Pony Tails Kids Club Colouring Sheet

Celebrating 40 years & Honouring our founders shared legacy

Horse Council BC is celebrating 40 years in 2020! HCBC was started in 1980 energized by the shared vision of Bill Archibald and Sherman Olson. They sought to create an organization representing both competitive and recreational riders, and to bring together the various breed groups across the BC.

Pictured above is an excerpt from the program for the first ever Horse Council BC AGM in 1980. This reflects the vison that Bill and Sherman shared for Horse Council BC to represent the interests of the BC horse community. Their shared passion helped our organization become what it is today, and 40 years later, we continue to strive to represent all equestrian interests in BC.

Sherman served as HCBC’s first president. Jan White, coauthor of The Horsemen, wrote: “As a founder of Horse Council B.C., his vision of building a strong, provincial equine body, his commitment to this cause and his dedication and direction as the president for the first 10 years resulted in the strongest and largest of all provincial horse councils in Canada.” He was a founding member and the founding president of Trails BC and played a role in the development of the Trans Canada Trail, now known as The Great Trail. Sherman was a tireless volunteer and a huge advocate for both trails and equestrian sport in BC, until his passing in 2013.

Bill Archibald brought so much to the equestrian landscape in BC. Bill was a much respected teacher, horseman, trail boss and deeply committed volunteer. A founding member of Horse Council BC, Bill provided his time and expertise to Haney Horsemen, Trails BC, Backcountry Horsemen of BC, the Great Trail, and the Endurance Riders of BC, undertaking projects from cleaning up streams and rivers to pushing trails through into Golden Ears Park, for the benefit of all citizens and equestrians.

His lifelong talent for inspiring and guiding others to share and carry out his vision has left us all an immeasurable inheritance. Bill passed on February 3, 2020 at the venerable age of 90. It is because of men of vision and energy like Bill Archibald and Sherman Olson that we enjoy so many equestrian pursuits today in British Columbia. We may not see their like again, but we can strive to carry the torch and grow their legacies.

Sherman, Dalton Murphy (HCBC’s first ED) and long time HCBC and Horse Trials BC Volunteer Len Kirby.

Bill and friends at an early event

What Bill and Sherman started in 1980, HCBC continues to honour with our current vision statement: Horse Council BC strives to represent ALL horse people in BC regardless of discipline, breed orientation, or sport. We endeavor to be an association that anyone active in the horse sector is proud to be a part of. We are accessible to all our members and communicate with them on both a professional and personal level. We ensure that we set an example for all other associations to follow.

We thank all our members for their continued support over the years and hope to continue to serve the BC equestrian community for another 40 years.