this so I couldn’t afford not to be successful. I couldn’t make mistakes, or at least not the same ones twice!” When you travel as many miles and do as much winning as Coleman did over his career, you learn a thing

or two. And those lessons served him well in his next career. “Rodeo is a business if you’re successful with the how’s and why’s. You meet people and make contacts. If you need something pretty much anywhere, you know who to call.” When it comes to significant rodeo memories, Coleman is quick to recall the first time he won the Calgary Stampede when he was just 18 years old! “It was in 1974, my first year as a pro, and that win really spring boarded me on to the big stage. If that hadn’t happened, who knows? But it was a big event. I won it on a horse named Morley of Stan Weatherly’s. I won $4,400, and that was a lot of money in those days. That was also the first year there was a Canadian Finals, and I won the championship that year, and I went to the National Finals Rodeo so it set up a pretty good roll.” The roll really lasted for two decades, during which Coleman claimed wins at nearly every major rodeo in North America in the bronc riding. But as the days with his bronc rein began to dwindle, Coleman took on a new rodeo adventure by switching gears to become a team roping header. “That was a real challenge for me. I wanted to get to the same kind of level in that. At the time, it was just a hobby. During the first three or four years of my business, I didn’t have any extra time or money for it. But later, I put more effort in, to get to a higher level. I wanted to go to some

Mel Coleman’s records Mel Coleman’s presence still looms large in rodeo’s record books. His seven Canadian saddle bronc buckles is second only to the eight owned by Rod Hay, and his 12 major championships ranks third, with only Kenny McLean and Rod Warren in front of him. Coleman’s 16 trips to the National Finals Rodeo is fourth on the alltime list of appearances for bronc riders, and his 15 go-round wins at the NFR is third highest for his event. Coleman was at the very first CFR in Edmonton, and his 20 bronc riding qualifications is still the most in that event, tied only by Rod Warren. But Coleman has added three CFR team roping appearances since then. The 91 points he chalked up in 1978 on Kesler’s Knott Inn is still the arena record in saddle bronc riding at the Canadian Finals. Mel Coleman was inducted into the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2001, and into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.

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Ranch-raised Dianne Finstad has covered rodeo and agriculture stories for thirty years, on radio, television and in print. She now works from her home in the Red Deer area. You can follow her on Twitter @DianneFinstad

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rodeos, and be competitive, not just to hear my name called. I looked at it as a contest with myself, to not look inept. It’s hard to go from the top of one level to the bottom of the next. So I put a lot of time, effort and money into it, and it’s paid off. I’ve probably won more money at team roping jackpots this winter than in an average year of riding broncs!” That commitment has meant investing in some good horses, and Coleman is proud to have a ‘whole herd’ of them. “I’ve got some nice ones. Most of them I’ve bought, and finished. I’ve been very lucky to have three or four very good horses over the last 10 or 15 years. It just makes the job a lot easier.” Canadian rodeo fans have been catching Coleman’s team roping talents this year. “I’m actually coming up to Canada one more time this summer to compete. I like the Innisfail to Ponoka run.” You can bet Mel Coleman has lined up a handy heeling partner, and if things clicked at the right rodeos, don’t be surprised if he considers a run at yet another Canadian Finals Rodeo appearance in Edmonton. So whether in rodeo or business, a champion’s approach is always Mel Coleman’s signature style.

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

PROFILES WIFE, MOTHER, GR A N DMOT H E R

Family, horses and hot pink lipstick Shannon Burwash’s passing leaves a hole in Alberta’s horse world HOMEWARD BOUND Celebrating lives lived

By Heather Grovet Galahad, Alta.

etermined. Horse crazy. Devoted to her family. Stylish and classy with hot pink lipstick. Confident. Always giving it her all. A straight shooter. Shannon Burwash was all these things, and more. “I met Shannon about six years ago, when I started showing AQHA,” fellow competitor Janet Sealey says. “I grew up riding hunter/jumpers so the Quarter Horse shows were new to me, and often I didn’t feel very confident. Shannon was very approachable from the start, and she always went out of her way to encourage me. I’d walk past her in the barn aisle and she’d say, ‘Janet, I’ve never seen a horse as well turned out as your horse.’ Shannon made showing so much easier for people like me who were just starting out.” “Shannon was a beautiful, confident woman,” trainer Lindsay Soderberg says. “She was the sort of person who could make a mistake, and not pout about it. If Shannon made an error in showmanship, you’d hardly notice because she always had poise, and she just kept on showing to the judge as though everything was perfect.” “Most people knew that Shannon broke her back in a riding accident about seven years ago,”

Soderberg continues. “The doctors told her she’d never ride again, and most people would have quit. But Shannon was determined. She didn’t feel sorry for herself, and she didn’t let pain stop her.” H u s b a n d Wa y n e B u r w a s h explains how Shannon was injured. “Shannon was riding a two-yearold, and he spooked,” Burwash says. “The horse scooted a short distance and then crow-hopped. It wasn’t a bad buck, but Shannon lost her balance and decided to bail. Unfortunately, she fractured her L4, and had two major surgeries afterwards. Shannon didn’t ride for a year, and I wasn’t sure she should start again. But eventually it became obvious that Shannon’s love for her horses was keeping her going.” “When Shannon was injured, she had to quit working,” Burwash continues. “And since she couldn’t ride, she did the next best thing... she became more active in a number of different horse associations. She was on the AQHA board, the Canadian and Alberta Quarter Horse boards, and the Equine Canada board. She cared about people and horses, and she felt that she could make a difference in these groups.” “Shannon also put a lot of time into our children and grandchildren — we now have 11 grandchildren — and she was always involved in their activities, whether equestrian or not,” Burwash says. “She wanted to make a difference in their lives, too.” The Burwash family began traveling south in the winters where they were able to show on the Ari-

Shannon Burwash, shown here with Oprah, was a stylish competitor, and always had time to lend a helping hand.

zona AQHA circuit with the assistance of Soderbergs. “One of the horses we took with us this winter was a three-year-old

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called Soo Good,” Burwash says. “This horse was born and bred at our place, and he looked as though he’d have a lot of talent as a Hunter under saddle horse. We were hoping he’d be Shannon’s next show prospect.” “Soo Good was only green broke when we got to Arizona,” Soderberg says. “We considered entering the horse in a big Hunter under saddle futurity, but none of us thought he was ready to compete. Luckily the show was postponed for a few days due to stormy weather. That gave me some more time riding the gelding, and we ended up entering him in the futurity. Soo Good won the entire circuit! You won’t believe how excited Shannon was! The win was unexpected, and she was thrilled. They had raised the horse, and Shannon had named him herself. It was a really big deal to her.”

Unfortunately Shannon never had the chance to compete on Soo Good as she passed away a week after returning home from Arizona. “It is so sad,” Burwash says. “Shannon was my true soul mate, and we did everything together. I would have liked to have seen her compete on this young horse; he might be the best horse we’ve ever raised. But Lindsay and I have determined that we’re going to show Soo Good for Shannon this year. I’d like to take him to the World Show in memory of her. We sold a half brother of this horse to a lady in Maine, and after she learned that Shannon died, she told me, ‘Shannon is going to look after us and be our guardian angel. And she’ll be watching over you and Soo Good, too.’”

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Shannon, with her granddaughter Maysa, had 11 grandchildren that she loved to spend time with alongside her husband and soul mate, Dr. Wayne Burwash, DVM.

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

P ROFILES Communi cati on

Whispering to horses Ontario communicator uses unique talent to help horses and their owners I DID IT MY WAY Personal Profile

By Amanda Macfarlane Guelph, Ont.

ntario horse whisper Lauren Bode has an impressive roster of equine acquaintances from Olympic competitors and racing champions to pleasure horses. Each one of these horses has been helped by communicating with her. “I am a horse whisperer,” says Lauren. “I give 150 per cent to help horses and horse people communicate with each other for the health and well-being of the horse. When we look for pain in a horse, often we look for lameness in the legs and back pain caused by saddle fit and that’s where it ends. When I communicate with a horse, I scan the whole body searching for areas of discomfort or pain so that I can share that information with the owner and vet. The horse can’t tell them what hurts, but he can tell me.” Lauren has helped many owners discover the underlying problems

that their horse has been dealing with. But it isn’t only horses’ wellbeing that she can help with. As one girl prepared to leave home for university, she couldn’t help but feel anxious about leaving her horse Cody behind. Despite evenings at the barn spent explaining to Cody that they would be reunited in time, she had no way of knowing if the horse understood or how he would cope when they were separated. Feeling distraught, she contacted Lauren. Right away Lauren felt that she could help this pair, and made the

“The horse can’t tell them what hurts, but he can tell me.” — Lauren Bode

her attention. Right away she felt a powerful connection that was different than any other horse she had communicated with before. She has always liked to communicate with young horses to help ease the transition of being weaned and trained, but this was different. By following the filly’s career as she blossomed into an exceptional competition horse and broodmare, the instant bond that was developed on that first encounter stays with Lauren today. They have visited many times over the years and her owners know who to call if she is not performing at her best. The bond has become so strong that Lauren has been able to alert the mare’s owners of problems she is developing before they even had the chance to realize. Lauren has a special talent for communicating between horses and humans that she uses to build relationships, and also as a diagnostic tool for health issues. In addition to doing readings on horses and other animals, she is currently working on a book that will explore many of her encounters.

drive to Uxbridge, Ont. The love and connection between the pair was undeniable and Lauren knew she had made the right choice in coming to help them. She was able to facilitate communication between the two and assure the girl that Cody understood that he meant as much to her as ever and that we would be just fine until she got back. Cody’s owner was then able to start university without the anxiety and fear that she had been feeling before Lauren came along. “I do this for the horses, but the joy that I feel when I can help a horse and owner like I did for Cody and this girl is an incredible feeling. They are so connected to each other, and I was able to help strengthen that bond as they faced this new challenge.” Perhaps this is because Lauren is not immune to the power of the relationship that can happen between a horse and a human. Twelve years ago, Lauren was at a farm in King City communicating with one of the competition horses when a yearling warmblood filly unexpectedly caught

Lauren Bode has helped Olympic competitors and racing champions communicate more effectively with their horses.

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For more information about Lauren, visit www.AnimalTalk.ca.

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

P ROFILES fitness

My heroes have always been cowboys Trainer from France helps cowboys stay fit to ride with uniquely-designed fitness program I DID IT MY WAY

“They shouldn’t call it a workout because it isn’t really work. When you move better in the saddle, it’s a joy for both you and your horse.”

Personal Profile

By Doris Daley Turner Valley, Alta.

here’s a certain je ne sais quoi about a man with a fused shoulder who makes a living as a personal trainer... who grew up in a village in the French Alps and now counts cowboys and ranchers as his friends and role models... who traded a job in Tahiti working with tourists (30 above) for a job in Alberta working with Simmental cows (30 below)... who figures he made the better choice... who has a thriving business in a town where Stats Canada says he should never succeed. Meet Christophe Labrune, massage therapist, personal trainer, equine enthusiast and the proprietor of K32 Fitness Studio in Nanton, Alta. Armed with a Kinesiology Degree and fueled by fond memories of an earlier Canadian hitch-hiking trip, Christophe moved from his native France to Vancouver in 1994 with two goals: learn English and find out what the bigger world might have in store. Now, 20 years later, it’s a move best measured in memories rather than miles. And it’s a move that his clients hope is permanent. “We would hate to see him leave the country,” says long-time area rancher Mac Blades. “He keeps us all in good shape!” Adds cowboy old-timer Wayne

— Wayne Schlosser

Rancher Mac Blades (l) has been working out with Christophe Labrune (r) for eight years at the K32 Fitness Studio. K stands for Kristophe and 32 was his grandparent’s house number in France. “A new start with old ties,” he explains.

Schlosser, “Because of Christophe, I get to keep on doing want I want to do, mostly on horseback.” But how did a garcon from smalltown France end up working with ranchers in rural Alberta? In Vancouver, working as a personal trainer, one of his clients owned property near Kamloops. “I asked if I could go with her one time,” remembers Christophe. “I spent the entire day cleaning out an old shed full of decrepit tools,

paint cans and expired pharmaceuticals.” The boss was impressed with his clean-up job and invited Christophe back the next day to gather horses off the winter range. That started a relationship with cowboys on the Stump Lake Ranch... cowboys who turned out to have roots in a province called Alberta. A car crash in Vancouver in 1995 changed everything. “I had time on my hands and decided to go to

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Alberta to see what my cowboy friends had been talking about.” Alberta wasn’t easy, but it became home. He had no working cowboy background (only weekend recreational riding); still, Christophe got a job wrangling horses and dudes in Banff. “It was a good start,” he recalls, “but the operation was too big for me to really learn anything.” Christophe found ranch work, but with winter coming, he opted for a big change and moved to Tahiti where he worked in security for wealthy tourists. After 9/11, Americans weren’t travelling anymore and he could see there was no future there. He moved back to Alberta in spring where a Granum rancher gave him a chance in calving season. Christophe said, “I’ll work for you for 10 days for free and let’s see what happens. I had never worked with cattle before — but I liked those Simmental cows more than I liked the tourists back in Tahiti.” A chance encounter at a local roping jackpot sent him to Sid Cook, a renowned horse trainer who lives west of Nanton. Christophe was eager to soak up horsemanship knowledge from Sid, and soon Cook knew about Christophe’s background in fitness training and kinesiology. “Can you do a fitness clinic in my basement?” asked Sid. Christophe recalls that first fitness class with amusement. “In Vancouver, my clients were professional yuppies wearing the latest fitness gear. Now I was in a ranch house basement looking at five guys wearing wranglers and plaid shirts. We didn’t have dumbbells so we used wrenches and sledge hammers. In Europe, every little boy wants to be a cowboy. Now I had five of the real deal in front of me and I said, ‘oh man, what am I doing here?’” Those five cowboys were quickly sold on the benefits of training,

and now, jokes Christophe, “they all speak English with a French accent.” Fast forward and voila! K32 Fitness Studio exists and thrives in Nanton as a private club with a client base of men and women who make their living horseback, ages 30-85. Clients like Mac and Renie Blades and Wayne and Maxine Schlosser are on Christophe’s list of clients. “These are some of the most beautiful people in the world,” he says. “Unpretentious. Classy. Honest. The men are gentlemen, the women are beautiful inside and out. They are a breed of people with common sense and an attachment to real life. I’m surrounded by the best breed of men I could ever identify with. I stay in Nanton because I want to grow and because I’m surrounded by role models.” And his clients hope he’s here to stay. “He knows the human body and the horse world,” says third generation rancher Mac Blades. “It’s the perfect skill set for who we are. “When you get a little older, you need to work a little harder to keep limbered up. Christophe has done enough with horses that he understands what a horseman needs to stay fit. My wife and I usually work out twice a week. I use my body way better now than I ever did. I couldn’t wrestle calves at branding time, and I couldn’t keep up with back country skiing in the winter if it wasn’t for Christophe.” Wayne Schlosser spent his life on tractors and horses. Now in his 70s, he cowboys for the EP and the D ranches south west of Longview. He’s sold on his workout program. “I got results after only a few visits,” he explains. “I couldn’t even walk straight, and soon I was limbered up and touching my toes. They shouldn’t call it a workout because it isn’t really work. When you move better in the saddle, it’s a joy for both you and your horse.” “I was a man living in pain and living with a bad back,” says Schlosser. “I had nothing to lose and figured fitness training was worth a try. Now I tell other cowboys: don’t wait too long. Go to the gym and get limbered up.” “My clients love what they do, and I want to keep them doing it,” says Christophe. Working with horses and cattle is physically demanding, and the enthusiastic trainer from the little village in France is helping Alberta horsemen do it smarter, longer, and pain-free. C’est formidable!

HORSESALL.COM

HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

P ROFILES Patty’s Pony Pl ac e

Getting your pony off pogey Alberta couple helps provide jobs for pudgy little ponies! OUR WAY OF LIFE Making a living with horses

By Heather Grovet Galahad, Alta.

atty Kramps and Kelly Miller of Patty’s Pony Place haven’t always owned ponies. In fact, there was a short spell in their lives where they didn’t have a single equine on their property located north of Edmonton. “Both Kelly and I grew up horseback riding,” Kramps says. “But when my 26 year old mare, Big Red died, we thought we were finished with horses. But next spring our acreage looked empty, so we visited the Westlock Auction. We watched the auction for hours, and eventually a little bay pony was chased into the ring. He was limping and his halter was embedded in his head, but the

pony had a pretty face and bright, lively eyes, so I bid on him. He was our first pony, and in the next few years others followed.” The couple named that first pony Gimli, after a dwarf on The Lord of the Rings. “It turned out Gimli was halter broke, and even appeared to have some driving experience,”

“Ponies are a bit like potato chips. You can’t stop with just one.” — Patty Kramps

Kramps says. “But when we began to search for pony-sized harness and carts we ran into problems. All we could find were two types of equipment; cheap, poorly made stuff, or else tack too expensive for our budget. Kelly and I decided that if locating good pony equipment was difficult for us, it probably was for other pony owners, too. And since we’re entrepreneurs, we decided to start a business providing well made, reasonably priced carts and harness for ponies and miniatures horses.” So in 2011 the couple purchased 30 carts in a variety of colours and sizes, and took them to the Red Deer Mane Event. “When we ran out of vehicles, Kelly decided to make his own,” Kramps says. “Kelly grew up driving and showing draft horses, so he knew what was needed. His little carts are well made, have good suspensions and are safe and stable.”

Patty Kramps (r) and Kelly Miller have 20 ponies on their property, many who have been rescued from poor living conditions. photo: Kevin Flynn

“Our goal is to give chubby little ponies a job,” Kramps laughs. “Kelly calls it the ‘Get ponies off pogey program!’ With that in mind, we’re trying to organize pony Scurry Races here in Alberta. (Scurry is a fast-paced equine sport popular in Europe, where ponies run a short pattern around a course of pylons.) Kelly demonstrated Scurry at this year’s Mane Event, and it was a crowd pleaser. And the best thing about Scurry is that any pony and driver can do it. Your pony doesn’t have to be fast and talented to have

fun because you can start slow and work your way up. Pudgy little ponies might never run a marathon, but they can run a Scurry course.” The couple now owns 20 ponies of various ages and sizes. “Ponies are a bit like potato chips,” Kramps admits. “You can’t stop with just one. Many of our ponies were rescued from less than ideal situations, and now we’ve given them a home and a job. Some of our ponies will eventually be for resale, and some, like Gimli, will be here forever.”

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

PROFILES BULL RIDING

Chotowetz battles back Young gun rebounds from injury-plagued 2012 campaign HOOKED ON BULLS Profiles on the PBR

By Ted Stovin Calgary, Alta.

t just 17 years old, Todd Chotowetz (pronounced “C u t- o - w e t s ) w o n t h e 2011 titles of all three Alberta Semi-Pro Rodeo Associations including the FCA, WRA and LRA. Those three weekends in Red Deer, Barrhead and St. Paul, Alta. earned the young man $17,000 alone. That didn’t include the season

earnings of $21,000 to bring his season total to $38,000. “It was a good year. For a 17-year-old kid, ‘I was thinking I would never have to work again,’” Todd recalled. Now, in 2013, “Turns out I did,” he laughs. That being said, Chotowetz is proud to work, and proud to be a big part of the family’s farming and ranching operation near Major, Sask. “We run 400 cows and 650 yearlings, and then we grain farm which takes a long time. Six thousand acres we seed, mostly canola and wheat.”

Rodeo was always around for Todd and his family. “Growing up in Pierceland, our neighbour was Jerry Walker. He was an all-around guy. I kept going back up there and hanging out with him. He was a pretty big influence.” Todd’s first steer ride was a memorable one. “When I was six I got on a steer with a life vest and a hockey helmet. The steer pinned me up between a gate. Looking back at it, it was pretty ridiculous.” After surviving that shootout in the corral, a few years passed by before he would continue competition.

“I always wanted to get on. My parents just thought I was going through a phase but then it never went away. They let me go to a bull riding school when I was 11.” Former Canadian Bull Riding Finalist Jim Lawrence of Kennedy, Sask. was Todd’s first instructor. “It was fun. I had no idea what to expect but after the first time there was sure no looking back. It was something like I’ve never… you know what I mean, I don’t know how to describe it.” After a few years in the Canadian Cowboys Association in the

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In 2011, Todd Chotowetz won all three Semi Pro Bull Riding Championships in Alberta. PHOTO: MIKE COPEMAN

Steer Riding (Todd said he “was a terrible steer rider”), his next success came in the Junior Bull Riding and High School Ranks. Chotowetz decided to turn professional at the start of 2012 after his outstanding successes in 2011. It wasn’t all he planned it to be however. “It was a shitty year from the get-go it seemed like. I broke my collarbone, then I broke it again. When I came back it didn’t seem like I was riding very good. Once I got settled in, I broke my foot. It was a lull. I was there but I didn’t do much.”

“It was a shitty year from the get-go it seemed like. I broke my collarbone, then I broke it again.”  TODD CHOTOWETZ

Schedule of Events Wednesday, July 24 For information on Jackpots & Practices running July 21-24, 2013 check www.chsfrnanton.com

For Sponsorship Opportunities or more information email: shawna@cowboystuf.com

3:00 pm : Directors Meeting 5:00 pm : CHECK IN CLOSES 5:30 pm : Mandatory Contestant/Parent Meeting in arena AND Team Pictures in grandstand 6 – 8:00 pm : Meet and Greet barbeque (Recreation Center across Highway)

Thursday, July 25

8:30 am : 1st go High School Cutting 10:00 am : 1st go Jr. High Finals 2:00 pm : 1st go High School Finals 7:00 pm : Go Round Awards presentations (Rec Center) 7:30 pm : Dummy Roping Jackpot 8:30 pm : Family Dance (Rec Center)

Friday, July 26

8:30 am : 2nd go High School Cutting 10:00 am : 2nd go Jr. High Finals 2:00 pm : 2nd go High School Finals 7:00 pm : Go Round Awards (Main Street) - Late Night Shopping & Tug-O-War Competition

Saturday, July 27

8:30 am : 3rd go High School Cutting 10:00 am : 3rd go Jr. High Finals Scholarship & prize presentation following in main arena 2:00 pm : 3rd go High School Finals Scholarship & prize presentation following in main arena

Follow our event updates on our Facebook page

www.chSrFnanton.com . . . . . . Thank you to our Major Sponsors . . . . . . Brahma Boots Montana Silversmiths CPRA

Rodeo Connection • JUNE 2013 • Page 72

Town of Nanton

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Adding insult to injury was a stolen gear bag in the middle of Cowboy Christmas. Not the most opportune time to lose something of such importance. Luckily, living in the rodeo world there’s always extra stuff to go around. By the time the dust settled, Chotowetz had made it out of his rookie season with about $8,000 in winnings between Pro Rodeo and the PBR’s which is still quite respectable for an 18 year old. In 2013 thus far, things have been going his way. “It’s been an alright start I guess. Winning Coleman was neat. My first pro win. Since then I’ve just been plugging away. I’m not sitting in too bad of shape going into this next month or two. I’m going to try and stay on more bulls at the bigger rodeos and keep my hand shut.” With his sights on the Canadian Finals Rodeo and PBR Canadian Finals, Todd Chotowetz is on his way to hitting both goals.

HORSESALL.COM

HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

P ROFILES Horse Racing

Training to be a jockey Kimberley Dunsmore hitting stride at Olds College’s equine program YOUNG GUNS Up and coming stars

By Kelly Sidoryk Lloydminster, Alta.

t is like nothing else I have ever done before,” says Kimberley Dunsmore of riding racehorses. She has done a fair bit in the equine world for one so young, including show jumping. Dunsmore, from north of Lloydminster, has been riding since she was a little girl. Because of her small size and a thirst for more horse adventures, she decided to enrol in the Exercise Rider and Jockey training program at Olds College after graduating from high school last year. “This is the only program of its kind in Western Canada, and I wanted to pursue a career where I was working with horses every day,” she says. One of the big learning curves for Dunsmore has been, “how much physical strength you need to ride these horses. It is completely different than any other discipline.”

an outrider to ensure she can handle the track. Thirdly she must meet the weight requirements. With the Thouroughbreds, the maximum weight is 115 pounds and with Quarter horses the jockeys can be up to 120 pounds. Most jockeys don’t regularly exercise the horse because of the strength required. Generally speaking, the exercise riders are heavier and stronger. Some jockeys do breeze horses in the morning to get used to working with them. Dunsmore’s goal is to be as successful as she can be in this male dominated sport. Her inspirations have been two female jockeys, Chantal Sutherland and Jennifer Reid, a previous graduate of the Olds College program. Dunsmore is now starting her practicum at Northlands where she will spend the summer. It is tough work but she is excited about it. She will be on the job seven days a week, starting at 6 a.m. Watch out for this up-and-coming Young Gun. In a couple of years she may be one of the few female Canadian jockeys racing around a track near you.

Jockey sc h ool

One-of-a-kind at Olds College Under supervision and instruction of horse racing professionals, the Exercise Rider and Jockey program at Olds College is designed to give students confidence and the necessary skills to be an entry level exercise rider and jockey at the Alberta Horse Racing tracks. The Alberta tracks are Northlands in Edmonton, Evergreen Park in Grande Prairie and the Rocky Mountain Turf Club in Lethbridge. Selection to get into the program is based on a riding test, interview, fitness test and a basic medical evaluation. To graduate, students will log 60 rides with industry horses in training. Previous graduate, Omar Morino went on to win the outstanding apprentice jockey award in 2009.

One of the biggest physical adjustments to riding race horses says former show jumper Kimberley Dunsmore is standing in the short stirrups.

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The stirrups are extremely short and the rider is standing in them. “The body position is totally different as is how you hold your hands,” she says. “You are also always announcing yourself as you are leading a horse, coming out of stalls or into alleyways.” The behaviour of these horses is also quite different than the horses Dunsmore has been accustomed too. Race horses are really fed up and high energy. They are stalled all the time when not out on the track. Says Dunsmore, “once you throw your leg over the horse, it is never standing still.” When exercising horses, there can be as many as 100 horses, all going every which way. “It is crazy,” Dunsmore exclaims, “like driving on the freeway.” It is easy for the horses to just go sideways out from underneath the rider. For those safety reasons, the student riders wear both flack jackets and sturdy helmets. Dunsmore is working towards getting her actual jockey license in two years. She will continue as an exercise rider until then. She will first take a gate test, then be approved by

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SPECIAL FEATURE Events and News of Note THE LONE RANGER

HI-YO SILVER!

The Lone Ranger, starring Armie Hammer in the lead role and Johnny Depp as Tonto, opens in Canada on July 3rd. PHOTO: ©DISNEY 2013

Meet Bobby Lovgren, Silver’s trainer in the new movie The Lone Ranger

OBBY LOVGREN has spent a lifetime being in the right place at the right time. Which may be an odd thing to say about a would-be world famous movie horse trainer born in South Africa.

By Cindy Bablitz

in the movie industry, Bobby says the same prime directive governs his work as directs the attentions of horse trainers the world over. “The most important thing is the safety of His credits now list him as head horse trainer the animals.” on this summer’s hotly anticipated Disney’s The movie business inherently involves a The Lone Ranger as well as War Horse, Sea Bislot of waiting, which in itself can be fatiguing cuit, Racing Stripes… and some 20 others... a for human or animal, and the role of horses in destiny perhaps befitting Bobby’s beginnings all movies — including the role of Silver in The as the son of parents who owned and operated Lone Ranger (premiering July 3 in Canada) — one of South Africa’s largest jumping and dresis played by several individuals. In fact, Silver sage facilities. is played by four Quarter It was in the mid-1980s horses… not including the when Bobby’s work in the stunt doubles who, Bobby movie business on the other “Training horses promises, perform certain side of the planet hailed him for movies means maneuvers we haven’t seen recognition that earned an on screen before. invitation to come to Calibeing able to A special challenge fornia and work with world recognize those unique to the role of Silver renowned Glenn Randall animals who have on screen was the very and his son Corky Randall. nature of Silver’s colour. The Randalls trained the personality to Unlike in films featuring horses for just about every interact with his darker horses who can have major motion picture fellow actors…” mismatching colour patches featuring horses from the  BOBBY LOVGREN dyed or made up to make 1950s onward, including seamless the transitions Roy Rogers’ Trigger and from scene to scene using Dale Evans’ Buttermilk, different horses, white Ben Hur, The Alamo, The coloured horses don’t make up well. Black Stallion, Ishtar and The Mask of Zorro, to “You can’t hide different skin pigmentaname but a few. The opportunity was priceless tion, and if they get wet, that shines through for Bobby. on a white horse. If it’s warm or it rains, if “I was so fortunate to meet up with and get the horse gets dirty... getting the white horse to learn from and work with the Randalls,” shots consistent from scene to scene are the Bobby says. Still, far from the glamourous life often imagined of those who earn their keep working » Continued on next page Calgary, Alta.

Trainer Bobby Lovgren is challenged to bring the ‘actor’ out of the horse in order to emotionally connect with the other actors on screen.

Making four different white horses look the same was far more difficult than working with dark coloured horses. PHOTO: ©DISNEY 2013

HORSESALL.COM

HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

SPECIAL FEATURE

most difficult. White horses are high maintenance,” Bobby laughs. The work of keeping the look of Silver consistent on screen makes for long hours for Bobby and the groomers he has working with him; but Bobby himself will be the first to insist, it’s the horses who work hardest, and their care and keeping is an urgent priority. “Even for the standing still shots, we always have more than one horse ready. In films, we do things many times over, and because they’re actors every bit as much as their human cast mates, their well-being truly matters, because personality and stress show up on screen,” Bobby says. It’s an interesting job, training horses for movies, and it’s not a job cut out for everyone, even the most devoted of horseman or woman. Understanding the movie business itself, and the plethora of elements that goes into every aspect of the process is as important, Bobby warns, as understanding horses. “When you’re training horses for competitions, for cutting or reining, you don’t mind whether the horse has personality, and likes interacting with a lot of people. Training horses for movies means being able to recognize those animals who have the personality to interact with his fellow actors, and working to bring out that personality so it shows up on film. He has to be not only a good athlete to perform the tasks scripted for him, but he has to be a good actor too… and that’s where I come in, to help everyone involved understand what the horse needs to bring out the best in him.” Bobby says that one of the most common questions he is asked by hopeful young trainers is how to get into the movie horse training business. And the answer is often a disappointing reality check: there aren’t that many horse-centric movies being made these days.

Above: Tonto (Johnny Depp) gets up close and personal with Silver. Four different AQHA horses were used in making the movie. This remake of the classic 1950’s television show is one of the most highly-anticipated movies of the summer. PHOTOS: ©DISNEY 2013

Getting into the union, understanding the movie making process where every one of the two to 300 persons on set has an important job to do, having the communication skills to understand those various roles and to efficiently advocate for the needs of your horse… these are all equally as important, perhaps more so, than being a brilliant conventional horse trainer. Still, it’s a good life, and one Bobby never takes for granted. He’s enjoyed living and working in southern California with his wife and three sons who so far favour motorcross more than equestrian endeavors. The privilege of getting to work on a film genre far more rare today than in the heyday of the dusty western and celluloid’s early years is one he encourages film-goers to consider. “Having three kids, I know it’s so difficult to find a good family movie to go to. That’s what’s so great about The Lone Ranger. I really want to encourage everyone to go out to see it. We’ll see more movies about horses when movies about horses show a lot of success in the box office.”

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

P ROFILES A r a bian ho r ses

Standardbred

Standardbred enjoys jumping Bart is now 24 and is teaching a new generation of riders HORSE HEROES

Surprise! It’s Twins Champion stallion and show mare team up for rare feat

Profiles of exceptional horses

By Robyn Moore

A BREED APART

Airdrie, Alta.

Horse breeder profile

t’s something that every horse owner loves — a perfect stranger complimenting their horse. But imagine if that perfect stranger was Ian Miller riding Big Ben? It happened to Holly Howard and it is her favourite memory of competing with her horse. Holly was at Spruce Meadows for the first time as a part of Battle of the Breeds with Performance Standardbreds. She was riding her horse, Bare Essentials, a Standardbred from the track who had never raced because he was too slow. “My first time in the warm up ring Ian Millar rode beside me on Big Ben,” remembers Holly. “It was his farewell tour and, as I am completely speechless, he nodded at me and said ‘nice horse.’ I will never forget that moment.” But that is just one moment in many. “Every day I see him is a new memory,” Holly says, “Twenty-one years is a long time, trying everything and everything you can and shouldn’t do with horses, he was always up for it as long as I was.” Holly’s parents purchased Bare Essentials or “Bart” as he is affectionately known as a 4 year old in 1992. Bart was born in Leduc in 1989. He was sired by Ruble and out of Beulah Witch. “My parents picked him up right at Stampede Park,” remembers Holly. Throughout the years, Holly and

By Robyn Moore Airdrie, Alta.

M Holly Howard and Bart have enjoyed 21 years together, competing in barrels but excelling in show jumping.

Bart were inseparable as young girls and horses typically are. From Pony Club to parades, and competing in jumping to barrel racing, Bart would do it all. He even travelled to Olds College with Holly for a brief stint. “But he always excelled at jumping,” says Holly. “I have never sat on a horse who tried so hard every time out in the ring, he just knew.” He competed to success in the three-foot, three-inch and three-foot, six-inch jumper classes. When he was 17, Bart was forced into retirement because of an injured check ligament. “Unfortunately he still doesn’t think he should have been retired but loves the attention he gets and sure does love his kids,” says Holly. “Bart is now a very happily retired 24 year old. He’ll still give you a good ride if you’re up to it, but he is more than happy to let my eight year old son bring him in and hop on.” Eight-year-old Braden now owns

Bart. And, although officially retired, he still has two jobs: looking after Braden and teaching a new yearling colt to behave. “I really owe a lot to Bart; he was always there when I needed a friend and don’t ever forget to hug his head before you get on or you will not get on. I love him and I love to talk about him he has given me the passion and means to do what I love. I am forever grateful that my parents picked up this Standardbred from the track.” Sponsor of Horse Heroes

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ike and Sheena Steenhart from Morning Sun Arabians were expecting five foals from this year’s foal crop. They got six. First-time dam, MSU Seraphim was only bred last year on their vet’s advice that time off and pregnancy would help heal the strained ligament in her back. After all, the seven-year-old mare and 2010 Canadian National Champion Hunter Pleasure Jr. Horse was purchased as a show horse, not a broodmare. “We were there when they were born,” says Mike. “So, the filly was born first and then the mare got up and we were looking at each other like, ‘holy cow this thing is little.’ And then she got up and laid down the other way.” Sheena laughs and says, “and we thought ‘that can’t mean there’s another one?’” “So we went and we looked and there was the boy coming. So I helped him or else he wouldn’t have made it if we weren’t there,” says Mike.

“At this point, all Spitfyre babies are for sale. They’re not all the same price, but they’re all for sale. Because we keep making more!” — Mike Steenhart

They were small but healthy, one filly and one colt. In 50 years of breeding, Mike has never encountered twins. Their now deceased stallion, Bey Eclypse, produced multiple Canadian National top 10s. One gelding by Bey Eclypse that Mike and Sheena are especially proud of is MS Sincerely Bey. They bred, raised, trained and conditioned him themselves. Mike showed him in the Canadian Nationals to a top 10 finish in the amateur before selling him to California, where he continued his show ring successes, first in performance classes at the Regionals and Canadian Nationals, and then in the U.S. Youth Nationals. “They need to be pretty,” says Sheena, “they need to look like Arabians. They need to be struc-

MSU Seraphim (aka Ruth) is a Canadian National Champion Hunter Pleasure Junior Horse. While taking a year off to heal from an injury, she was bred and produced twins.

turally correct and athletic. As much as we both enjoy the halter horses, I ride as well, and we have always wanted to breed horses that were not only beautiful and could compete in the Halter ring, but that could go on to have a performance career afterwards. The other major thing that we have focussed on from a breeding perspective is their trainability and their ability to be trainable by amateurs; that they be easy. Good dispositions, good temperament.” Their current stallion, Spitfyre VF is continuing the tradition. His oldest foals are just two years old now, but they are already placing in the show ring. In 2012, Spitfyre, shown by Mike, achieved Canadian National Champion Stallion AAOTH and Reserve Champion at U.S. Nationals in the same class. Spitfire left for Wisconsin last month to be shown by Andy Sellman, who is one of the top Halter handlers in North America. “Our old stallion was very consistent,” says Sheena. “He was a great horse and he produced some amazing amateur performance horses. This horse (Spitfyre) is leagues above that horse. I don’t think that I ever believed I would own a horse of this caliber who was capable of producing foals of this caliber. And so in some ways now, as breeders, we owe it to him, and we owe it to the rest of the world to share with them. It will be a new adventure.” As for the twins, they’ll be for sale when they’re weaned. “At this point, all Spitfyre babies are for sale,” says Mike. “They’re not all the same price, but they’re all for sale. Because we keep making more!” “I want her twins to grow up so I can have my show horse back!” says Sheena.

Sponsor of A Breed Apart

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

INSPIRATIONS Inspired by People and Horses PHOTOGRAPHER

Tracy Burton — Photographer Following in her grandmother’s footsteps — inheriting the gift of a creative eye By Cindy Bablitz Calgary, Alta.

“

War Paint

Looking Back

Three Granaries

think some of the photography might have come by me naturally.” Tracy Burton, fine art western photographer, lives and works in the foothills just southwest of Calgary, (“I thank my lucky stars to live here,” she says) and counts herself among the very few Calgarians who were actually born here. In fact, she’s a second generation genuine Calgarian... a downright rare breed. Her photography and mixed media work is inspired by the landscape of her horizons... but one could argue the magic of her work is in her blood. “My grandmother, born in 1920, had a camera,” Tracy explains. “Today, everyone has a camera, but in the 1930s, very few people did. And grandma’s family wasn’t well-to-do: they were coal miners, emigrated to Mountain Park, (near Jasper and now a ghost town) from England. For her to have that Brownie, and to have captured such a snapshot of her life and times in a humble collection of still images... it was really quite remarkable. “There are pictures of bison and bighorn sheep, of sports teams she and her siblings were on, of hunting and fishing and picnics. I treasure photographs of my grandfather and his brother on their horses… there are even pictures she took of Bing Crosby golfing at the Banff Springs. My grandmother’s photographs captured a time that doesn’t exist anymore. In a way, when I’m taking pictures, I think that I’m documenting some of my own era that will one day be past.” Interestingly, for a medium that is by its very nature representational, Tracy’s photographs are increasingly serving as foundations for mixed media embellishments

Timber Ghosts

Two Bison

from acrylic paint and textiles to aged maps and iconic religious regalia. In 2008, Tracy had her first work juried in the Calgary Stampede’s Western Art Showcase, which spurred her on to taking her photography hobby a bit more seriously. In 2012 Tracy was invited by the Fish Creek Restoration Society to contribute to the Artisan Garden, a one-ofa-kind art gallery presented in nature and open to the public year-round. The Artisan Garden honours the memory of the First Nations people and the rich history of Fish Creek and the Bow Valley Ranche through 175 works of art by 72 artists. Tracy’s contributions to the Artisan Garden showcase her creative willingness to take the art form of photography to an entirely new dimension... and the result is a captivating expression that is at once contemporary and nostalgic. She comes by the expressive, evocative love for the western life and the iconic imagery of the western lifestyle by living it, not just through the blood and creative eye inherited from her grandmother. Together with her husband Gordon, Tracy has guided and outfitted hunters upon the vast prairies and into the mountain wilderness for over 20 years. So many of the images Tracy captures are inspired by a tradition of long hours in the saddle and on the trail where her daydreams birth curiosity about new ways to see old things. WHERE TO SEE IT

To view more of Tracy’s work, go to www.burtonphotoart.com, or visit her at the Millarville Market this summer.

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

I NSPIRATIONS TOPIC

Bernie Brown – still going strong Celebrating 30 years drawing western life By Cindy Bablitz Calgary, Alta.

t’s a sweet life, and he knows it. Pencil artist Bernie Brown has made more than a name for himself — he’s made a veritable industry of himself — in 30 years of simply drawing simple pictures. Sweet pictures. A Bernie Brown rendering somehow conveys the quietude of the western lifestyle; it’s almost as though the absence of colour in his black and white pencil drawings visually silences... as though the cacophony of colour you don’t see in most Bernie Brown originals are like the unnecessary adornments in a life humbly lived. “I wouldn’t mind doing something in colour,” Bernie says, “But even though I can see in my mind’s eye the colour a thing should be, I never was very good at translating particular colours to paper. So mostly I stick with black and white and honestly, I enjoy the way I see people adding their colours in their own imagination.” Although he’s not sure exactly how many drawings he’s created in some 30 years of drawing for a living, the number is somewhere around 500. It seems his love for the art, and his love for the family he’s been able to work, grow and live with have always trumped keeping

Artist Bernie Brown with his grandson

tabs on his productivity. He was drawing when he was a little boy, but it was while he was a junior high teacher in 1983 that he decided to up the ante on his own creative potential. By 1986, he’d earned his first spot in the Stampede Western Art Showcase, and with the inventory of drawings he’d created for that headlining show, Bernie and his wife Margie started a humble tour of local craft shows, selling his wares, shaking hands, telling stories and taking the time to get to know the buyers of his work. “That was the key to my success,” Bernie says. “I was willing to go to all those small town craft fairs, and the peo-

ple who started buying my drawings all felt that they knew me. It was always such an enjoyable way to spend a weekend, connecting and listening to and telling stories with people who really liked my work.” These days, Bernie Brown’s inventory of originals, limited edition prints and reproductions — including the wildly famous and iconically popular Boys Will Be Boys and Potty Break — are mostly sold from stores Bernie and Margie have launched in Longview, Okotoks and High River. The Boot Hill Gallery stores celebrate not only the art Bernie has prolifically created over three decades, but the accoutrements that kit out the western lifestyle he and his family so love.a The stores sell art from Bernie and other selected western artists, home decor including furniture, blankets, glass and metal work as well as western clothing. Bernie lives with his wife Margie on an Angus ranch near Okotoks. Their daughter Macey with ranching husband Dustin and their two children, four-year-old Noah and 18-month old Talen live across the road. Bernie and Margie’s son Joel lives four miles away and works in oil in Calgary, and their daughter Carly, a dentist, lives in Calgary and works in Okotoks. It’s a sweet life...and he knows it.

Boys Will Be Boys

Ready and Waiting

216 1st St. Cochrane, AB

403-932-2121

Kippy Chinkaderos with Swarovski crystals

Handmade candle wall sconce

Hand carved wooden keepsake boxes

Mesquite lamps inlaid with real turquoise with solid copper shades. Handmade silver wine holders, cigar holders and jewellery boxes inlaid with turquoise, coral or onyx.

• Ladies Western Boutique including; Double D Ranchwear, Patricia Wolf, Pendleton, Alan Michael Leather Jackets, Pat Dahnke, Brazil Roxx, Scully, Jewellery & Accessories • Ever expanding Menswear including Pendleton, Panhandle Slim, Belts, Wallets & Watches A Day to Remember

• Pendleton blankets & dishware • Custom Furniture, lighting, accessories and much more Home Décor

FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1984

Where to find it

To view more of Bernie’s creations, and for information about the Boot Hill Gallery stores, surf to www.berniebrown.com. You can also find him on Facebook as Bernie Brown’s Boot Hill Gallery.

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

INSPIRATIONS

THE

MERCANTILE

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Victory Tack Shop

p One of the prettiest logos in the Alberta equine industry is now available in bling on both military style short brim, and regular baseball caps. With different hat/ bling colour options, order yours online at www.victorytackshop.com for $19.95 to suit your personal taste and style.

Trace Embroidery

p Flaunt your jumping attitude with these great “Get Over It” hats from Trace Embroidery. The cotton ball cap features an adjustable strap, and regular ball cap sized brim. To ensure it stands up to days in and out of the barn, the soft pink colour adds a feminine flare, while the embroidered logo is guaranteed to last. Available in all colour combos shown from www.traceembroidery.com for only $19.95

Frontier Western Shop

t Nothing beats a true baseball cap with mesh backing for keeping you cool in the summer months. But why settle for your boyfriend’s old hat when you can enjoy said perks with this stylish cap by Adiktd, rhinestones and all! Available for $29.95 from www.westernshop.com

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p A subtle, yet fun hat to add to your equestrian style statement this summer. These caps feature an exclusive art design by Becky Raubacher of Animals to Wear and are available in Paprika, Tan, Eggplant and black. The feminine shape will flatter your face and the short brim ensures you will have the sun protection and visibility you need. Available at www.kerrits.com for $22.00

t Enough with the bling you’re saying?! Well, gentlemen this one’s for you. Cowboy up this year with a moss/khaki two-toned adjustable snapback hat by Roughly with embroidered logo. Find it at www.irvines.ca for only $29.95 and join your cowgirl in style this summer.

ad-horses all:ad-galleries west 13-05-08 6:07 PM Page 1 The 32nd Annual Western Showcase

WesternArt s h o w July 5 - 14, 2013

Halls D & E, The Western Oasis, BMO Centre, Stampede Park

Western Art A u c t i o n J 11, 2013 a 5p.m. — tke $75

Palomino Room, BMO Centre, Stampede Park

PRODUCTION SALE – SEPT 6, 2013 SELLING 50 FOALS & A SELECTION OF MARES With Ruzicka

Ranch (Carolyn & Danny Van Cleave email vancleavesilver@gmail.com or Greg & Lynn Ruzicka ph 780-336-2224)

BURNT LAKE LIVESTOCK MART, RED DEER, AB, 7PM • Breeding rope, ranch, reining & recreation prospects • Proudly supplying the horses used in the Red Deer Mane Event Trainers Challenge • Bueno Chex & Blueboy Quincy Bloodlines • Art Auction • Gallery • Artists’ Studios • Artist Ranch Project • Western Photo Gallery

mandi@aceofclubs.ca • (403) 783-9835

For more information, please visit calgarystampede.com/westernshowcase or call 403.261.0573 The Cowboy’s Cowboy by Duke Beardsley

AceOfClubsQuarterHorses.com

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

I NSPIRATIONS Western flair

Cowboy Iron Works Creating functional works of horseshoe art GOING IN STYLE Equine fashion and flair

By Cindy Bablitz Calgary, Alta.

n a little hay ranch near R aymore, Sask. where husband Cody Alexander also builds grain bins and wife Kathy Alexander also fixes meals, dries tears and changes diapers for the pair’s two children, (three-year-old Lane and oneyear-old Heartley), a new artistic endeavor is being forged out of horseshoes. Twisted Wire is actually the culmination of Cody’s long time passion and Kathy ’s creative encouragement for marketing. The building blocks are simple, the product ideas are simple, the process of creating is simple… but the outcome of what Cody and Kathy create is a collection of elegant, inspired, soothing and downright pretty items that are both functional and decorative. “So many people would come into our house and see our coat racks, or our bathroom towel and toilet roll racks and say, “I really like that! Would you make me one?” So that’s kinda what

started us thinking that Cody’s creations had the potential to become marketable,” Kathy says. “Then, Cody’s dad, (Greg Alexander, of Just Passing, who we featured in Horses All in September 2012) asked Cody to build something for him to use in his business as a promotional give away. He’s really the one who encouraged us to start Twisted Wire.” Cody’s mom, Debbie Alexander, a horsewoman in her own right, and owner and operator of GD Ranch near Water Valley, Alta. has also been a huge support to Cody and Kathy’s new venture, displaying their products and being a “walking advertisement” for Twisted Wire, Kathy says. Twisted Wire only officially launched in March this year, and already the orders are coming in fast and furious. The Facebook launch was a real kickstarter; in fact, about 90 per cent of Twisted Wire’s business comes through the iconic social media site. The line features hat racks, coat racks, wine racks, garden hose racks, bathroom and kitchen sets and décor items for wall mounting, like hearts, stars and the twisted ribbon symbolic

bon sales is donated to the Canadian Cancer Society. Custom orders — including name plates all welded from horseshoes — are available and custom colours can be requested.

To view the full product line of and to be inspired for your own Twisted Wire creat i o n , s u r f to w w w. t w i s te d wire.ca or find Twisted Wire on Facebook.

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Don Weller - The ArTisT

orses and drawing were early passions for internationally renowned artist Don Weller. Growing up in Pullman, Washington, he drew constantly when he wasn’t riding horses. He graduated from Washington State University with a degree in fine art and moved to California where he had a successful career

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

INSPIRATIONS COWBOY POETRY

Pretty Yellow Flowers

“Grandmom! Come and lookie here!” called the happy little girl Her eyes were brightly beaming and her smile lit up the world. I picked a pretty flower, and it’s just for you from me!” She held up a yellow blossom for her Grandmom to see. “I found it growing in the grass, I picked it just for you. Can we put it in some water to keep it fresh and new?” Grandmom’s heart was gladdened and she took the child’s bouquet, Remembering another time, another place and day.

By Ray Owens

When the little grandchild’s daddy, nearly 30 years ago Brought her tiny yellow flowers, his dark eyes all aglow From the smile of joy and pleasure he’d see on Momma’s face And today, his little daughter had come to take his place.

RHYMES FROM THE RANGE Cowboy Poetry

Ray Owens, Artesia, New Mexico, was a horseman, cowboy, gentleman, poet, and most of all a devoted family man and neighbour. Ray’s western poetry won many accolades at cowboy festivals not only for its authentic western content and storytelling value, but because it exemplified great integrity in the writing. Ray rarely missed a beat or a rhyme. Ray passed away in 2007. Pretty Yellow Flowers is excerpted from Tracks that Won’t Blow Out, Cowboy Miner Productions, c: 2007. Used by permission from Verna Owens.

Dim but not forgotten mem’ries once again were bright as day And the pleasure of the moment took all her cares away. They placed the flower in a vase and to the child’s surprise She watched her grandmom blink away the tears from misty eyes. I’ve heard folks cuss dandelions; fact is, I’ve done it some Just goes to show how ignorant us grown-ups can become. ‘Cause they ain’t just a nuisance in your garden growin’ wild: They’re pretty yellow flowers when picked by a little child.

MUSIC REVIEW

Keeping the West Alive New release by Ed Wahl MY TUNES Music reviews

Reviewed by Mark McMillan

he first words that came to mind as this new CD from Ed Wahl spun in the truck CD player were, “Wow — what an easyto-listen to voice.” The title is appropriate, too, as this is true cowboy music and Ed has picked some great song choices. Favourites like Cattle Call, Cool Water, and Ghost Riders along with some newer tunes like Cowboy Logic, Rock Salt and Nails, and Amarillo by Morning make this a super collection of 14 tracks. My favourite is probably the first track, and the title track Keeping the West Alive. Ed has done a great job of singing this Mike Puhallo poem that Bud Webb put to music. All tracks are mixed well with Ed’s vocals up front and the background music where it should be — in the background. His voice is clear and like I said — very easy to listen to. Good job Ed! WHERE TO BUY IT

You can order a copy of this CD from Ed Wahl by email at wahlcountry@gmail.com

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

I NSPIRATIONS Book review

The making of

Lonesome Dove New book goes behind the scenes TIME TO CHILL Book and movie reviews

Reviewed by Wendy Dudley Priddis, Alta.

hen it comes to dusters, Lonesome Dove was a classic. The made-for-TV mini-series brought back the Western — the grit, the guts and the drama of tough men, tough horses, and tough cattle. And yes, tough and tender women. The eight-hour 1989 CBS series, based on Larry McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, follows a cattle drive from the Texas border town of Lonesome Dove to the Milk River in northeast Montana. Loosely based on Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving, its key characters are retired Texas Ranger captains Woodrow Call (actor Tommy Lee Jones) and Augustus McCrae (actor Robert Duvall). At that time, no one knew just how popular the series would be. But it became the talk around coolers as it aired over four nights. Personally, I can still remember discussing each night’s program with my reporter colleagues, as we analyzed scenes, repeated dialogue, and imitated the drawls and saunters of favourite characters. It won seven Emmys, and was the best-rated miniseries in five years. It won Golden Globe awards, and

the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum awarded it with a Bronze Wrangler Award for best television feature film. It is also the top-selling western DVD of all time. But more than that, it won the hearts of its viewers and became a “cultural touchstone,” writes John Spong in A Book on the Making of Lonesome Dove (interviews by John Spong, hardcover, $50, University of Texas Press). For ardent fans, this lavish coffeetable book is a must-have, replete with continuity shots, storyboard sketches, call sheets, trail maps, and costume and set designs. Studio archives photographer Jeff Wilson and on-set photographer Bill Whitliff (who was the series’ screen writer and executive producer) honour this sweeping epic with pictures that rise above the ordinary production still: Sepia-toned horses running through Lonesome Dove, the naked river crossing, Call and Gus on their final trail. Throughout are interviews by 40 people connected to the film — from author Larry McMurty and actors Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Anjelica Huston and Ricky Schroder to executive producer Suzanne de Passe and director Simon Wincer. Together, they recount the writing of the New York Times bestseller and how it was turned into a miniseries. From the river crossings to the death of Gus, readers are taken behind the scenes to the Texas fron-

tier, seething with dust storms, stampedes, Indian battles, searing heat and deadly snakes. At one point, Wincer likens the epic to remaking The Bible. Crews had to contend with sandstorms, actors’ moods, and bone-weary days. And there are off-screen adventures, as we drop in on Duvall’s tango parties, Schroder’s love of bow hunting and cross-border trips for Mexican food and margaritas.

We learn how music was played during emotional scenes, to help the actors feel the part, that Duvall later named one of his horses Woodrow, how visitors to the film’s archives at Texas State University weep and pray before the prop of Gus’s dead body, how the title Lonesome Dove was picked after writer McMurtry saw the words on the side of a church bus, and how CBS executives initially wanted to shoot the film without cattle because it was

too expensive. One actually thought they could have Gus and Call drive goats to Montana. In the end, 350 Mexican Corrientes were purchased to represent a herd of 2,000 cattle. Just as Lonesome Dove was no ordinary movie, this is no ordinary book. As executive producer Suzanne De Passe exclaimed after attending the first full screening of the mini-series at the Cary Grant Theatre in Los Angeles, “Oh my God, this is phenomenal.”

N e ws

CFR – Rodeo Canada Events to be televised Canadian Professional Rodeo is coming to your TV and computer screens!! The Canadian Professional Rodeo Association is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Tanner Young Publishing Group, iLink Media Group, Edmonton Northlands, Edmonton Destination Hotels, Travel Alberta and Rogers Media Inc. to present webcast and television coverage of six Canadian Professional Rodeo events. The program will feature a combination of webcasts and telecasts of a designated performance from each of the selected rodeos and will include live web streaming of the first five CFR performances and the national broadcast of the final CFR performance which will air LIVE on a national Rogers

cable channel that is also available nationally on satellite. (Look for the live webcasts on www.rodeocanada.com and www.cfr.ca.) The schedule for the season broadcasts is as follows: • Daines Ranch Rodeo - June 16 • Wainwright Stampede - June 23 • Ponoka Stampede - July 1 • Medicine Hat Stampede July 26 • Strathmore Heritage Days Rodeo - Aug 5 The on camera personalities for the series include longtime rodeo announcer and television commentator, Dave Poulsen and veteran rodeo announcer and analyst, Doug Young. They will be joined by behind-the-chutes reporter, Katy Lucas. A new website that will focus attention on the program went live on June 10 www.roadto thecfr.com. See the website for further details as they are finalized and announced.

More stories... And more features... online at...

www.horsesall.com

Inspired by people and horses

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

HORSE, HEALTH & HOME Inside and Outside Your Stable HORSE TRAINING

OBSTACLES? No problem! Doug Mills breaks it down step-by-step

When helping a horse overcome an obstacle, trainer Doug Mills first likes to lead his horses over the obstacle.

GET A GRIP Ask the trainers

By Doug Mills Kamloops, B.C.

his is a follow up from my trailer loading article in the May issue of Horses All. It doesn’t matter what discipline you are in, your horse will have obstacles to face… even if it’s the trailer ride to get there. Obstacles are a good way to establish leadership, build confidence, and teach your horse to read patterns. I like to use a variety of obstacles but as I approach each obstacle, I only have one goal in mind — reward the try. By consistently rewarding the try and not pushing them over each obstacle on the first approach, you will build confidence in your horse. He will gain confidence in me knowing that I won’t put him into a situation that will harm him, and confidence in himself by conquering scary things. Here are two mistakes I see most often. In the first scenario, Jill camps out at one obstacle with the attitude that her and her horse are going to go over it, even if it takes all day. The positives of this approach is it will show her commitment and leadership as well as build her confidence in that particular obstacle.

The negative is that it will not do much for her horse’s confidence in her. In fact, it will diminish his confidence in her. The second scenario is the opposite side of the coin. Theresa leads a horse up to an obstacle to let them both have a look. If either or both show fear, they move onto the next obstacle. With this approach, her horse sees a weakness in her leadership. In order to keep a balance of leadership and confidence, I will approach the obstacle until I find some fear. Then I will challenge their fear by asking him to go a couple steps closer, then reward him by going to the next obstacle. If my horse is confident in me, he will start to go over new obstacles on the first approach... nice thing to have in any discipline. I like to be able to first lead my horse over the obstacle. Then I send him over on a long line, and, finally, ride him over the obstacle. Once in the saddle, start by approaching the first obstacle as if you’re on a train track, not allowing him to go left or right. If he doesn’t feel you have control of his body, he will try going around to the left or right. If he tries to go left, correct him by making him go to the right. If he tries to go to the right, correct him by making him go to the left. Once he feels you have control over his left and right, he will stop. When he stops, back him up about 30 feet. On the second approach, your horse will either stop further away or get closer to your object.

Then he will send them over on a long line, and finally, ride them over the obstacle.

Doug likes to have a variety of obstacles to work with at the same time. PHOTOS: LYNETTE MILLS

If he gets closer, I would back him away for a third and fourth approach, waiting for his first refusal. The refusal is when he stops further away than the time before. That’s when I start to build pressure with my taps until he gets closer. Then I retreat to a new obstacle and repeat the process. Going to a new obstacle is a reward for your horse. When I come back to an obstacle, I remember where the comfort zone was and I want to push him a little closer each time. The key here is to wait until you get the refusal and then push through the refusal at least one step before going to a new obstacle. He does not have to go over, just get closer. That way I’m focused more on rewarding the

try than going over the obstacle. This would be quitting on a good note. Once I’ve got my horse to go over an obstacle, I like to make that a rest place. I will lunge him or ride him at a trot next to the obstacle, then let him rest on it. Working in patterns like this makes it easy for your horse to read you. It also exposes his true colours. If you got him over an obstacle once and he won’t go over it the second time, or stops further away each time, it shows a lack of leadership. That’s why it’s important to stick with it just until he gets one step closer than the time before. Always remember to keep your emotions out of it, stay safe and enjoy the journey!

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

H ORSE, HEALTH & HOME Horseshoeing

Keep your shoes on!

Outfitter Terri McKinney gives helpful tips for shoeing for the mountains BACKCOUNTRY TRAVELS Trail riding tips and information

By Terri McKinney Kingman, Alta.

ugust is a great month for riding in the west country. We are up river at our high camp for the month and it’s re-set time for our shoes before our guests come in. We do all of our own shoeing and have for years. And the older I get, it seems the slower I get. I get asked a ton of questions about shoeing for the back country. I also get a lot of skeptical questions because I am a women. I have shod under a pack box, along the trail and had to make stuff up when needed like using the fire and a rock. There is nothing worse than being on a long ride, getting high up in the rock, throw a shoe, and have no gear.

So rule number one. Pack a boot or a few tools to tack one back on. If you don’t know how to shoe, I recommend taking in a clinic or take a course to help if you ride out west a ton. If not, they have some good boots out there as a substitute. Shoeing for the mountains is different than shoeing for the reining world or racing world or the arena. I learned what worked and what did not work, and now help people on how to keep them shoes on and not have wrecks by shoeing for the arena. First of all, I use heel and toe shoes in the front because they get the horses up higher off the rock to avoid stone bruising. They also can offer grip when needed and it is like having two shoes in one. On the hind feet, I use eventer shoes as they are a thicker shoe and also get the horse up off the ground.

When I shape my foot, I don’t carve out a ton of sole as it will wear down naturally with all the rocks and river beds we go over. Any sole I would need to carve out I do so in the fall. I don’t take the hoof as short as I normally would at home in the spring because I have to season

“Shoeing for the mountains is different than shoeing for the reining world or racing world or the arena.” — Terri McKinney

these horses to rocks to toughen them up. We want to avoid stone bruising at all costs because it is a long heal. In shaping my shoe, I want NO overhang at the heel. This is the most common mistake for farriers. If they shape a nice one on the front, you almost always notice overhang on the heel. What happens is your horse can get itching his head with his back foot. He can get hooked up his halter, pull a muscle, or rip a foot apart. The other problem when you’re running pack strings is that they can step on each other and pull off any shoes with over hangs. So keep your shoes neat to the foot. I leave my nails out more then you normally would for better grip on the hoof. I shoe my horses this way from having shoes get pulled off in the pack string, horses hooking their shoes, bog pulling them off and so forth.

I also try to keep shoes on longer which means less work for my back! Last fall when that bear scared three of our horses off for three months, their shoes were still on when we found them. That was good to see, and easier bringing them out. Two things bush people don’t admit to — cooking and shoeing — there is always a need for both! See you next time and may your trails be clear, your pack string safe and your camp just around the corner. Terri outfits with her husband Chuck McKinney and their daughter southwest of Rocky Mountain House Alberta in the Bighorn Backcountry. They teach horsemanship clinic’s, do packing demo’s, train horses in the mountains, offer trail rides and pack trips. Check them out at www.wilddeuce.com.

i n j u ry t r eatm e n t

Box 10 Stavely, AB T0L 1Z0 Phone: 403-549-2120 Fax: 403-549-2253 Email: foothillsoffice@vjvauction.com

Rope burns can be serious and difficult to treat While rope burns seldom bleed, they can still be painful and require regular treatment HORSE HEALTH Expert advice

By Carol Shwetz

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2013 Preview & showing at 10:00 am

Sale at 1:30 pm

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opes in their various guises are common in the horse world. Although they may differ in length, size and makeup, they all serve to connect people to horses or horses to stationary objects. As a result of this and due to their unforgiving nature, a good working knowledge of ropes is imperative to the safety of both horses and people. Whenever horses, people or at times both become entangled with a rope(s), burns are a likely mishap. The friction created by the rope as it runs across the skin heats the tissue, causing a burn injury that can be very serious, painful and difficult to treat. Rope burns frequently occur in locations where the body flexes such as pasterns, knees, flanks, hocks and under the tail head. The pastern is commonly afflicted and can be problematic to heal because of its tenderness and flexibility. Unlike an open bleeding wound which demands immediate attention, rope burns tend to be more subtle showing very little apparent damage to the tissues initially. As such their seriousness is often overlooked. Rope burns seldom bleed. Bleeding would be an indication to summon a veterinarian. These injuries cannot be sutured. Consequently they are managed as open wounds. Rope burns seep and weep fluid. Weeping is an indication of tissue injury, as well as a means of healing for often fibres from the rope become embedded in the tis-

sue and must ‘fester’ out like splinters for complete healing. Pain and lameness will be readily apparent. Even mild rope burns tend to be quite painful for the horse. Any person whom has experienced a rope burn can readily attest to its stinging discomfort. Individual assessment of the injury will be necessary to evaluate involvement of deeper tissues such as muscles, bones, tendons, tendon sheaths and joints. Keeping a rope burn clean is important. It is the most important element in healing any wound, and rope burns in particular. They are often incredibly painful and cleaning them can intensify the pain, so restraint or sedation may be necessary to attend these wounds. Gentle rinsing with cold water brings welcome relief, cleaning and soothing the wound. While healing the wound benefits from daily hydrotherapy. Aloe vera or Derma-gel are good choices as initial healing salves. It may be necessary to cover the wound to keep it from crusting over and painfully breaking open as the horse walks. The benefits to bandaging the wound are cleanliness, fly control, improved healing and reduced scar formation. Many burns stubbornly form a scaly crust as they heal, leaving a raised hairless scar. Keeping the skin moisturized for months with soothing ointments containing lanolin, vitamins A and D or aloe vera serves to minimize scarring. At times infection may complicate a rope burn. Horses with an infection become very lame with marked swelling and foul discharge at the injury site. They may also develop a fever, become lethargic and lack appetite. Scarring from deep rope burns can

Rope burns frequently occur in locations where the body flexes such as pasterns, knees, flanks, hocks and under the tail head.

impede blood circulation distal to the injury site, temporarily causing the limb to swell until collateral circulation becomes established. Keeping the skin pliable and soft at the injury site while encouraging movement can minimize the effects of superficial and deep wound scarring. These wounds can take up to two years to strengthen, remodel and mature, so patience is valued. Rope burns are best given immediate first aid treatment. Proper treatment greatly reduces the chances of their complications, ensuring a favourable cosmetic outcome and return to function. Carol Shwetz has been a veterinary practitioner for 26 years. Her country practice near Westlock, Alberta focuses upon a horse’s overall well-being, bringing years of experience and study to educate owners on the care of their horses. Studies beyond veterinary schooling have included dentistry, nutrition, hoof care, alternative therapies, and of course her favourite study, horsemanship. Information has become her “medicine” of choice giving owners a strong foundation for sound decision-making.

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

HORSE, HEALTH & HOME OIL REMEDIES

Healing with essential oils

Julie MacKinnon outlines possible uses for essential oil therapy ALTERNATIVE METHODS Going natural

By Julie MacKinnon Laodas-way

id you know that essential oil properties can be just as beneficial as medication or in some cases even more powerful. Most of us have veered away from concentrate oils because they are new. The fact is they are not. They have been used for many generations and lifetimes. Animals are accustomed to essential oils as all the scents that come in oil form are available in nature. It is second nature to them. Finding out how to use and apply them is the key. What is too much, not enough and what reactions may happen. If we focus on the most powerful use in changing our horse’s health, you are bound to see some amazing results. Essential oils use for internal supplementing is quick and easy. The table at the right shows a few you can easily do at home.

Getting into the habit of using oils internally is neither expensive nor hard. Each treatment would cost you between $3 to $10 for your three to 10 day period. The repeated use should be limited to four times per year at the doses above. Just like any medicine, oils are strong and made to create quick reaction in the body. Use them only when needed and you will see amazing results. The oils can be added to daily feed like grain or supplements like cubes. If the horse won’t eat them, they can be syringed with apple juice to help with the taste. It is preferred to feed them with a base of apple cider vinegar as well. This helps to acidify the stomach to increase absorption. Use 1/2 cup or less per day with the oils. Make sure whenever using oils they are pure. There are many available in stores that are diluted with carrier oils and not designed for internal use. Do your homework first on which oils are pure and your results will be worth it.

Turn your horse’s world around when using oils internally. I have witnessed life changing results using the above supplements. Remember that which the body fights, the behaviour must follow. Help the body and you help your horse’s behaviour too.

Julie MacKinnon of Laodas-way says that animals are accustomed to essential oils as all the scents that come in oil form are available in nature. PHOTO: SUBMITTED

ESSENTIAL OILS FOR HOME USE Oil

Dose

Reaction

Purpose

Note: EG: Explains when you might consider giving these essential oils internally Eucalyptus

3-5 drops/day; 1-3 days

release, sweat, alignment

anti-fungal, increase lymph flow, release chiropractic/muscle issues

EG: a good time to consider using this is if your horse gets constantly stiff in training or competition or if he has undergone repeated antibiotic treatments and the body yeast is out of balance. Oregano

5-10 drops/day; 5-7days

discharge, cough, itching

anti-bacterial, similar to antibiotics, anti-viral, anti-parasitic

EG: use oregano if your horse requires something to fight bacteria in the stomach (e.g. stomach pain) or if he has hoof abscesses. Lemon or Citronella

3-5 drops/day; 1-3 days

tired, relieved

anti-tumoral, cellular support, blood clearing, stress relief

EG: the best one to use if your horse is going through tissue healing, cancer or post treatment surgery. Tea Tree

5-8 drops; 1-3days

itching, cold, re-signed

anti-infectious, anti-bacterial, tissue healing, organ tension relief

EG: tea tree helps any horse battle infection. Use it as an aid for viral or obvious tissue infection. Lavendar

3-5 drops; 1-5days

sleeping, head pressure

stress relief, nerve healing, anti-viral, bug deterrent

EG: is good for the obviously stressed horse to help them cope. It will take the stress away so that your horse can think.

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

H ORSE, HEALTH & HOME Sport s Psyc holo gy

Riding with fear Is fear your constant riding companion? April Clay provides helpful tips RIDING OUT OF MY MIND Equestrian sport psychology

By April Clay Psychologist, Calgary, Alta.

t’s not exactly your riding companion of choice. It’s annoying, uncomfortable, can make you sweat, run for the bathroom and become generally immobilized. Fear may not be regarded as your best buddy, but it does have a message to impart. Feelings of fear and apprehension can be thought of like an ‘alarm’ going off. This alarm is the flight or fight response, a natural change in your body that happens as a result of feeling threatened either physically or psychologically. A rider at some point in their career usually knows physical fear. But reoccurrences of physical fear can be confusing and really interfere with your riding pleasure. Anyone who has known the torture of feeling the intense desire to ride coupled with a sick sense of dread knotted in the centre of their being knows what I am talking about. Some even give up at this point, exhausted from the inner struggle. Fortunately, it is not your only choice. There are things you can do, skills you can learn, to get yourself back to all that fun you’ve been missing.

Feel the Fear So you’re scared. Good. Great in fact. Welcome to the human club, we’re a big group and mostly friendly. Fear, like many other emotions, can be considered a kind of ‘signal.’ In this case, the message is “look out, something could happen to you.” It’s a message worth listening to. Riding can be a dangerous sport. Never ever deny how you feel. Assess the Fear Now what is it that you are afraid of exactly? Is it a repeat of a fall you have had? Is it getting bucked off? Getting run away with? If you have had a bad accident, then you need to try to understand how and why it happened. Some accidents do have reasons: my horse was too fresh, I was over faced, and I took that turn way too tight. Simply understanding the elements will make you feel better. The ‘known’ has a nice way of calming us all down. Make a list of resources What do you have that will help you deal with the risk involved and shrink it? Some examples are a coach, years of riding experience, how to do an emergency dismount, etc. There are always tools you can use, and others you can develop. You can think of the relative risk of riding as always being present, and that at times this risk becomes

larger and more prominent in our minds. Laura, a junior rider who had a bad fall that had shaken her badly, made the following list of resources for herself: eight years of riding experience, an understanding coach, physical fitness, knowledge about my horse, time, reasonable goals, and a love of riding. This inventory helped Laura to begin to see she had skills, things and people to help her regain her confidence.

Make a scale of your fear Break it down. You want to go from a nameless overwhelming physical

feeling to a more concrete sense of what it is you think you cannot handle. What is your least frightening to most frightening situation? Laura’s accident occurred while riding to an oxer, so her scale went from her least anxiety-provoking situation to her most in five steps. This may be enough of a breakdown for you, or 10 steps may be needed. Laura’s breakdown looked like this: 1. riding over a pole on the ground, 2. jumping a cavaletti, 3. jumping a two-foot vertical, 4. jumping an in and out with an oxer at the end, and 5. riding to an oxer from a long approach by itself. So Laura started visualizing the smallest step on her scale — the ride to a pole on the ground. She did this after spending a few minutes relaxing her body and regulating her breathing. If at any time Laura began to feel nervous or agitated, she stopped her ‘movie’ and went back to relaxing. She did not rush herself through the process but instead took her time with these images, reacquainting her mind with her skill and confidence in a safe place — her home. Restart your brain Once you get ready to face the real thing, your mind will want to go all crazy with the “look out, it’s going to happen again,” “I can’t

do this anymore, it’s useless,” “why don’t you just take up basket weaving already, it’s a lot safer.” So, you must be ready with some replacement thoughts. These are thoughts that you identify as productive and helpful and can be used to keep your mind on the task at hand. When she was riding to jumps, Laura decided to switch her focus between certain key phrases. They were “rhythmic pace” and “sit deep and square.” These thoughts helped Laura tell her body what to do rather than let her mind drift to past images that were frightening for her. It also kept her mind anchored firmly in the here and now. One thing fear does really well is take you out of the moment. It either sucks you back into the past to re-experience a scary experience, or catapults you into the future and the world of “what if?” Perspective and Patience Do try to keep perspective when working through your fear issues. Remember that this is one time frame in a series of many in your riding career. It’s not all of your riding self. Most riders will have the challenge of facing their physical fear at one point or another. As for patience, consider this journey with fear to be an intriguing one worthy of all the time it takes.

Upcoming Equine Alternative Therapy Clinics: Laodas-Way Equine Kinetics Practitioners Program-Dec Start Length: 1yr 5 classes 4days each (certificate program) @ Alder Flats, AB $5500/yr payment plans available -register by Sept 2013 limited space Learn: Applied Kinesiology, nutrition, chiropractic care, massage, parasitic programs, hoof and teeth care, energy works, acupressure, saddle fit , herbal cleansing and much more. Equine Adjustment Chart Clinic - September 21 Equine Energy Medicine Chart Clinic - September 22 @ Alder Flats, AB $300/1 day or both days for $560 Introductory Classes Non-Invasive Chiropractics-November Length: 2.5days -optional 6month practitioner certification @Williams Lake, BC $650 & Chetwynd BC $650 -register early limited space (2 class locations) Learn: Equine Chiropractics and supporting techniques CONTACT: Laodas-Way Healing Ltd for clinic registration/information www. laodas-way.com 780-897-7711 or visit us on facebook. See our supplements / liniments / educational products online!

Alchemy for Horses, Dogs, and Humans Length: 2.5days level #1 @Alder Flats, AB $650/class-October @Vanderhoof, BC $650/class-November @Williams Lake, BC $650/class-November Learn: In depth engery work

The next time you groan about the weight of your heavy stock saddle, think about this: each harness and collar for a Budweiser Clydesdale tips the scale at about 130 pounds. Made from patent leather, the harnesses are handcrafted with solid brass. With the giants standing 72 inches at the shoulder, it takes a team effort to lift the collars — tailored to fit each horse — over their heads. Photo: by Wendy Dudley

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

H ORSE, HEALTH & HOME saddle fitting

Saddle fit and the female saddle Women riders are built differently so maybe their saddle should be as well By Jochen Schleese

Often the seat twist and seat width are mixed up, and she will end up buying a saddle with a wide twist rather than the wide seat she actually needs for her pelvic shape. As a result, her knees and hips will angle out instead of being able to hang straight down, causing discomfort (when the twist is too wide, and the seat is too narrow). The distance between the seams on the seat should be wide enough to allow the female seat bones to sit on the padding — if this is too narrow, it feels like sitting on a ridge, or the seat bones fall off the edge of the seat. 5. The male pelvis has a higher pubic symphysis (ps) — when he sits in a balanced position with his spine perpendicular to the ground, his ps will be tipped upwards and not contact the saddle. When the female sits on the sad-

Certified Master Saddler, Saddle Egronomist

e touched upon some of the anatomical differences between men and women in a previous article (May, 2013). Not widely understood or discussed are the challenges resulting from these differences which are faced by many female riders — back, knee, hip pain, discomfort and pain in the pelvic (crotch) area, and difficulty maintaining proper position and posture (e.g. chair seat) when riding. There is much knowledge on principles of saddle fitting to the horse, however, saddle fit to rider is not widely understood. Manufacturing and the trade of saddlery is historically rooted in European tradition, where primarily male saddlers built saddles for male riders. Today the majority of riders are women (with a different pelvic structure than that of men). If we study the anatomical differences between women and men, we discover that many of the challenges faced by female riders are caused by riding in ‘male’ saddles. Over the past 35 years, we have studied the science of saddle fit, female anatomy and biomechanics, making us experts in rider and saddle ergonomics. Let me outline the five key principles to determine saddle fit for women. 1. The width between a woman’s upper inner thighs affects the width of the twist she will need in her saddle. The twist is that part of the saddle where the upper inner thighs sit against. Because of a phenomenon called “Qflexion” (whereby female thighs tend to angle outwards at the hip and back inwards at the knee), women will carry more weight on their upper inner thigh than a man. The leg is pushed forward, and the knee and toes are out at 45 degree angle when a woman sits on a saddle that is too wide between her upper inner thighs. The position results in a leg that goes out and forward, making it difficult to achieve the ‘shoulderhips-heels’ straight line. When a woman rides in a female saddle, the toes point forward and there is more upper leg on the barrel of the horse. 2. The ratio of the length of the upper leg to the length of the lower leg determines the position and/ or length of the stirrup bar. Most women have a longer upper leg than a lower leg. The stirrup bar acts like the fulcrum and the stirrup leather is like a pendulum. With a regular stirrup bar positioned normally, the female’s leg will usually end up being too far forward (“get your leg back!” — does this sound familiar?) because the leg will fall according to its centre of gravity. Therefore, women required extended stirrup bars (or extraextended). Allowing the stirrup leathers to be positioned further

dle with her spine perpendicular to the ground, her ps is much lower and closer to front of saddle and can contact and rub. This can result in recurring bladder infections, even bleeding. Pelvic tilt is also affected by the saddle model and the saddle balance. When a male rider sits on a male saddle, he can balance on his seat bones as on a bipod, whereas the female finds her balance on a male saddle in a tripod position — which means her ps will be in contact with the front of a saddle. The Schleese patented AdapTree® has a cut out in the front of saddle tree to form a channel for space between the ps and saddle. This channel is filled with foam and is very forgiving to the position of the rider in balance — for both men and women — which makes it unique on the saddle manufacturing market.

Front view of a woman (left) and a man (right). The female’s quadriceps and hamstring muscles are rounder than those of a male’s which results in less space between the upper thigh. In addition, the angulation of the hip bone attachment is different; a man’s will allow his leg to hang straight down naturally. Photo: Danielle Schlees

If the twist of the saddle is too wide for the woman’s pelvis, hip pain will be the result as she feels ‘torn apart’. Diagram: Danielle Schleese

If we study the anatomical differences between women and men, we discover that many of the challenges faced by female riders are caused by riding in ‘male’ saddles.

back will ensure that the leg hangs in the correct position. Most men have pretty equal leg lengths so that normal stirrup bar length and position is fine. 3. Women’s hip bones are articulated at the hip joint differently than men’s. Especially female adult amateur riders, who started riding later in life or who don’t ride regularly, are challenged to have their legs hang straight, because this articulation causes the legs to naturally angle out. Men’s legs hang straight naturally, but changing the angle of the flap and the position of the thigh roll will address this for women in a female saddle. If the flap is too straight, the woman’s knee comes too close to the front of the flap, and in motion the leg will actually go over the flap. Forcing this (“get your leg back!” — again!) can move the pelvis forward,

resulting in back pain and discomfort. Proper flap positioning is another small point in accommodating the female anatomy in saddle design. 4. Most mistakes occur during measurement of the width of the twist and the width of the seat. The twist is that area of the saddle which is actually located between the thighs, whereas the width of the seat is determined by the space between the seam running along the edge of the seat. In the male pelvis, the seat bones are much closer together and the distance between the two seat bones is much smaller, therefore the male comfortably fits into the padded part of most saddles. The female pelvis has the seat bones much further apart, so when she rides in a ‘male’ saddle, she sits on the seat seaming, which is uncomfortable.

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H ORSE, HEALTH & HOME training techni qu es

The value of commitment If you’re not committed to a task, how can you expect your horse to be? GET A GRIP Ask the trainers

By Glenn Stewart Baldonnell, B.C.

his winter and early spring, I was fortunate enough to get out and spend time with some new and old friends that are very good at what they do in the horse industry. I try to make time for myself to stay current and learn more every year about the different disciplines, and from people in the industry that are at the top of their game. I believe putting yourself into a student position keeps it fresh and reminds me of what it is like to be taking instruction rather than giving. It is very interesting for me to hear someone else talk about the way they want their horse to carry themselves or how particular they are about certain things because of the discipline they are involved in. One of the places I visited was Clay and Jenn Webster’s. Wonderful people with a big background in reining. I spent many hours riding and visiting with Clay about things he likes to see in a spin, lead changes, sliding stops and many other topics. He talked about things we can influence or how we get in the way. Another stop I made was down in Florida with long-time friend and dressage rider Karen Rohlf whom I’ve ridden with many times over the years. We talked about all

LEFT: The horse in this picture is fully committed, but for the wrong thing. Not at all what the person wants. ABOVE: This horse is fully committed as well but is working with the person and in harmony. Photos: Dixie Stewart

the things Karen likes to see in her horses. She is not concerned with spins and sliding stops but sure had me thinking about whether I had a walk, trot and canter that is absolutely consistent and correct; that the energy, speed, cadence, elevation and length of stride never faltered. I truly enjoyed both Clay’s and

Karen’s insights, and the differences yet similarities of their disciplines. To pick one word that was very relevant to horsemanship and all disciplines is “commitment.” I have to give Karen credit here because she started explaining what it was she was seeing happen with her horses when I played with them, and the word was “committed.”

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She said, “No matter what you ask the horse for, you get commitment even if it is a half a step.” I’d never thought of it like that before. What I saw wherever I went was, as long as there was commitment, the picture was pretty. The different disciplines put effort into getting commitment from different things. No matter what it is we do with our horses, we must strive towards achieving commitment from our horses. Without commitment there is an ongoing argument or conflict happening daily. The feel of a horse that is not committed to the task is completely different to a horse that is committed. A horse that is committed to the slide or the pirouette looks and feels amazing. The horse only has one brain and asking them for commitment sometimes, but not others, is confusing to the horse and makes for muddy water. When you are with your horse on the ground or in the saddle, ask yourself if they feel and look 100 per cent committed, or only 40 or 50 per cent. We also must remember that we have to be committed first. It is extremely unfair to ask this of a horse if we don’t expect the same of ourselves. An example of what commitment might be is even when leading a horse. Does the horse feel connected to you and not the rope? Are they with you — not ahead, not dragging behind, and not pulling.? If you close your eyes, you shouldn’t know there was a horse there except for the sound of its feet and the breathing. When you are riding, commitment doesn’t feel like you are moving something; it feels like something is moving with you. There isn’t any weight to the horse, no

“When you are riding, commitment doesn’t feel like you are moving something; it feels like something is moving with you.” — glenn stewart

effort needed from you to stop, turn, sidepass, and canter. It is just happening with the slightest suggestion. The opposite picture to this is a tight rein, whinnying, the horse taking you on what I call a trail ride. Going faster than you are asking, slower than you are asking and so on. We can very easily practice noncommitment for months and very often years. Then at some point we realize that the horse has been taught for so long to be this way that it is very challenging, confusing and frustrating for the horse to understand that you now want to change things. Committed is a wonderful aspect in your relationship with your horse. It makes them safe and fun to be around whether you are on the trail or in the show pen. I know it was a skill I had to learn and make into a habit. Every time I falter in my commitment, so does my horse. Get committed... and have more fun! Glenn Stewart travels extensively conducting clinics, demonstrations, and colt starting sessions, and also offers Camps and a 3 month Horsemanship Course at his home The Horse Ranch, More information by calling 1 877 728 8987 or visiting www.thehorseranch.com

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

HAPPENINGS Events and News of Note EQUINE VACATION S

CASTLE LESLIE in IRELAND A historic castle, Irish horses and a dream vacation

EQUITREKKING Travelling the globe

By Darley Newman Bethseda, Maryland

astle Leslie Estate in Glaslough, Ireland is an equestrian’s dream vacation destination and a great place for those looking for their own ‘Downtown Abbey’ experience. The castle is still inhabited by its eccentric founding family, including Sir John Leslie or “Jack” as he’s called, so you can hang out with Irish aristocracy, ride horses and stay in a castle. There are over 300 cross country jumps sprinkled throughout the 1,000 acre estate, not to mention an indoor arena and lovely Prince, the mechanical horse who made my inner thighs shake after a few minutes of two-point. Of course, this was day 10 of my Ireland riding adventures! Sammy Leslie, an avid equestrian and a member of the Leslie family, was helping me better my form. I found it really helpful. Instead of straining to hear an instructor yell at you as you circle around a ring or are out on the trails battling environmental noises, you get a more intimate critique of what you’re doing… wrong or right! I had arrived to Castle Leslie in the rain, not a huge surprise for Ireland. Our GPS had taken us on a roundabout route so we didn’t enter the estate through the main gate, but through the entrance beside the new equestrian center. We left the car outside of the limestone castle where we’d be staying and entered. Candles lit in the main entrance, and a woman in a plaid jumper greeted us and gave us giant, antique keys to our rooms. I felt like I was in a dramatic period film of sorts, as I walked

Castle Leslie is home to more than 1,000 acres of lush vegetation, ponds, indoor arena, and of course, the historic castle.

up the grand stairs with its walls adorned with old sketches and paintings of Leslie family members. I was staying in The Blue Room with a great view of one of the three estate lakes. It was beautifully appointed with two fireplaces, one in the main room and another in the bathroom situated across from a large Victorian tub. The peacock blue walls were adorned with family artwork. I could already imagine myself reclining in one of the elegant white chairs after a hot bath, staring out of the windows at views of the lake. My travel companion was up in the Eagle’s Nest, which used to be the boyhood room of Sir John Leslie or “Jack” as he’s called.

Emmy-awarding host Darley Newman visited historic Castle Leslie which has remained in the eccentric founding family. Sir John Leslie, shown here, is a cousin to Sir Winston Churchill.

Sir John Leslie is in his 90’s and still lives in the castle, delighting guests with stories of his interesting life and estate history. He’s the fourth of his line to hold the title of Baronet and the cousin of Winston Churchill. I changed into my riding gear and met Sammy Leslie for tea in the drawing room. Sammy Leslie is Sir John Leslie’s niece. We enjoyed a snack of scones with homemade preserves and clotted cream. Scrumptious! Sammy explained how she has worked to revitalize the estate, turning it into an equestrian vacation destination. After refueling, we walked over to the stables where I was paired with a very tall, sturdy Irish horse. We were off to explore the grounds on horseback. We rode through forested trails down a long straightway with jumps at various intervals and up past one of the older gates to the estate. I could smell garlic as we trekked, and looked down to see much of the forest floor covered in wild garlic. Smelling it made me think of dinner and how afterwards, how much I’d enjoy sleeping in the luxury of eccentric Castle Leslie. IF YOU GO:

For more information on exploring Ireland on horseback, or other horse vacations, go to www.equitrekking travel.com

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HAPPENINGS MULE TRAIN

D V:

“I’ll be there with bells on” Twenty-mule teams brought life to one of California’s record hottest places

By Heather Grovet Galahad, Alta.

n April 2013, I visited Death Valley, California, and while there stopped at Harmony Borax Works. In the past I’d heard of the 20 mule teams, and seen their pictures on detergent boxes, but otherwise knew little about this American icon. What was borax? And why would it take 20 mules to pull a wagon? Death Valley National Park is located on the Nevada-California border and is unique in three ways. First, it holds a world record for the hottest recorded temperature — 134 F — and frequently has summer temps of 110 F to 120 F. Secondly, it’s one of the world’s driest locations with average yearly rainfall of zero to two inches. And thirdly, Death Valley is the lowest place in North America at 282 feet below sea level. So what does that have to do with borax and mules? Lots. In the 1840s miners rushed to California and Nevada in search of gold. What they didn’t recognize was the valuable ‘white gold’ they walked past in Death Valley. Borax, or borates, are salt minerals left behind in ancient lake beds. These minerals were in high demand in the 1800s and were being imported at great cost from Italy to be used in hundreds of products such as detergents, food preservations, medications, glass making, blacksmith welds and porcelain glazes. Death Valley’s high temperatures and low precipitation left behind miles of white salt flats. In the 1860s borax was discovered there, and soon mining operations were set up miles from the nearest railroad. The work was backbreaking. Labourers, many Chinese, would shovel the salt minerals from the dry lake bottoms in extreme heat, earning $1.25/day, working 10 hours a day, seven days a week. Once collected, the borates were taken to nearby large vats where they were refined. The finished product was then bagged for the long trip to the nearest railroad, over 150 miles away. Although horses were occasionally used, mules, with their tolerance for heat and heavy work,

proved to be ideal for transporting borax across the desert. According to a signs at the Harmony Borax Works site, a 20 mule team could pull up to 36 tons of weight across the rocks and sand! In most cases they would pull two large wagons hooked together, often with a water tank following at the rear. The entire unit with mules could be as long as 100 feet. Basically these mule teams were equivalent to today’s big rig trucks. The length of these rigs made driving complicated. Stopping and starting the long team wasn’t too difficult, but turning was a real challenge. Think how much space a semi truck takes to turn, and you’ll get the picture. Teamsters solved this by teaching the mules to turn as pairs and not as a unit. The leader mules (ones at the front of the line) would walk in the direction of the turn, but the pointers (mules closest to the wagon) actually pulled the opposite direction. To further complicate things, when turning this way the pointer mule pairs at the end had to be trained to jump the chain that ran down the centre of the team. The desert environment also brought huge challenges. Water wasn’t available at some stops, so the team often pulled a heavy water tank at the back of their load. Ted Faye, author of The Twenty Mule Team of Death Valley states the 165 mile trip across Death Valley would take 10 days to complete. In that time a 14 mule team could consume 3,000 pounds of water. » Continued on next page

TOP: This is one of the only remaining borax wagons used in the 1880s in Death Valley. The front wheels are five feet high, and the back were over seven feet tall and had 18 spokes, unique among wagons. Each wagon is made of well seasoned hickory wood, and was capable of carrying 10 tons of weight. The wheels were extremely thick to handle the sand, and this made them very heavy; the seven foot rear wheels weighed nearly 1,000 pounds each. The wagon beds were 16 feet long, four feet wide, and six feet deep. The rear-covered tank carried water for mules and teamsters as they crossed the desert. Notice the heavy brake-block on the first wagon. PHOTO: HEATHER GROVET ABOVE: The 20 Mule Team Crossing Panamint Valley Death Valley National Monument California. PHOTO: POMONA PUBLIC LIBRARY. BELOW: The brakes on this seven-foot high rear wagon wheel were also enormous. Brakes were a matter of life and death on the long drives across the desert. At several points there were very steep, long hills to climb and then descend. With each wagon capable of carrying 10 tons of weight, the brakes were the only thing that stood between success and disaster. PHOTO: HEATHER GROVET

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H APPENINGS mule train

The ride home wasn’t any easier. Since grass doesn’t grow in Death Valley, large loads of hay had to be hauled on the return trip. Much of the desert was flat, but there were also several long, steep grades on the trails. Faye explains what happens if the brakes failed on a trip downhill. “If the brake holds, all is well, but now and then a break-block gives way, then a race with death begins. With yells and curses, the long team is started in a gallop, an effort is made to swing them around the mountainside, a curve is reached, an animal falls or a wheel strikes a rock and with a thunderous crash over go the great wagons!” Faye further explains what happens if a teamster had problems of any sort that required assistance. “Bells were used on the lead mules as a signal to other drivers,” Faye says. “If the driver had a problem on the route and had to be helped by another teamster, he surrendered his bells. The phrase ‘I’ll be there with bells on’ meant that a driver would arrive without any mishaps and thus did not have to give up his bells.” In 1894, a steam-traction engine was bought to transport borax across Death Valley, but while the tractor looked impressive, it could not handle the harsh desert. Frequently the tractor had to be hauled to the repair shop by the mules. Eventually the tractor was discarded, and now sits at the entrance to Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley.

Here is part of the refining area at the Harmony Borax Works site at Death Valley. To refine the mineral salts, water was boiled nearby, and then the crude borax was dumped into the water. Carbonated soda was added, this allowed the dirt and salts to settle to the bottom. The liquid water/borax combination then had metal rods hung it, and the borax slowly crystallized on the rods. Once it dried it was chipped off, that product was then hauled great distances across the desert to be used in a variety of ways. It was used as detergent and washing soda, it was used to preserve foods and as medications, it was used by morticians, and in glass making and for porcelain glazes. Photo: Heather Grovet

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H APPENINGS bruce stampede

A real fan favourite at the Bruce Stampede is the woman’s flat race. Photo: Richard Goerg

Brahma bulls and bucking mules The Bruce Stampede celebrates 100 years of continuous rodeo excitement By Heather Grovet Galahad, Alta.

his year’s Bruce Stampede runs July 26-28, opening with “Hey Romeo” in concert on Friday. Saturday offers a local rodeo, pony chuckwagon and pony chariot races, mule races, fireworks and a rodeo dance. Sunday is the CPRA approved Professional Rodeo (tickets only $20) plus pancake breakfast and barbeque. One of the Bruce Stampede’s unique events is their mule race. “I was one of three riders who competed in our first mule race in 1982,” Les Giebelhaus says. “The first races were on the track, then in 1990 we turned it into a 14 mile

endurance race. Now we’re back to running mules on the track, and it’s a real crowd pleaser. Some of those mules can really run, others add comedy to the day. I’ve seen mules sprint half way around the track and then refuse to go further, others back up or even buck off their rider! It’s a really unique event.” This year is the 100th annual running of the Bruce Stampede. “We’ve had good times and bad times, but we’ve never missed a single year,” local farmer Morris Erickson explains. “The Calgary Stampede held their centennial in 2012, but there were a few years in that span where they didn’t hold a rodeo. Well, Bruce has had 100 years of continuous rodeo excite-

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ment, and that’s something to be proud of.” Erickson should know what he’s talking about. His grandfather homesteaded near Bruce, and Erickson himself has only moved a mile and a half from his childhood home. “I’ve been going to the Stampede since I was a kid, and I’ve never missed one since then,” he says. “Now I volunteer at the Stampede, where I can visit with old friends that I might not see otherwise.” “Things were much more casual in the past,” Erickson says. “In the 1970s we started Brahma bull riding, and the very first year we had a bull go through the wooden fence and into the crowd! It was pretty wild — people were running everywhere and the bull ended up by the merry-go-round. Luckily no one was seriously hurt. But this sort of thing can’t happen anymore because we have much better facilities.” “From what I understand, the Bruce Stampede didn’t start off as a planned rodeo a 100 years ago,” Erickson continues. “The Stampede was put on by a sports club looking for a reason to get people together. But someone said, ‘I can ride that horse,’ and the next thing you knew,

they were running an amateur rodeo of sorts. At first they just had a human fence, then they slowly started to add corrals to make it an actual rodeo grounds.” Don Laing, another Bruce oldtimer, agrees. “The Stampede now has proper metal bleachers, but in the old days things were pretty basic,” Laing says. “We’d just drive posts into the ground, and put planks on top of them for seating. We’d have two rows of seats, and then people would park their cars behind that.” “And we didn’t have proper buildings for the food booths, either,” Laing explains. “When I was little we’d have a work bee for the Stampede, and we’d make booths out of rough wood and brush. I remember carrying tree limbs at the rodeo grounds, helping the men as they worked.” “Sometimes our amateur ways could cause problems,” Laing says. “Years ago the announcer used a car horn to signal the end of eight seconds for those riding rough stock. One time someone in the crowd blew their vehicle horn, and confused one of the contestants. That cowboy got mad, and ran up to the announcer’s stand and pulled down

the horn. Everyone laughed when the announcer said he’d been dehorned!” “We have some pretty good cowboys that come to our professional rodeo,” Laing says. “It isn’t unusual to see Canadian Champions or even World Champions ride here. We also have cowboys enter whose fathers and grandfathers competed here years ago.” “I think one of the most amazing things about the Bruce Stampede is our sense of community,” Laing continues. “Edmonton has over three quarters of a million people, and they’re thrilled when they get 5,000 people out to volunteer at their rodeo. Bruce has a population of about 65 people, and we get 175 volunteers! Heck, people come from all across Alberta to attend our work bees, never mind working at the actual rodeo! The Bruce Stampede is the busiest day of my year, and it would be a real headache if I didn’t love it.” IF YOU GO:

For more information, go to www.brucestampede.ca

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Photo: Richard Goerg

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

H APPENINGS Ranch Rodeo

Real working cowboys square off Vern Lonsberry helped to start Medicine Tree Ranch Rodeo 20 years ago GOING DOWN THE TRAIL Places and events of interest

By Luke Creasy Brownsfield, Alta.

his summer marks the 20th anniversary of the Medicine Tree Ranch Rodeo in Nanton, Alta. The event, to be held July 19-20, is to “preserve the skills and heritage of the working cowboy. All of the teams and team members are actual working cowboys and cowgirls. The event is all about bringing ranching heritage in front of a live audience, showing authentic skills that are not just weekend competition kind of skills, but part of everyday cowboy life. It goes back to how ranching and rodeo truly began,” states committee member Patti Nelson. “Events start at 10 a.m. on Friday with a contestant ranch roping competition, displaying roping skills by groups of three. This is a just-forfun event, not part of the overall competition but everyone is invited to come watch. The 10-point competition starts on Friday at 1 p.m. with the working ranch horse competition. On Friday evening there is a Calcutta selling teams out in auction format. This is a great way for the community and spectators to become involved and have a stake in the competition, giving them great reason to cheer on their favorite team.” The Nanton Night Rodeo will also be running their modern rodeo event on Friday night which provides the spectators with a great contrast of how rodeo began and what it has become. Ranch Rodeo team members are welcome to partake in the roughstock events of the Nanton Night rodeo so the audience can also see how these cowboys will fare in the modern rodeo arena. During Friday and Saturday, there is the Western Art and Gear Show with silversmiths, saddle makers, beautiful western art pieces, and

rodeo and agriculture related books from one vendor. On Saturday, July 20, the grand entry and rodeo starts at 1 p.m. Before actual events start, the committee recognizes someone who has devoted a lifetime of contributions to the ranching industry. This year they will recognize Tom Crowe who passed earlier in the year. The rodeo consists of team branding, saddle bronc riding (with wild hat fanning and horned saddles), team sorting, team doctoring, wild cow milking, and the wild horse race. This year they are incorporating something new — a bull roping competition to run at the end of the rodeo. “Following the rodeo, there will be awards including team awards for each event plus top hand award, working ranch horse award, and a new award in honour of event founder, Vern Lonsberry to presented by his children for top horse.” Patti explained how difficult the passing of Vern was for those on the committee, “It was hard to get the rodeo together after the loss of Vern. Most of the members have been working together since the beginning so it’s like losing part of the family as this is a very family-orientated event.” “After the awards there is an art auction followed by the Pickin’ n Grinnin’ in which anyone with an instrument is invited to come sing and swap stories in a real western atmosphere get-together.” Mac Blades, patriarch of the Rocking P, one of the most active and successful ranches in the event, summarized it saying, “It’s what we do every day and shows our skills with our horses. It’s the camaraderie with other contestants and being with other guys from all over the other provinces.”

Wild cow milking at the Medicine Tree Ranch Rodeo can get real western in a hurry. Photos: Doug Nelson

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If you go

Further info on the event can be found at www.medicinetreeranchrodeo.ca

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The saddle bronc event features working cowboys riding in their own working saddles.

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HAPPENINGS DESTINATION

Riders savour the Wild West at the Ghost Ranch Now a retreat, the ranch was once home to famous artist Georgia O’Keeffe

GOING DOWN THE TRAIL Places and events of interest

By Wendy Dudley Ghost Ranch, New Mexico

The Ghost Ranch, now an educational centre, used to be a working cattle and dude ranch. Horses still play a role on the ranch, through art (this is a fibreglass model), and through horseback riding. PHOTOS: WENDY DUDLEY

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f you view the horse as a work of art, then there is no greater canvas to ride across than the pastel landscape of the Ghost Ranch in northern New Mexico. Once the home of Georgia O’Keeffe — an inductee in the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame — the ranch is 21,000 acres of red cliffs, purple hills, yellow mesas, and ochre arroyos. In the spring, there is the lime blush of cottonwoods, and in fall, these wisdom trees turn to splashes of gold against sangria sunsets. “It is one of the most beautiful spots in the country. It’s another world that you can ride over, walk, or climb,” O’Keeffe wrote in 1980. “This was my world immediately — big and wide — with no one living in it.” O’Keeffe was the most famous female American painter of the 20th century. Many years ago I rode an Arabian across its llanos; it seemed the perfect steed for the high desert. This ruddied land is a place that hurts and heals, its history bleeding from its red rock. Once a cattle and dude ranch, the Ghost is now an isolated yearround retreat, offering classes in everything from spirituality to various arts to local culture. But you don’t have to be a student to savour its magnificent vistas. You can hike its trails, or just sit back in a chair and admire the distant mountains, the skyline dominated by Cerro Pederal, the flat-topped mountain visible from O’Keeffe’s home (just a few miles from the ranch headquarters). Once known as Rancho de los Burros, her home is now owned by the Georgia O’Keeffe Foundation. Behind her home, Chimney Rock, another Ghost Ranch landmark, pokes the sky like an exclamation mark.

Viewing O’Keeffe’s landscape is the ranch’s most popular horseback ride, said Robb Carter who runs the equestrian program. “We show her paintings, and then ride to where they were done. Summer is our peak season but spring and fall is also spectacular. And in the winter, you get a skiff of snow on the red rock.”

“This was my world immediately — big and wide — with no one living in it.”  GEORGIA O’KEEFFE

There are also wrangler and buckaroo rides, providing instruction for children and adults. Guests are mounted on quarter horses and sturdy and sound Norwegian Fjords. Riders may bring their own horses, as long as they are up to date with their Coggins test and vaccinations including West Nile virus. Lodgings are primitive, and if you must be digitally connected to the outside world, then pass by. Cellphone connection is spotty, and there are no TVs or telephones in the rooms. Like New Mexico itself, the Ghost Ranch is multi-layered. Most people travel there for its classes and connection to O’Keeffe (she also drew the steer skull that is the ranch logo), but also its history. Skirting on horseback the pink and purple sandstone cliffs, there’s a real sense of its past, said Carter. “This was the Wild West, and you get a feel that this was the real thing.” Wild horses still roam its borders. Once known as Rancho de los Brujos (ranch of witches), many believe its canyons are haunted by evil spirits and the ghosts of murdered travelers, killed by the » Continued on next page

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Located: Lethbridge, AB 3 Miles East of Lethbridge on Hwy #3 & ¼ Mile South on Broxburn Road.

The red rock hills and pastel sandstone cliffs are true eye-candy on the Ghost Ranch, whether travelling on foot or by horseback.

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

H APPENINGS

Chimney Rock is one of the feature landmarks on the 21,000-acre Ghost Ranch in northern New Mexico. photos: Wendy Dudley

The 21,000-acre Ghost Ranch has been used for various movie locations, including Indiana Jones, Cowboys and Aliens and All the Pretty Horses. This is the cabin used in the film, City Slickers.

Archuleta Brothers. They were cattle rustlers who built the adobe Ghost House in 1892. Its cottonwoods were ideal hanging trees. The ranch, part of the Piedra Lumbre land grant, was originally under Spanish ownership, and over the years was divided, with Ghost Ranch won in a poker game. In its early days, the Ghost was a cattle and dude ranch, purchased by Arthur Pack in the 1930s. Pack was a conservationist and also kept burros for his children. The ranch still has five burros. The Ghost attracted such celebrities as John Wayne and Cary Grant, and its landscape has starred in the movies City Slickers (the cabin is still there), Indiana Jones, 3:10 to Yuma, All the Pretty Horses, and Cowboys and Aliens. Its shifting colours and shapes have been captured on artists’ canvases, as well as by professional photographers, including the legendary Ansel Adams. It has been home to dinosaurs, outlaws and the secretive scientists who worked on the atomic bomb at nearby Los Alamos. There is a museum of paleontology (the small dinosaur Coelophysis was discovered on the ranch in 1947) and anthropology. In 1955, Pack gifted the ranch to the Presbyterian Church, to be used as a retreat and educational centre for all faiths.

Accommodation at Ghost Ranch is primitive, with no telephones, Internet or television. It is the scenery and peace that attracts visitors from all over the world. Photo: Wendy Dudley If you go

If your destination is the Ghost Ranch, fly into Albuquerque, and then rent a car. For the most direct route, take the I25 north to Santa Fe, and continue north to Espanola and on to Abiquiu and the Ghost Ranch on U.S. 84. The ranch is 65 miles northwest of Santa Fe. All highways are paved, but the road into the ranch is red dirt that can be slick during the July monsoon season. For more information, check out www.ghostranch.org. Reservations for horseback rides and accommodation are recommended. Call 505-685-4333. For more information, go to www.ghostranch.org

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

HAPPENINGS FUNDRAISING TRA I L R I D ES

A little bit of

DISNEY MAGIC The Children’s Wish Trail Rides help fulfill childhood dreams

Kathy Hiebert went on the very first Alberta Wish Ride, and was so moved by the experience, she has volunteered as trail boss on subsequent rides.

GOING DOWN THE TRAIL Places and events of interest

By Heather Grovet Galahad, Alta.

f you’re a trail riding enthusiast with a heart for children, you won’t want to miss the 2013 Children’s Wish Trail Rides. This year there are three rides

in Alberta with each offering escorted horseback rides through incredible countr yside, good food, entertainment and prizes. Rafter Six Ranch located in the Rocky Mountains near Exshaw, Alta. hosts the first ride on August 18. Here intermediate to experienced riders can enjoy amazing scenery on their own horse or ride an experienced mountain horse rented from Rafter Six.

On September 7, the Culligon Ranch near Duchess, Alta. hosts a second ride. This ride travels through the Canadian badlands, with riders mounted on their own horse. There are several ride options; a long ride, a short ride, and even a wagon ride for those who don’t want to travel horseback. The historic Reesor Ranch at Cypress Hills, Alta. hosts the last Alberta Wish Ride of the year

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on September 21. Horsepeople can enjoy the unique scenery of Cypress Hills while riding their own horse, or one rented from the ranch. Irene White and husband Roger Matas helped organize the Alberta branch of the Children’s Wish Trail rides in 2009 after assisting White’s father with a similar ride held in Woodlands, Man. “My parents lived in B.C. but came to the Manitoba Children’s Wish Trail Ride for years, and were passionate about this charity,” White says. “My Dad then took the idea back to B.C. and helped organize a ride there. When Dad got sick I thought to myself ‘Alberta is horse country, we need to do something like this here, too.’

Dad passed away in 2009 before our first ride, but his passion lives on in Roger and I. We love horses and we love children, so this was a perfect fit for us.” White explains the Canadian Children’s Wish Foundation grants approximately 1,000 wishes each year to youngsters with high-risk, life-threatening illnesses. “An average wish costs about $10,000,” White says. “Some children ask for a trip to Disneyland, others want a musical instrument or a pet. We’ve even had a sick child who’s wish was to have a horse of her own, and this was granted. These wishes may seem expensive, but remember, we » Continued on next page

AWARDS

Irene White cares about kids Irene White has received a number of awards for her contributions to the Children’s Wish Foundation. The ride committee received the foundation’s Merit Award in 2012, recognizing the significant funds they’d helped raise in the past three years. Then in the fall of 2012 White’s ride was given $1,000 and The Game Changer’s Award by the Scotia Bank at the CFL. This spring the Children’s Wish Foundation presented White with The Roary’s Pride Award, given to individuals and groups that raise $100,000 cumulatively. “There are only 20 groups in all of Alberta that have ever won this award,” fund-raising co-ordinator Alicia Jackson says. “Then in May 2013 we also presented Irene with the Terry Hall Award.” White was also honoured by

The Alberta Wish Rides are making a big difference in children’s lives, and the lives of their families. Event organizers Irene White and her husband Roger Matas (r) are shown presenting a cheque to Megan Inns from The Children’s Wish Foundation in 2010.

Global TV as a 2012-13 Woman of Vision. Global TV states this award celebrates the accomplishments of outstanding women whose lives implement their passion with personal devotion and action.

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

HAPPENINGS don’t just help the child, we help their whole family, too. If the child goes to Disneyland, their whole immediate family is able to go. This is important because when these children go through tough times, so does their family. Life threatening illnesses are hard on everyone, and often this may be the only big trip the family is ever able to attend together.” Kathy Hiebert has been a trail boss for the Alberta Wish Ride for four years now. “When I first heard about the trail ride, I immediately thought ‘What a great cause!’” Hiebert says. “I went as a rider, but when I got there they were looking for more trail bosses. I was put to work when they learned I knew equine safety and first aid, plus had experience as a parade director. I enjoyed that first ride, and I keep coming back to help.” Hiebert stresses the importance of safety during the group

trail rides. “Before the ride begins we discuss safety and trail rules with everyone,” Hiebert says. “We learn what type of riders we’ll have in our group, and we ensure they follow the rules while still having fun. We get a wide range of people — ranchers, farmers, cowboys, hunter/jumpers, barrel racers — and they’re all there to have a good time and raise money for this cause.” “A few years ago we had a 10 year old child who wished for a Mickey Mouse Wizard tombstone,” Hiebert says softly. “This might not be the type of wish you’d expect, but it was heartfelt, and I’m thankful to be part of a group that cared enough to help fund such a wish.” IF YOU GO

For more information, go to www.albertawishride.ca

The Rocky Mountain Wish Ride takes participants to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.

BRIEFS

Horses All contributor wins Emmy Equitrekking, the Emmy Awardwinning PBS travel TV series hosted by Darley Newman was honoured with three Daytime Emmy Award nominations, and won for Outstanding Single Camera Photography. Equitrekking has won two Emmy Awards, both also for photography after being nominated for eight Emmys over the past four years. “As a small, independent production company we are incredibly proud to be nominated once again beside some of the best and biggest brands in the business,” said executive producer Chip Ward. “Over the past few years Equitrekking has grown from humble beginnings on a handful of PBS affiliates to become one of the most watched and widely distributed travel program on the network.” Five-time Daytime Emmy nominated TV host and regular Horses All contributor Darley Newman travels with local people in each episode of Equitrekking to highlight great adventure, history, food, nature and culture. Darley horseback rides to get close to the land and reach hidden treasures in each place. By traveling with local people, viewers at home are given a more personal perspective of each area, showcasing the interconnectedness of humanity and what makes global cultures distinct. Equitrekking just completed its 36th episode. In addition to its North American broadcasts, Equitrekking is shown on international networks in over 82 countries including the U.K., Ireland, New Zealand, Italy, Russia, and Turkey.

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

H APPENINGS Cutting

Benson ‘cuts’ a big cheque at Black Elk Young man plans to make his mark in the cutting world with big plans for the future IN IT TO WIN IT Competitor profile

By Darla Rathwell Hay Lakes, Alta.

hen 15-year-old Wyatt Benson rolled into Ponoka, Alta. for the Black Elk Cutting Classic, May 22-26, he had his game face on. Benson didn’t doubt his chances of walking away with a paycheque. His non-conceited confidence was formed through hours of dedicated practice. The teen from Lac La Biche, Alta. who began riding at the age of eight, first started out as a team penner/sorter. Then he tried roping before finding his calling and switching to cutting. “I switched to cutting because I feel it’s much more fun and

more of a challenge,” says Benson. After taking lessons for about two years with trainer and Coach Gary Copper, Benson began to compete with the Alberta Cutting Horse Association last year. It’s a commitment that he does not take lightly. “I work cattle and the flag three to four days a week,” Benson says with conviction. He somehow fits it all into his already busy schedule of school work and chores on the family’s Sandero Ranch where they raise cattle, and more recently, cutting horses. But it was those hours spent in the saddle that definitely paid off in Ponoka. Benson’s week started out on Thursday in his first class of the Black Elk, showing second in the draw of the four-year-old

CPRA Unofficial Rodeo Standings INCLUDING: ROCKY PRO RODEO, LEA PARK RODEO, BROOKS KINSMEN PRO RODEO SADDLE BRONC 1 GEIGER RYLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,499.92 2 JOHNSON CHET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,163.55 3 KELTS SAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,511.19 4 BERRY JIM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,149.22 5 HERZOG TODD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,009.72 6 BUTTERFIELD LUKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,592.84 7 MUNCY TAOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,244.53 8 SCHEER CORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,173.06 9 BROWN JAKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,124.26 10 FLUNDRA DUSTIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,959.56

TR HEELER 1 ROBERTSON JOHN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 FLEWELLING TYREL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 WARREN RILEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 BROWER TAYLOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 JOHNSON CHAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 SPORER SID. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 WHYTE KLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 FAWCETT MATT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 DALLYN ROCKY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 SIMPSON CHASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4,662.27 4,066.75 3,631.69 3,611.01 3,554.38 3,493.51 3,469.07 3,360.49 3,228.72 3,155.21

BAREBACK 1 VOLD JAKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 LAVALLEY DUSTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 MARSHALL KY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 TAYPOTAT TY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 CREASY LUKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 LAYE CLINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 LAIT MATT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 SOLBERG MICHAEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 BUNNEY CLAYTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 BENNETT CALEB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

TR HEADER 1 SIMPSON LEVI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 BUSS BRETT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 ULLERY CLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 GALLAIS TRAVIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 CONWAY NOLAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 BESSETTE SHAWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 ROBSON JEFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 MCFADDEN ROLAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 DAVIES BRAIDY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 LINTHICUM MURRAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4,662.28 4,085.01 3,631.69 3,611.01 3,554.37 3,493.51 3,469.07 3,228.71 3,155.20 2,690.05

7,469.30 7,067.04 5,157.29 4,526.06 4,197.83 3,806.72 3,572.56 3,538.13 3,401.80 3,208.59

BULL RIDING 1 BROOKS BEAU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,578.54 2 SCHIFFNER SCOTT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,116.67 3 TURNER STEVEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,593.20 4 MEZEI DEVON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,985.25 5 PANKEWITZ TYLER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,520.21 6 WATERSON COREY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,642.65 7 GIRLETZ TANNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,869.04 8 THOMSON TYLER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,681.54 9 BUTTAR DAKOTA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,598.75 10 BYRNE TANNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,939.87 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1 EDGE DEAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 GRANT MORGAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 BOUCHARD ALWIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 MOORE TIMBER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 PEEK JOSHUA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 JOHNSON CHAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 RICHARD RHEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 CASSIDY CURTIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 KELLER SHAY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 SCHAFFER JASON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6,066.88 5,904.38 5,774.30 4,991.52 4,866.26 4,488.27 4,393.76 4,163.56 3,580.81 3,519.58

STEER WRESTLING 1 GRAVES LEE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 FRANK DEREK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 BUTTERFIELD BROCK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 REAY TRAVIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 MILAN STRAWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 PUGH TRYGVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 MOORE CLAYTON. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 CASSIDY CURTIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 DELEMONT LAYNE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 CASSIDY CODY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7,399.45 6,404.69 5,639.29 5,594.18 5,428.15 4,356.65 4,292.75 4,037.77 4,012.46 3,942.36

LADIES BARREL RACING 1 RUST LEE ANN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 GARTHWAITE KATIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 TAYLOR FALLON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 WALKER MARY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 LOCKHART LISA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 CSABAY NANCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 LECLERCQ RENE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 FLECK BRITANY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 BUFF GAYLENE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 DAINES SYDNEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7,643.61 6,798.55 5,749.16 5,266.55 5,220.59 4,704.40 4,382.74 3,566.36 3,539.56 3,337.82

ALL-AROUND 1 MARSHALL KY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,960.68 HIGH POINT 1 CASSIDY CURTIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,201.33 NOVICE SADDLE BRONC 1 WATSON JAKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,424.93 2 THURSTON ZEKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,420.08 3 MARR CALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,058.54 NOVICE BAREBACK 1 STEMO JACOB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,317.26 2 YOUNG TANNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 911.8 3 LAMB KODY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 851.66 STEER RIDING 1 HAY DAWSON. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,078.23 2 SCHMIDT KAGEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,401.65 3 FAUCHER CONNOR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,287.67 PERMIT 1 SMITH BLAIR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,907.27 2 LECLERCQ RENE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,382.74 3 NOVAL KERILEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,735.33 ROOKIE 1 LECLERCQ RENE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,382.74 2 BROWN JAKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,124.26 3 DELEMONT LAYNE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,012.46

“I switched to cutting because I feel it’s much more fun and more of a challenge.” — Wyatt Benson

Wyatt Benson cutting on Lucyindasky in the 4 yr old non-pro derby at Black Elk Cutting Classic.

non-pro derby National Cutting Horse Association, Limited Aged Event. The class had one go on May 23 and then a separate go on May 24 with each day having an added purse of $4,999 and a portion of entry fees going back into its four place payout. The first day is when Benson and Lucyindasky, a bay roan mare by Mecom Blue owned by his parents Albert and Colette, took first place. He unanimously scored 73 with both NCHA judges Joe Cameron from Alabama and Todd Williamson from Idaho, earning himself $3,195.60. The following day, Benson competed again in this same class with the same payout

schedule, but was half a point shy on Cameron’s judge’s sheet pushing him down to fifth place and out of the cheque run. However, after this class was all said and done, it was Benson who held the highest aggregate score of 287, taking home a Black Elk Cutting Classic aggregate championship leather jacket. Next, Benson competed in the $2,000 Limited Rider, a class that riders can compete in until they have earned $2,000 in prize money, excluding anything they may have won in a Limited Aged Event. Benson is still eligible to compete in this class for the time being. Benson switched horses and was now riding a different horse, High Trinity Cat by High Brow

Cat, also owned by his parents. His first go in this jackpot class went great. He marked 144 between the judges putting him in second place, earning $293.25. The second go didn’t go quite as well, as he found himself muddled in the middle of the pack with a score of 131. The final class of the show was the Senior Youth where Benson had similar placing as he did in the $2,000 Limit scoring 138 in each of his goes. All in all, a terrific start to Bensons 2013 show season. Now with his first real big win in cutting under his hat, he’s got the bug and is focused on the future with a plan to make his mark in the cutting world. Big prize money

Black Elk Cutting Classic is one of Canada’s biggest cutting competitions, paying out $85,733 in prize money this year.

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

HAPPENINGS HIGH SCHOOL ROD EO

Canadian High School Rodeo Finals coming to Nanton

Lakota Bird qualifies in six provincial events on six horses GOING DOWN THE TRAIL Places and events of interest

By Heather Grovet Galahad, Alta.

hawna Bird of Nanton, Alta., has enthusiastically supported her children Logan and Lakota as they compete in Alberta High School Rodeo. “High School Rodeo encourages education, sportsmanship, dedication, competition and friendship,” the woman says. “It is such a family event and is hard to compare to anything else.” Son Logan now rodeos professionally in tie-down and team roping, but 16-year-old Lakota continues to enjoy High School Rodeo. On June 8 and 9, Lakota Bird became the first girl to qualify for all six girl’s events at the finals held in Ponoka, competing in barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, team roping, cutting and break-away roping. Bird won the Alberta High Point Girl award at Ponoka, plus qualified in cutting and break-away roping for the National High School Rodeo Finals held in Rock Springs, Wyoming. Bird’s placings also qualified her for the Canadian High School Rodeo Finals which will be held in Nanton, Alta. this year. The town of Nanton is expecting over 300 youth contestants at the Canadian Finals, which run July 25-27. “I compete on a different horse for each event,” Bird explains. “Riding and competing with six horses is a lot of work, and I’m grateful to my family and friends who help me manage the workload.” Bird placed third in cutting, riding her grandparent’s AQHA stallion Play Mia CD. “I only cut at High School Rodeos, so I’ve been very fortunate to be able to use this horse for the event,” Bird says. “He’s a breeding stallion so wasn’t too impressed when we pulled him away from his mares, but otherwise he handled everything well. He’s always very well behaved.” Bird also qualified for Nationals in one of her favourite events, break-away roping, riding her father’s red dun Quarter Horse gelding, Gamble On A Lena. “I first met Dynamite when my dad started training him for calf roping,” Bird says. “Dad normally sells his horses when they reach a certain point, but I fell in love with this horse and begged Dad to keep him. Dynamite’s very talented; he runs hard, stops hard, and scores well. He’s quiet and consistent.” Bird started the Alberta Finals as the season leader in break-away roping. Her first two rounds at Ponoka kept her in top position but then unfortunately she missed her calf on the last go. “It was a bummer,” Bird admits. “But I still ended up

fourth over-all so was able to quality for Nationals.” Last year Bird competed in Nationals in Break-away roping and pole bending. “The National High School Rodeo is one of the largest rodeos in the world,” she says. “Contestants come from all across the United States, Canada and Australia. It’s a privi-

lege to even qualify for Nationals, and a great experience.” To prepare for the upcoming Canadian and National finals, Bird rides at least five hours a day, seven days a week. “And I don’t have to go to school, on a day I’ll probably ride at least eight hours,” Bird says. And then she grins.

Lakota Bird competed in six events on six different horses at the Alberta High School Rodeo Finals. She is shown here in the break-away roping event on her father’s calf roping horse, Gamble On A Lena. PHOTO: MIKE COPEMAN

Enabling rural succEss. UFA is a thriving, progressive co-operative with a passion for agriculture and rural life. We are proud to work and live in Alberta, supporting our neighbours and helping build communities for over 100 years. Although we’ve grown and changed over that time, UFA remains a big part of small towns from the prairies to the foothills. Just like those towns, we know we will achieve far greater success as a group than as individuals. Because great things really do happen when we share a common vision and then roll up our sleeves to get it done. UFA is a founding member of Ag for Life, a program that delivers educational programming to improve rural and farm safety. Ag for Life also builds a genuine understanding and appreciation of the impact agriculture has on the lives of all Albertans. To learn more about Ag for Life, go to agricultureforlife.ca. Visit UFA at UFA.com.

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

ASSOCIATION NEWS Canadian Friesian Horse Association

A very proud Friesian mare with her beautiful and healthy filly.

2013 Foals are arriving. Remember to report the foals birth within 28 days. 2013’s naming letters are P-Q-R-S. In order for your foal to be entered into the stud book, DNA testing is required and parental verification necessary. Once verified, the foal will be issued a microchip which will be implanted in the neck. For more detailed information, forms and fees please log on to our webpage and contact us directly with your questions:www. canadianfriesianhorse.ca info@canadianfriesiahorse.ca. 780.675.5927.

Alberta Friesian Horse Association (AFHA) The Alberta Friesian Horse Association is proud to be amongst the four Canadian chapters representing the true, purebred Friesian horse. All four Chapters are directly affiliated and bound by the rules and regulations of the Friesian Horse Association of North America (FHANA) which in turn is associated with the KFPS, located in The Netherlands. The KFPS is the original Mother Studbook and maintains the official registry, worldwide, of purebred Friesian horses, bred only by Friesian stallions which have been officially approved under the extremely rigorous standards set forth by KFPS. This system allows only the very best examples of the breed to continue to enhance this versatile breed. There are other registries for the Friesian horse in the world, but none which set the very high standards needed to produce and protect this noble breed of horse which almost became extinct during the war years. We members of the AFHA continue to work hard to breed the best of the best for future generations to love and enjoy. AFHA’s annual inspection will be on September 20 at Bosch Stables in Red Deer. For more info: www.afha.ca or contact@afha.ca.

Alberta Donkey and Mule Club

Jerry Tindell is trimming badly neglected feet on a rescued Standard donkey during one of his clinics.

The Jerry Tindell Clinics held across Alberta were once again a huge success with many horse, mule and donkey owners benefitting from the vast 30-year knowledge and understanding of this talented man who has become the leading expert in working with mules and donkeys. We wanted to make use of Jerry’s many years of farrier work as we always see mules and donkeys that are not trimmed properly (if at all!!) So we held several Hoof Care Sessions while Jerry was here. There is a huge demand for him to come back next year for even more clinics so sign up early with Marlene if you are interested: marlenequiring@hotmail.com TEES LONGEARS DAYS is happening at Tees, Alta. (east of Lacombe) on August 17 and 18. The full program is on our website www.albertadonkeyandmule.com.

Northern Lights Driving Club

The Northern Lights Driving Club would like to invite you to our annual show on July 21 at the Rich Valley Fairgrounds, Rich Valley, Alta. The show is open to horses of all breeds, big and small, and to drivers of all levels, green to advanced. Start time is 9 a.m. Come prepared for a day of showing, sharing and having fun with your equine friends and fellow drivers. Contact the Show Secretary, Valerie Harris, at 780-470-3786 for registration or more information.

Chinook Team Penning Association Wild Rose Draft Horse Association

Kurt Robson (Hi-Point Rider), Lindy Barron, Debbie Thompson, Jaycee Spangler

The Dave Fraser Series final two shows were held May 5-6 at the Claresholm Agriplex. For more than 20 years, Dave has been producing the best in penning competitions. Attendance at three of the four shows qualifies Hi-Point Teams to earn gift certificates and silver buckles go to the Hi-Point Riders in the Open, #10, #7 and #5 Classes. Junior and Senior Youth Riders also receive Hi-Point awards.

Canadian Warmblood Each spring the Canadian Warmblood Fall Classic Breeders’ Sale holds an art contest to select the image that will grace the catalogue cover and poster for that year’s event. The original, framed work of art then becomes Lot 0 of the sale, first through the sale ring in the fall. Out of 26 entries from 10 different artists in this year’s contest, nine pieces made the short list with Rhonda Malik’s Power in Motion taking top honours in the third round of voting. This striking oil painting will be available for sale on September 29 at the Fall Classic Breeders’ Sale in Olds, Alta. If you would like to Alberta artist Rhonda Malik won the 2013 see all 26 entries, visit www.fallclassicsale.com and Fall Classic art contest. click on 2013 Selection under the Artists tab.

While numbers at Alberta Percheron Club’s 2013 Youth Driving Clinic, May 11-12 had to be limited, the enthusiasm of those in attendance couldn’t be contained. This year’s clinicians, Brian and Colleen Coleman, Eaglesfield Percherons of Didsbury, shared their wealth of expertise. Youngsters from across Alberta participated. These were youngsters familiar with a horse. Communication when working with horses was stressed. To ensure students knew the importance of communication, they were divided into pairs. One, who took the place of a horse, was blindfolded, then driven through a pattern by the other, the teamster. After a few crack-ups, the importance of a tight line was realized, as was basic communication. Harness was studied. Their parts and purpose reviewed. A harness was taken apart by each student, who then reassembled the harness after the parts were cleaned. How a horse should be harnessed was demonstrated, after which the students were given a horse to harness. Students were shown how to handle and ground drive their horse; how to hook their horse and cart; and how their horse should be driven. When the two day clinic had concluded, each student was driving cart horses, teams, and a four-horse hitch as well. Their adrenalin rush was a delight to behold. Safety handling a draft horse throughout the action filled weekend was stressed. For information on the Alberta Percheron Club’s 2014 Youth Driving Clinic, visit www.albertaper cherons.com.

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HORSES ALL • JULY 2013

ASSOCIATION NEWS Calgary Stampe d e

Calgary Stampede continues to make and display history Draft Horse Town showcases the stars of the past and future By Madeline Babinec

here else can you eat a double deep fried, bacon wrapped corn dog while watching a jet-ski demonstration (in the downtown core of a city that doesn’t have a large body of water)? Where else can you view an evening show consisting of opera singers, ballet dancers, the flag circus, eagle spirit dancers, and yes, a KISS cover band? Where else can horse lovers watch chuckwagon racing, cutting, penning, barrel racing, bucking horses, and heavy horse pulling all in the same festival? Only at the Calgary Stampede! A 10 day event that features all of these spectacles and more may

only seem possible in your imagination but the Calgary Stampede proves time and time again that elaborate imaginings really can become realities. This is especially proven as Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian commander of the International Space Station, has come back to earth and will be the 2013 parade marshal. However, amongst all the action and excitement of fastpaced events and calorie indulgences, there lies a historic side to the Calgary Stampede, which includes a special venue called Draft Horse Town. Draft Horse Town shows how our country wouldn’t be the same without our strong friends, the Belgians, Clydesdales, Perche-

show jumping

There is also a performance, once daily that brings together all elements of Draft Horse Town in an entertaining presentation that recounts remarkable stories of the draft horse in Western Canada. Whether it be the double deep fried, bacon wrapped corn dog, or the original corndog in its purity,

and whether you’re interested in the future of outer space or the historic past in all its glory, the Calgary Stampede has something for everyone. Be sure to come on down to Stampede Park from July 5-14, 2013 and you will be certain to find something suited just to your interests!

W est e r n h o rs e e v e n ts

The North American Spruce Meadows a true family event By Lisa Murphy Spruce Meadows

uly is a month to embrace all that summer has to offer! Start your summer at Spruce Meadows. The ‘North American’ Tournament, July 3-7 is packed full of activities for the whole family! Friday, July 5 is Family Fun Night with a free hot dog and beverage for the first 3,000 guests to visit the Meadowgreen building at the east end of the Meadows on the Green Ring. Along with toe-tapping music from Country 105, there will be face painters and jugglers to put a sparkle on your face and a twinkle in your eye! Saturday’s feature competition in the International Ring is the ATCO Power Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Saturday of the ‘North American’ Tournament is a celebration of the strong ties between Spruce Meadows and the Royal Family. The day starts off with a truly royal salute event — the ‘Royal Occasion Brunch.’ All are welcome to join us at this royally inspired breakfast and toast the Queen with uniquely British fare. The breakfast, complimentary to the first 3,000 guests, will take place prior to the ATCO Power Queen Elizabeth II Cup on Saturday, July 6 from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. in the Meadowgreen Building, adjacent to the Meadows on the Green Ring.

rons, and Shire horses as they truly helped build Western Canada from the ground up. Draft horses are the largest of all horses; thus the talented teamsters were able to guide them to pull wagons and carriages which were often full of firefighting equipment as well as rocks and dirt for constructing roads and buildings. Draft Horse Town features plenty of hands-on activities, exhibits and demonstrations which are ongoing daily such as blacksmiths who transform hot steel into horseshoes right before your eyes; wheelwrights who demonstrate the art of creating wheels for wagons and carriages; and of course, the ‘gentle giants’ themselves who certainly engage the audience.

Horses are back at Farmfair International Ranch Horse Versatility and Barrel Racing Futurity added this year

So be sure to stop by with the whole family on Saturday morning for this royally-inspired brunch and stay for the thrills of international sport with the ATCO Power Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Sunday is derby day, a truly exacting test of the horse and rider ’s courage, endurance and power. The Cenovus Classic Derby is a “must watch” for many. The course features almost twice the number of obstacles found in a more conventional course and presents many challenges for the horse and rider and thrilling sport for the spectators as the athletes negotiate infamous obstacles such as the Devil’s Dyke and the Bank. It is hard to think about Spruce Meadows without thinking of the shopping. From the equine focused booths in Vendor Village to the booths in the Gallery on the Green on the Upper Plaza, products are featured from artisans, artists and many others for your home, your yard and yourself! Spruce Meadows has many unique summer activities for families to explore!

s they gear up for the 40th Anniversary of Farmfair International (FFI) taking place November 3-10, 2013, Northlands is pleased to host many new and returning equine events for you to participate in! Returning events include the Ranch Horse Competition and Sale, the Team Roping Futurity and the Heritage Ranch Rodeo. And if you’re in the market to buy or sell, the Bloodstock Futurity Sale is a high-calibre auction and prime marketing opportunity for horse breeders. Bloodstock Sale and Futurity The Bloodstock Sale and Futurity is now entering its third year as a premiere horse sale that brings together some of the top bloodlines in the industry. Unique to the Bloodstock Sale and Futurity is that horses sold through this year’s sale and the last two sales have the opportunity — provided they meet the criteria — to return and enter FFI events for a chance to win an added purse. Bloodstock Sale horses are also eligible for added incentives in both the Team Roping Futurity

and the Barrel Racing Futurity that are offered at FFI this year. New this year is a Bloodstock Cowhorse Futurity that will run in conjunction with the Ranch Horse Versatility Championship. This event is for three-year-old horses and is an open competition but has an added incentive for horses that have been entered in the Bloodstock sales. Horses will compete in three areas: reining, roping and fence work. They will perform a reining pattern, be required to ‘box’ a cow and then take down the fence, turning it both ways on the fence (competitors are not required to circle the cow). They will then rope the cow, stop it and track it from the arena within the allotted time limit. In addition to familiar Farmfair International events, two new thrilling events debuting this year are the Barrel Racing Futurity and the Ranch Horse Versatility Championship: Ranch Horse Versatility Championship New to Farmfair, the Ranch Horse Versatility Championship is a perfect fit, challenging both riders and horses with five components that involve obstacles and tasks

likely to be encountered when working on a ranch or trail riding. Barrel Racing Futurity Canadian Barrel Racing Champion and 11-time Canadian Finals Rodeo qualifier Dee Butterfield has been involved in breeding for over the last 30 years. She emphasizes the importance of having the correct breed, listing four key elements you require in a champion breed for equine competitions — particularly barrel racing. A c c o rd i n g t o B u t t e r f i e l d , “You’ve got to have the seed, the athletic ability, a good mind and a desire to turn.” We’re excited to be bringing the Barrel Racing Futurity to Farmfair International, as is Dee who says, “Northlands is a great venue to have a futurity. The Barrel Racing Futurity draws a lot of people. It’s a very popular event and is growing every year.” Open to five-year-old horses, the Barrel Racing Futurity is an exciting event where up-and-coming barrel horses will run against the clock, following the Team Roping Futurity on Thursday, November 7, 2013. Keep checking www.farmfairinternational.com for more information on this year’s show.

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calendar of events Send your announcement by email to: Itkdbell@yahoo.ca and we'll include your event or announcement here free.

CLINICS & SEMINARS

JULY

6-14 Fairview, Alta. English Rider Development Program Level 1-2. For details, contact Sue Sych: 780-835-6601, email: ssych@gprc.ab.ca or visit: www.gprc.ab.ca/departments/ coned/ (click on agriculture) 12-14 Cochrane, Alta. Natural Horsemanship with Glenn Stewart. For details, contact Patty: 403-932-7817, email: tsr.patty@live.ca or visit: www.thehorseranch.com 13-14 TTouch – TTeam. Training approach that encourages optimal performance and well-being. $275/participant, $50 extra/ horse. For details, visit: www.horsesensedk.com 17-25 Fort St. John, B.C. Natural Horsemanship with Glenn Stewart, Stage 5/6 Camp. For details, contact Dixie: 1-877-728-8987, email: dixie@ thehorseranch.com or visit: www.thehorseranch.com 19-21 Water Valley, Alta. “Calm, Connected & Responsive” Clinic with 5star PNH instructor Dan Halladay and 3star certified Randee Halladay. Open to all levels. For details, contact Nan: 403-256-1512, email: nanfitzg@ gmail.com or visit: www.donhalladay.com 17-25 Fort St. John, B.C. Natural Horsemanship with Glenn Stewart, High & Wild Colt Starting. For details, contact Dixie: 1-877-728-8987, email: dixie@thehorseranch.com or visit: www.thehorseranch.com

EQUINE EVENTS

JULY

3-7 Calgary, Alta. Spruce Meadows North American. For details, visit: www.sprucemeadows.com 5-7 Calgary, Alta. Calgary Stampede Draft Horse Town. For details, visit: www.ag.calgarystampede.com 5-14 Calgary, Alta. Calgary Stampede Horse Haven. For details, visit: www.ag.calgarystampede.com 11-14 Calgary, Alta. Spruce Meadows Pan American. For details, visit: www.sprucemeadows.com 27 Chilliwack, B.C. PAALH Fiesta of the Royal Horse. Exhibitions & Demonstrations featuring Andalusian & Lusitano Horses. Live auction of Arrow Harley 2011 Andalusian x Quarter Horse filly. Admission by donation. For details, email: paalhinfo@gmail.com or visit: www.paalh.com

SALES

JULY

26 Medicine Hat, Alta. Medicine Hat Stampede Ranch Horse Competition & Sale. For details, email: twoc_ranchhorses@yahoo.ca or visit: www.northernhorse.com/ mhstampedesale 27-28 Billings, Montana Mid-Summer Catalog Sale, Featuring Cutting Horses. For details, visit: www.billingslivestock.com

SHOWS & COMPETITIONS

JULY

3-8 Calgary, Alta. Calgary Stampede Team Penning Competitions. For details, visit: www.ag.calgarystampede.com 4-7 Calgary, Alta. Rocky Mountain Show Jumping Mid-Sumer Classic I. For details, visit: www.rmshowjumping.com 5-8 Calgary, Alta. Calgary Stampede Draft Horse Show. For details, visit: www.ag.calgarystampede.com 9-11 Calgary, Alta. Calgary Stampede Canadian National Miniature Horse Show. For details, visit: www.ag.calgarystampede.com 10-14 Calgary, Alta. Rocky Mountain Show Jumping Mid-Sumer Classic II. For details, visit: www.rmshowjumping.com 12-14 Calgary, Alta. Calgary Stampede Draft Horse Pull. For details, visit: www.ag.calgarystampede.com 21 Rich Valley, Alta. Northern Lights Driving Club Annual Show. Open to All Breeds – Big & Small. For details, contact Valerie Harris: 780-470-3786

CHARIOTS & CHUCKWAGONS

JULY

1-2 Weyburn, Sask. Eastern Saskatchewan Chuckwagons & Chariots. For details, contact Paulette Althouse: 306-338-2701 3-5 Yorkton, Sask. Eastern Saskatchewan Chuckwagons & Chariots. For details, contact Paulette Althouse: 306-338-2701 5-14 Calgary, Alta. World Professional Chuckwagons at the Calgary Stampede. For details, visit: www.halfmileofhell.com

Riding out of your mind

equestrian sport psychology services

April Clay, M.Ed., Registered Psychologist Seminars and Consultation in Equine Sport Psychology • Individual or group sessions • Keynotes • On the ground or mounted • Email consultations

The perfect topic for your next association meeting! Call or email to find out more: 403.283.5525 april@ridingoutofyourmind.com www.ridingoutofyourmind.com

6-7 Sheho, Sask. Eastern Saskatchewan Chuckwagons & Chariots. For details, contact Paulette Althouse: 306-338-2701 6-7 Cherry Grove, Alta. North West Saskatchewan Pony Chuckwagon & Chariot Association. For details, contact Fran Woodrow: 306-481-6915 or email: nwspcca@hotmail.com 6-7 Edgerton, Alta. Alberta Professional Chuckwagon & Chariot Association. For details, contact Carol Moran: 780-744-3977 or email: chuckchar@telusplanet.net 10-12 LLoydminister, Sask. World Professional Chuckwagons at the Lloydminister Colonial Days. For details, visit: www.halfmileofhell.com

12-13 Hardisty, Alta. Alberta Professional Chuckwagon & Chariot Association. For details, contact Carol Moran: 780-744-3977 or email: chuckchar@telusplanet.net 12-14 Preeceville, Sask. Eastern Saskatchewan Chuckwagons & Chariots. For details, contact Paulette Althouse: 306-338-2701 13-14 Buck Lake, Alta. Alberta Professional Chuckwagon & Chariot Association. For details, contact Carol Moran: 780-744-3977 or email: chuckchar@telusplanet.net 15-17 Nipawin, Sask. Eastern Saskatchewan Chuckwagons & Chariots. For details, contact Paulette Althouse: 306-338-2701 18-21 Bonnyville, Alta. World Professional Chuckwagons at the Bonnyville Chuckwagon Championship. For details, visit: www.halfmileofhell.com 19-21 Melfort, Sask. Eastern Saskatchewan Chuckwagons & Chariots. For details, contact Paulette Althouse: 306-338-2701 20-21 St. Walberg, Sask. North West Saskatchewan Pony Chuckwagon & Chariot Association. For details, contact Fran Woodrow: 306-481-6915 or email: nwspcca@hotmail.com 25-27 Vermillion, Alta. Alberta Professional Chuckwagon & Chariot Association. For details, contact Carol Moran: 780-744-3977 or email: chuckchar@telusplanet.net 26-28 Fishing Lake, Sask. Eastern Saskatchewan Chuckwagons & Chariots. For details, contact Paulette Althouse: 306-338-2701 30-31 High Prairie, Alta. Alberta Professional Chuckwagon & Chariot Association. For details, contact Carol Moran: 780-744-3977 or email: chuckchar@telusplanet.net

TRAIL RIDES

JULY

June 30-July 5 Rocky Mountain House, Alta. Great Canadian Cowgirl Experience with Wildhorse Mountain Ranch. For details, contact Diane Baker: 403-729-2910, email: admin@wildhorsecamp.com or visit: www.wildhorsecamp.com 7-12 Rocky Mountain House, Alta. Great Canadian Cowgirl Experience with Wildhorse Mountain Ranch. For details, contact Diane Baker: 403-729-2910, email: admin@wildhorsecamp.com or visit: www.wildhorsecamp.com

14-19 Rocky Mountain House, Alta. Great Canadian Cowgirl Experience with Wildhorse Mountain Ranch. For details, contact Diane Baker: 403-729-2910, email: admin@wildhorsecamp.com or visit: www.wildhorsecamp.com 19-21 Milk River, Alta. Hills of Home Competitive Trail Ride. For details, contact Charlene Price: clazyp@shockware.com 21-26 Rocky Mountain House, Alta. Great Canadian Cowgirl Experience with Wildhorse Mountain Ranch. For details, contact Diane Baker: 403-729-2910, email: admin@wildhorsecamp.com or visit: www.wildhorsecamp.com 28-August 2 Nordegg, Alta. Rocky Mountain Cowgirls Camp with Wildhorse Mountain Ranch. For details, contact Diane Baker: 403-729-2910, email: admin@wildhorsecamp.com or visit: www.wildhorsecamp.com

WESTERN PERFORMANCE

JULY

5-6 Cardston, Alta. South Country Barrel Futurity & Derby. For details, visit: www.canadianbarrelfuturities.com 5-7 Red Deer, Alta. Reining Alberta Summer Classic. For details, visit: www.reiningalberta.net 6-7 Grande Prairie, Alta. (tentative) Peace River Cutting Horse Association show. For details, email: prchahorse@yahoo.ca 6-8 Calgary, Alta. Calgary Stampede Cowboy Up Challenge. For details, visit: www.ag.calgarystampede.com 7-8 Calgary, Alta. Calgary Stampede Cutting Horse Competition. For details, visit: www.ag.calgarystampede.com 12-14 Calgary, Alta. Calgary Stampede Working Cow Horse Classic. For details, visit: www.ag.calgarystampede.com 19-20 Nanton, Alta. Medicine Tree Ranch Rodeo. For details, visit: www.medicinetreeranchrodeo.ca 20-21 Dawson Creek, B.C. Peace River Cutting Horse Association show. For details, vemail: prchahorse@yahoo.ca 20-21 Nanton, Alta. Reining Alberta Show at Silver Slate Arena. For details, visit: www.reiningalberta.net 27 Airdrie, Alta. Airdrie Ranch Rodeo. For details, visit: www.airdrieagsociety.com

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marketplace

To Advertise call toll free: 1-866-385-3669 Or email: crystal@fbcpublishing.com

Your Resource for All Things Equine EQUINE MASSAGE

HELPING HORSES TO ACHIEVE OPTIMAL HEALTH & EXCELLENT ENDURANCE WITH MAGNETIC RESONANCE STIMULATION

Classified Rates and Information To place a classified ad call toll free:

1-866-385-3669 Or email: crystal@fbcpublishing.com See below for rates & deadlines

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HORSE TRAILERS

Belinda (BJ) Lafond 780-293-3193

HORSE TRAILERS

NOON on the Wednesday following 10th day of the month for publication.

parks Dealer for the TR3™Rake nnovations ARenA RAscAl PRO • sOIl MOIsT #1 Ground Groomer Canada Wide

sPARKs InnOVATIOns Allan & Joyce sparks • RR#2, Innisfail, AB T4G 1T7 Fax: 403-227-2421

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Minimum charge: $8.25 per week for first 25 words or less and an additional 33 cents per word for every word over 25. GST is extra. $1.50 billing charge is added to billed ads only.

www.sparksinnovations.ca

Steve Elyzen

Terms: Payment due upon receipt of invoice. 10% discount for prepaid ads. If phoning in your ad you must pay with VISA or MasterCard to qualify for discount.

STALLIONS AT STUD

403-601-9057

Minimum charge $30.10 per week. Illustrations and logos are allowed with full border.

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Producing talented versatile offspring; HYPP N/N Champion Bloodlines, Champion Producers Offspring available for sale A Sharper Image - Photography Colt starting, boarding & rehab training also available

VARIOUS EQUINE SERVICES

Ladies Retreats-Pack Trips

with Kim Taylor the world renowned western photographer!

60 Day Mountain Horse Training

Price quoted does not include GST.

NOON on the Wednesday following 10th day of the month for publication.

CLASSIFIED CATEGORIES Visit the Horses all website to view the classified categories availble for classified ad listings.

www.horsesall.com/ classifieds

9th Annual Working Mountain Horse Competition and Select Sale Sept 27-29 2013 (bring your camper)

SELL YOUR OWN HORSES

Terms: Payment due upon receipt of invoice.

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• Natural Balance Farrier Services • Equine Massage Therapy • Vertebral Re-alignment RR1, Blackie, AB T0L 0J0 www.equinetherapeuticsolutions.ca

Advertising rates are flat with no discount for frequency of insertion or volume of space used.

All classified ads are non-commissionable.

info@equinetherapeuticsolutions.ca

www.rafterdiamondk.com | 780-449-0749

Your complete name and address must be submitted to our office before publication. (This information will be kept confidential and will not appear in the ad unless requested.)

Advertising copy deviating in any way from the regular classified style will be considered display and charged at the display rate of $30.10 per column inch ($2.15 per agate line).

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STALLIONS AT STUD

Prepayment Bonus: Prepay for 3 weeks and get a bonus of 2 weeks; bonus weeks run consecutively and cannot be used separately from original ad; additions and changes accepted only during first 3 weeks.

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VARIOUS EQUINE SERVICES

www.gprc.ab.ca

Wanda Parks 780-905-9351

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VARIOUS EQUINE SERVICES

Course 1 Getting you and N EW your horse into the Mountains! J U STE D Ultimate obstacle course & focus on trust with Respect 3 day! OPE N

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MARKETPLACE

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Call For a Demo Today Airdrie Tractorland Greg Jensen 1-877-948-7400

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“Quality for you & your horse” Our customers ask for all types of harness Leather, leather-Nylon, Biothane & Granite

www.georgesharnessandsaddlery.com harnsad@mcsnet.ca Morley Knudslien 2nd generation saddlemaker Jason Lusk 20 yrs Harnessmaker

Doris Daley

Fine western entertainment for conventions, campfires and everything in between.

Box 29 Ryley, AB, Canada 780-663-3611

“Doris’s poetry blazes with brilliant wit; her stage presence sparkles with an infectious love of the West. On stage and on the page, she represents the best of the best in cowboy poetry today.”

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FERRIS FENCING

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Registering Canadian Pinto Horses & Ponies – Since 1963 Color Your World With A Pinto!! A Colorful Organization Where People are the foundation of our success...& Friends are made for Life WHY WAIT CALL TODAY Your horse may qualify for Registration (ONE Registered Lighthorse Parent Sire or Dam)

Canadian Pinto Horse Association 26117 Hwy. 16A, Acheson, AB Canada T7X 5A2 Ph/Fax. 780-470-3786 www.canadianpinto.com | E-mail: info@canadianpinto.com

154 Acre Horse Boarding Facility with a 40 Acre Subdivision APPROVED!! 175 x 75 COMPLETE ALL STEEL STRUCTURE Heated arena with a BEAUTIFUL NEWLY RENOVATED 75 x 20 viewing room with bathroom and kitchen facilities. The HEATED ARENA is complete with 10 boxstalls and 2 large tack rooms. 200 x 100 OUTDOOR FENCED RIDING AREA, 3 HUGE FENCED PASTURES (7, 9 & 10 acres each) 20 fenced paddocks (no wire here for the safety of the horses, all boards) This facility is capable of housing 50 horses to be boarded * FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY TO OWN YOUR OWN EQUINE FACILITY PLUS THE OPTION TO SELL OFF 40 ACRES * On Pavement almost the entire way (only 2 km of gravel) * THESE ONES DON'T COME ALONG OFTEN WHERE THE HORSES COULD PAY THE MORTGAGE PAYMENT AND THE WELL REVENUE COULD PAY THE TAXES. * MLS#C3563056 Neighboring house and 5 acres is also available for sale at additional price MLS#C3563063

DONNA GUNN 403-650-3158 | CENTURY 21 BRAVO REALTY www.donnagunn.com

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Horse Walker Home Made Horse Walker. Works Excellent! Getting out of horses & would like to sell $1,200. wigleyc@telus.net

MARKETPLACE FOR SALE: 1999 WHITE Ford Single Cab 1/2-Ton, excellent condition. Contact (780)485-8100.

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