BC Equine Lifestyle Magazine Fall/Winter 2021

The Official Member Magazine of Horse Council BC

BC’s

Equine Lifestyle

Fall/winter 2021 www.hcbc.ca

Safe Sport & Equestrians Game Ready Athlete Development Program

BC FArmer ID Card

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In This Issue

BC’s

Equine Lifestyle Fall/Winter 2021 is published biannually by HORSE COUNCIL BC 27336 Fraser Hwy., Aldergrove, BC V4W 3N5 T: 604-856-4304 | F: 604-856-4302 Toll Free: 1-800-345-8055 www.hcbc.ca

HORSE COUNCIL BC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE KAREN SWANTJE President 604-897-4556

TRACY CARVER Officer in General 778-999-7400

SHARON PICKTHORNE Secretary/Treasurer 250-337-1818

LYNDA ATKINSON

SUSAN THOMPSON Officer of Education

604-943-8155

4

President’s Message

NEWS 5 6 7 8

On the Cover:Rita & Kira at Rainbow Lake Trail photo by Arlene Ladd

Membership News Safe Sport & Equestrians CapriCMW Pony Tails Kids Club

Officer Specializing in Industry and Agriculture

250-747-3700

GORD FRAZER

Officer Specializing in Busines Growth and Development

TERRE O’BRENNAN

Officer Specializing in Recreation

604-940-6958

STAFF

CRAIG CHERRETT Executive Director administration@hcbc.ca ext.1008 KELLY COUGHLIN Senior Program Director Manager, Industry & Agriculture industry@hcbc.ca ext.1006

SANDY UNDERWOOD Sport & Community Development development@hcbc.ca ext. 1010 Competition Manager Competition@hcbc.ca ext. 1005

WENDY SEWELL Manager, Coaching & Education coaching@hcbc.ca ext.1004

JOCELYN ADAMS Marketing & Communications Coordinator communication@hcbc.ca ext.1003

SARAH ALLISON Recreation Coordinator recreation@hcbc.ca ext.1009

LYNN WALLDEN Finance & Grants finance@hcbc.ca ext. 1007

LYNDA ECKSTEIN Membership Coordinator membership@hcbc.ca ext. 1002

RITA MORENCY Reception/General Inquiries info@hcbc.ca ext. 1000

TRAILS & RECREATION 10 Livable Road for Rural Saanich: Advocating for Safe Roads in a Rural Setting

INDUSTRY & AGRICULTURE 12 BC Farmer ID Card 14 BC’s 2021 Wildfire Season

FOR A MEDIA KIT AND/OR RATE CARD PLEASE CONTACT COMMUNICATION@HCBC.CA. All material is copyright 2021.

All photographs that depict riders without helmets were taken in competition settings where helmets are not traditionally worn and all riders are over the age of 18. HCBC supports the wearing of approved helmets in all equestrian activity. Ideas and opinions expressed in articles do not necessarily reflect the ideas or opinions of HCBC. BC’s Equine Lifestyle reserves the right to accept, and/or edit material submitted for publication. HCBC makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information contained therein, but assumes no liability in cases of error or changing conditions. Any business relations or other activities undertaken as a result of the information contained in BC’s Equine Lifestyle, or arising therefrom, is the responsibility of the parties involved and not of HCBC. We welcome signed letters to the editor, but reserve the right to publish, edit for grammar, taste and length. For reprint information please contact communication@ hcbc.ca.

UPCOMING PUBLICATION DATES Spring/Summer 2022 | April 2022 Fall/Winter 2022 | October 2022 Horse Council BC gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture

COMPETITION 16 The BC Summer Games - Game Ready Athlete Development Program

www.hcbc.ca | 3

President’s Message

Please join with me in welcoming the new Executive Director of Horse Council BC, Mr. Craig Cherrett. Craig assumed his new role on September 13 and began his tenure with several zoom meetings involving Equestrian Canada (EC), their upcoming AGM, and proposed by-law changes. Despite this baptism of fire, he is still with us, and I am delighted to be working with him.

Craig has over 20 years of experience in multiple sectors including sport, government, natural resources, tourism and education. He is a passionate believer in building strong organizations and community relationships.

He has a wide-ranging background including human resources planning and management, board governance and administration, strategic planning, change management, association and not-for-profit management, government and stakeholder relations, corporate communications and community engagement.

For the important task of identifying a successor to build on Lisa Laycock’s very effective leadership, HCBC engaged McLaughlin and Associates. They have extensive expertise in the not-for-profit world including executive recruitment and have already successfully worked with the Board of Directors on governance review.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our retiring Executive Director, Lisa Laycock, for her many years of service to Horse Council BC. She was hired in February 2004 as the bookkeeper, and promoted to Executive Director in 2008. There were many milestones achieved her time as ED. These include doubling the size of the annual (balanced) budget, increased membership (we continue to have the largest membership of any of the equine PTSOs in Canada), the purchase of the building which HCBC now owns outright, and building a knowledgeable staff team to serve the membership and develop HCBC’s role as advocates of the equine lifestyle. Lisa will continue to support Craig and HCBC through this transition, and I personally wish her all the very best as she enters this new phase of her life.

As referenced in the spring edition of this magazine, the work of the governance committee continues, with input being sought from all the Board of Directors. A survey has recently been sent to all directors so that their input can be part of any changes ultimately brought to the membership to vote on.

This governance work is important, so moving forward slowly, and seeking widespread input for any changes is important.

4 | Equine Lifestyles FALL/WINTER 2021

McLaughlin and Associates has also been providing valuable expertise to ensure that the end product reflects best practices, and serves HCBC well for some time into the future. Many thanks to them, and to the hard-working governance committee consisting of Lynda Atkinson and Catherine Davidson, and chaired by Joan Chess-Woollacott.

By the time this reaches you, EC’s AGM will have taken place.

An example of the need for transparency and collaboration in governance work can be seen in the challenges faced by the PTSOs and the other two voting categories in their dealings with EC. Fortunately as of this writing, EC has advised that a large part of their proposed by-law changes are being withdrawn pending further discussion with the interested parties. You may be aware that it required the large majority of PTSOs to seek legal recourse to bring this result about. We hope that, once the dust settles, EC and its PTSO partners can find a more effective way to work together.

This summer was a challenge for so many of us, in so many different ways. Between forest fires, evacuation orders and alerts, and the fourth wave of the pandemic, almost all of us were affected. It is heartening to hear so many stories of people, sometimes geographically far apart, helping others in both large and small ways. People opened their homes, barns, fields, and more importantly, their hearts to reach out to those who needed help, often inconveniencing themselves considerably. It makes me so proud to be part of the equine community!

I thank you all, and wish us a more settled fall and winter, in which to enjoy our four-legged friends. You will be receiving information about our upcoming virtual AGM – please make the effort to join us. Your input matters.

NEWS

MEMBERSHIP NEWS As we persevere through the pandemic let’s continue to do what we do best….spend time with our horses!

Horse Council BC has listened to its members and decided to go back to the Wisebox database system. When accessing your account with Wisebox you will use your membership number as the user name. The staff at Horse Council BC can easily reset your password with a call or you can renew over the phone with us as usual.

You can get a jump on 2022 by completing your membership now. Your 2021 will continue to December 2021 and your 2022 will take effect January 1, 2022. Then you won’t have to worry about forgetting.

For the Affiliates and Clubs, this means the verification program may be a little easier to navigate, once it is set up and we have updated everyone that needs to be in it. Please give us a little time to get that prepared and working appropriately. Business and Clubs will also be in Wisebox.

The Third Party members (BCHJA,BCEA,EVABC,DBC, and Canadian Pony Club) will decide if they are joining us at Wisebox. The third parties that join us will be available to purchase with HCBC. The auto-renewal is not available at this time. If you were on the automatic renewal, you will have to renew online, send in your form or call the office to renew. We will send out email reminders and paper copies of the form to assist with this, until we can offer automatic renewal again. Stay tuned to our website at www.HCBC.Ca and our Facebook page for updates on the auto renewal.

You will have the option of printing a membership card or printing a receipt at the end of the walkthrough. Horse Council office staff will be able to send you your receipt and/or card if you need one at a later date.

2021 hcbc awards 2021 nominations are open for the following categories: • • •

Coach of the Year Bob James Volunteer of the Year Sherman Olson Lifetime Achievement Award

Horse Council BC’s annual awards serve to honour outstanding achievement within BC’s equestrian community. These awards acknowledge those who have stood out from the crowd over the past year and who have made a positive impact on the community as a whole. Each award recipient was nominated by two or more other Horse Council BC members. Nomination deadline is December 30th 2021.

Nomination forms and more information can be found at hcbc. ca > about > HCBC Awards www.hcbc.ca | 5

NEWS

Safe Sport & Equestrians SafeSport training and guidelines will soon become an integral part of Equestrian sports.

Why? Anyone involved with horses, whether they ride or drive for recreational enjoyment, competitive sport or participate in any Equestrian related event should be able to thrive and perform at their best without fear of abuse, neglect or other maltreatment.

Creating safe sport environments that provide those conditions is a collective effort — one that requires proper training so people can recognize maltreatment and prevent or address it.

Equestrians should welcome participants with diverse backgrounds, and actively promote and accept all equestrians despite their race, culture, gender, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation. Diversity and inclusion are a key element of creating a safe and welcoming environment.

Creating a culture where everyone can thrive is a shared responsibility. Safe Sport Training was developed to help anyone involved in sport — whether you have direct contact with athletes and participants or work in the background — to promote physical, psychological, and social health, in line with the BC Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport.

Participants in Equestrian Sport and Recreation should: • Understand that everyone has a role to play in keeping sport safe, how the misuse of power leads to maltreatment, and the principles of the Universal Code of Conduct.

• Learn about the various types of maltreatment, the conditions that enable them, and how to recognize signs that they may be happening • Find out what to do if you suspect maltreatment, and how you can create a culture that protects all participants.

6 | Equine Lifestyles FALL/WINTER 2021

Maltreatment can harm athletes and other sport participants in many ways: physically, emotionally and mentally. Safe sport training that aligns with the BC Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport helps organizations, coaches and others create sporting environments that are safe for everyone.

Participants can be coaches, grooms, owners, riders, parents, siblings, club boards, trail riders, trail builders, barn workers, really anyone who participates in any equestrian activity. We are all responsible to understand maltreatment of athletes and participants and be able to report the activity to the correct institutions.

SafeSport training is available online and at no cost from the Coaching Association of Canada at www.coach.ca. There is no charge for completion of this course, it takes about 90 minutes to complete.

Horse Council BC will be adopting a version that is based on the British Columbia Universal Code of Conduct. The document outlines the principles and commitment of the Code and who HCBC’s version would apply to and when. To learn more, HCBC will have a new page on our website www.hcbc.ca that will host the codes, further information and links to various agencies.

NEWS

Why Should You Join?

The Actual Benefits of HCBC Membership

By Mike King, Partner, CapriCMW Insurance While the tangible benefits of membership in your equine association are clear and provide great value, in this article, I would like to discuss the less tangible benefits that add even greater value to the association membership and support the wider equine community.

Every working day, the equine team at CapriCMW and I get asked to weigh in on that very broad question of membership value and in response, we talk about insurance. After all, that is what we do in our professional work and there is no question that the insurance benefits are terrific (the questions never get old and we never tire of answering them). But after many years in partnership with HCBC, we know the value of membership cannot be measured by only one benefit like insurance.

same in every corner of the industry but were responded to in very different ways based on local health authority and government policies. It is abundantly clear to me that without the work and advocacy of Horse Council, government information would never have been clarified for our unique lifestyle with horses and assistance programs would not have had the positive and stabilizing impact they did.

Hopefully, the pandemic will be in the rear-view mirror soon. As we move forward into 2022, your membership is critical to keep the collective voice of the horse industry loud and clear. Thank you for joining HCBC, your membership adds to the collective strength of BC’s equine community.

Take care and stay safe!

The less tangible, but highly valuable benefit of membership comes from being a proactive participant of the broader horse community in BC to share common interests, common challenges and common successes. HCBC provides a central and credible source of current information, a framework for growth as an athlete, education to understand the complex management of the horse, opportunity after opportunity to participate at any level with horses, and more.

I want to say that over the last year and a half, I have never been so proud as to have been associated with Horse Council of BC. Every staff member, every volunteer, every Board Member at HCBC has worked tirelessly on behalf of you, the horse owner, the rider, the barn owner, the equine business operator, and the horse enthusiast, to ensure that accurate and timely information has been available to help you navigate as safely as possible through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The challenges we faced together were in many ways, the www.hcbc.ca | 7

NEWS NEWS

Don’t you wish that you could write stories, draw and colour pictures, take photos, send them to a pony and have the pony write or email you back?

Well…you can!!

Join Pony Tails Kids Club, Alice the Pony and her friends Oliver, Panama and Howdy would love to hear from you!

Join Pony Tails Kids Club now, it’s FREE!!

Visit www.hcbc.ca for more info or email ponytails.alice@hcbc.ca

Alice the Pony has written her own colouring book! Get yours today www.hcbc.ca

8 | Equine Lifestyles FALL/WINTER 2021

www.hcbc.ca | 9

RECREATION

Livable Roads for Rural Saanich: Advocating for Safe Roads in a Rural Setting Horse Council BC had the honour of interviewing Livable Roads for Rural Saanich (LRRS) to discuss their advocacy work, and specifically challenges and successes for equestrians.

LRRS was formed in January 2017, with a group of residents spearheading a public meeting to voice their concerns over several roads in Rural Saanich, all of which are narrow, winding and being used as commuter cut-throughs. For one of these roads, advocacy had already been ongoing for a decade. From the beginning, the group has advocated for neighborhood safety and livability. LRRS believes in upholding Rural Saanich’s Local Area Plan: a vision for quiet roads that embody the slower pace of rural living and protect all vulnerable users – pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians alike.

Here are the interview questions and the insights gained into the equestrian perspective.

Why are equestrians an important asset when forming a group of road users to advocate for road safety?

Representation of all vulnerable user groups in common cause gives LRRS the strongest possible voice in addressing city council decision-makers. The cause of equestrians was raised strongly from the beginning of our campaign. They are a valued and visible part of rural life.

How does using the rural roads in Saanich benefit you as an equestrian?

The roads in Rural Saanich benefit the local equestrians in a multitude of ways. For many, roads provide the only way to access trailheads without needing a truck and trailer to get there. Riding off property offers a therapeutic approach for both horse and rider by allowing them to enjoy long relaxed walks. The introduction to different sights and sounds aids in the horses’ training, and exercise over varied terrain improves their conditioning. In years past, when the roads were safer, one LRRS member shared that she would ride her horse to go grocery shopping, with stops at the farm stands along her road to pick up produce, flowers and once even a frozen chicken!

10 | Equine Lifestyles FALL/WINTER 2021

What do you think equestrians and horses bring to Rural Saanich by being visible road users?

Equestrians and horses offer a living representation of the history and heritage of rural Saanich and a characteristic of a rural lifestyle. Members mention that many people they meet on the roadways slow down, smile and wave while passing their horses. The sight of an animal can bring such joy to people if they truly slow down on the roads to take a breath and enjoy this change from the urban setting. Rural living embodies slower paced activities such as farm stands, markets, vineyards, and farm cafes.

What are some positive things that have happened for equestrians being part of LRRS? Members of LRRS speak highly of the rural Neighbourhood Gateway signage that they designed, and Saanich installed.

The sign depicts a pedestrian and dog, cyclist with child, and equestrian, with the heading Welcome to Rural Saanich and a bold Slow Down, over a winding road. However, LRRS would have to say that there have been few other tangible or lasting changes for equestrians as a direct result of their work.

(Outside of and well before LRRS, equestrians themselves had achieved some paths and two equestrian friendly crossings.)

Pam Harrison, a founder of LRRS, says she “is saddened that there is little in concrete change after 5 years –but the work continues and LRRS remains dedicated to its goals of safety for all vulnerable users on roads where the pavement needs to be shared. Being discovered and interviewed by Horse Council BC is testimony to the impact of LRRS beyond Saanich municipality.”

The equestrian members give praise to LRRS in feeling supported and are happy to be part of a group that has a dedicated voice with the municipality. Keeping road safety at the forefront of the councilors’ and mayor’s minds is important work.

What are some of the barriers that are getting in the way of making roads safer in rural Saanich?

Unfortunately, the barriers to making Rural Saanich roadways safer are complex and seemingly endless. LRRS is looking for more support from the municipality. They expect Saanich to uphold and commit to the Local Area Plan that is already in place. Being in a rural setting there are less people, so less voter impact, making buy in to support and fund rural projects an ongoing challenge. A wish that LRRS has is for more communication between municipal departments, working in a more interconnected way towards concrete traffic calming solutions.

Pressures of increased traffic from commuters and local industry, as well as google maps suggesting rural Saanich roads as a time saving alternative, play a big role in the issue of unsafe roads. The status quo approach focuses on traffic efficiency. In rural areas with no vulnerable user amenities this largely benefits vehicle operators, even though the municipality promotes Active Transportation. This maintains a car-centric culture where, unfortunately, some drivers fail to appreciate the necessity of slowing down on rural roads. These historic roads were built with little to no shoulder or large ditches on either side, making it impossible to escape dangerous drivers. Lack of police presence and effective enforcement leads to less accountability with drivers.

What are some strategies to help improve roads for equestrians and other user groups?

Strategies range from influencing municipal decisions to driver education. LRRS believes that official speed reduction has to be the starting point on these rural roads, and stays focused on that goal. It is important to keep up the pressure for speed reduction and traffic calming by having these issues consistently in front of elected officials and municipal staff.

LRRS also believes that a cost-effective strategy would be to commit to incremental road improvements for vulnerable users, like equestrians, in conjunction with regular maintenance.

Examples would be regularly removing shoulder vegetation so riders can get to path networks safely, increasing signage, and improving useable shoulders instead of increasing pavement width.

Horse Council BC hopes that the work of LRRS helps inspire HCBC members who have road safety concerns in their own communities. We want to thank LRRS taking the time to meet with us to and share their insights into the road safety concerns in their community. If you’re interested in getting involved in an organization like LRRS check your community newsletter and learn about and get involved with the committees at your local municipality. That’s how equestrians found out about and got involved with LRRS! LRRS believes in reaching out to everyone to advocate for their cause. This includes councillors, mayors, municipal staff, and neighbouring municipalities. They also believe in thinking outside the box and are happy to have interviews like this one to spread their message far and wide.

If you would like to learn more about the LRRS please visit their website lrrs.org or you can find them on Facebook @ Livable Roads for Rural Saanich.

If you would like to subscribe to their bulletin or provide input you can do so by email: lrrscontact@gmail.com.

A municipally supported event to partially close a rural road for part of a weekend day could celebrate the safe use of a rural road for all different modes of Active Transportation.

What, above all, do we need to make the lives of horses and their owners/ riders better?

Equestrians, above all, want visibility! Figuratively speaking, they want to be heard by local government, to have speeds reduced, and for roadways to be safer. In a literal sense riders and horse owners want to be seen on the roads and respected by drivers. Education, traffic calming measures and advocacy will help LRRS reach their goals. www.hcbc.ca | 11

INDUSTRY & AGRICULTURE

BC Farmer ID Card What is the BC Famer ID Card?

The BC Farmer ID Card is specifically designed to offer farmers and ranchers exclusive benefits and convenience.

It is the only card recognized by the provincial government as proof of farm status. It is also accepted by many retailers for PST exemptions on specific farm purchases.

New! Add your BC Premise ID number to your card for quick access when needed.

Who can purchase the card?

The card is available to all qualified B.C. farmers and ranchers as defined by BC Assessment. If you own or lease farmland in B.C., you can apply for the card.

Did you know? You can save 50% off by being a member of Horse Council BC.

How does it work?

When making farm purchases, simply show your BC Farmer ID Card at the point of purchase to receive PST exemptions on eligible purchases with all participating vendors.

Farmer ID Cardholders can also receive exclusive savings at businesses like The Co-operators, FenceFast, Mark’s, and many more! For a full list of offerings, visit: bcac.ca/ farmeridcard.

Is the revenue from the card used to benefit agriculture?

Yes! Revenue from the card is used to stabilize member association dues and improve services and programs offered

by BC Agriculture Council (BCAC) that benefit B.C. farmers and their associations. Horse Council BC is a member of BCAC. By purchasing a card, you’re supporting BCAC’s work to grow 12 | Equine Lifestyles FALL/WINTER 2021

B.C. into the most robust and sustainable agricultural province in Canada.

Apply (or renew) online and be entered to win a $100 Visa gift card. Valid through December 2021.

Visit bcac.ca/farmeridcard

BC FARMER ID CARD Convenience in your pocket!

Looking for a quick and simple way to show you qualify for PST exemptions?

The BC Farmer ID Card is the only government-recognized ID card for farmers and ranchers in B.C. Plus, cardholders receive exclusive discounts and savings with businesses like: • Mark’s

HORSE COUNCIL BC MEMBERS SAVE 50%

• The Co-operators

• FenceFast • and many more!

Visit bcac.ca/farmeridcard Apply online this month for a chance to win $100! www.hcbc.ca | 13

INDUSTRY & AGRICULTURE

BC’s wildfire season 2021 BC was hit hard this year with record breaking extended periods of hot dry weather. Numerous fires ignited throughout the interior of BC, displacing hundreds of livestock.

Heartbreaking and devastating losses for many occurred. The stress of having to evacuate or being on Alert is something that no one wants to endure, adding animals compounds that stress.

During these frightening times it was amazing to see the selfless acts of generosity and compassion that were shown.

Offers to help came from all over the province as the fires burned. People gave their time by caring for animals at evacuation centres or by opening their private farms, providing feed, making financial donations or giving their time and vehicles to haul out displaced livestock to safer locations.

One such person was Kelly Kennedy, owner of Sage View Ranch who spearheaded and organized hauling for displaced livestock. Kelly also provided housing and care for numerous animals throughout the fire season. During the evacuation of the Merritt area in mid-August she put it all into perspective: “This past weekend has definitely been one for the books.

Amazing to see strangers come together and become friends.

I have no idea how I would have got thru without these group of friends. We stuck it out and took every call for help that we 14 | Equine Lifestyles FALL/WINTER 2021

could. I am sad for the ones that we couldn’t make it to in time.

We drove all night and slept when we could and in the truck.

Our people behind it all thank you for taking care of everything else. We have people and animals jammed everywhere but we make it work. It’s not just one person it’s a team! Stay safe.”

Another key volunteer that wanted to help was Ian Paton the MLA for Delta South. Ian was instrumental in organizing a group of volunteers to deliver hay to Kamloops, where many animals had been relocated. Delta farmers stepped up by donating and delivering approximately 900 bales of hay.

Picture below shows Ian and Delta farmers who faithfully showed up to load 265 bales donated by Peter and Joe Vaupotic. Many thanks to Mike Wolzen trucking and all the local farmers.

HCBC’s Animal Disaster Relief Fund was utilized to reimburse volunteers involved in hauling livestock out of dangerous areas and provide feed for the evacuated animals. HCBC was able to provide almost $30,000.00 dollars to help care for these animals.

2022

ARE YOU A BC RIDER OR VAULTER BETWEEN THE AGES OF 12 & 18?

BC SUMMER GAMES EQUESTRIAN TEAM, THE ROAD STARTS NOW!

PRINCE GEORGE 2022 BC SUMMER GAMES, JULY 21-24 2022 MAPLE RIDGE 2024 BC SUMMER GAMES, JULY 18–21, 2024 KELOWNA 2026 BC SUMMER GAMES, JULY 23–26, 2026 If you are an Equestrian athlete competing in Dressage, Jumping, Vaulting or Eventing and will be 12 to 18 years of age as of Jan 1 2022, or if you are a Para Equestrian athlete 13 to 30 years of age, you are invited to qualify for the 2022 BC Summer Games being held in Prince George BC July 21 – 24.!

Make it your goal and part of your yearly training plan to set your sights at competing at the BC Summer Games!

For more information visit www.hcbc.ca/competitions/bc-summer-games/

DRESSAGE - PARA-DRESSAGE - JUMPING - EVENTING - VAULTING www.hcbc.ca

| 15

COMPETITIONS

BC Summer Games Game Ready Athlete Development Program Our first Game Ready Camp is officially in the books!

Vaulters, Dressage, Jumper and Eventing riders all came together for a weekend of fun and learning at Maple Ridge Equisport Centre. All of the athletes were treated to top notch instruction, informative sessions and even some cool HCBC swag.

To help better prepare our Equestrian Athletes for competition at the BC Summer Games, Horse Council BC is pleased to introduce the BC Summer Games “Game Ready“ Athlete Development Program.

The Game Ready program is available to Equestrian Athletes between the ages of 11 to 18 who are interested in competing in either the upcoming 2022 BC Sumer Games in Prince George or young equestrians who have their sights set on competing at a future game.

The program consists of one two day in person camp including group sessions on topics such as: what to expect at the Summer Games, proper turn out for both horse and rider, and preparing yourself mentally for competition as well as invaluable discipline specific instruction from expert clinicians.

Camp registrants will also receive exclusive camp swag and invitations to informative and educational webinars throughout the year.

16 | Equine Lifestyles FALL/WINTER 2021

To kick the weekend off, a Friday evening athletes’ meeting and Summer Games info session was held. Thank you to everyone who came out and braved what was probably the worst rain/ wind/thunder storm we’ve had this year. Special thanks to HCBC Officer of Competition and EC Competition Coach Specialist Dr Sue Thompson for attending and providing the athletes with an informative session about the Games as well as giving us a glimpse of how exciting and special the once in a lifetime experience of competing at the Summer Games is.

Saturday and Sunday along with their discipline specific lessons, the athletes were treated to a special session given

by BC Summer Games alumni and Tokyo Paralympic Groom Courtney Palleson. Courtney spoke to everyone on her experiences of being a groom at the Paralympic Games as well as gave an in-depth session on how to present and jog your horse properly for the Games horse inspection. Saddle fitter, Lesley McGill presented the group with a very informative and entertaining session on saddle fitting. Prince George BC Summer Games Vaulting Judge, Lynn Wallden spoke to the Vaulters on what the judge looks for and Coach Andrea Strain gave a clinic on how to course walk.

HCBC would like to thank Courtney Palleson, Lesley McGill, Prince George BC Summer Games Vaulting Judge Lynn Wallden, EC Competition Coach and Prince George BC Summer Games Dressage Judge Burgi Rommel, EC Competition Coach Darcie Kerkhoven, and Coach Andrea Strain for making the first Game Ready BC Summer Games Athlete Development Camp a huge success.

We would also like to congratulate all of the Game Ready participants for their hard work, with a special nod going out to: Hadley Jack, winner of the Best Horse Presentation and Jog Award Morgan Brittain, winner of the Sportsmanship Award and Emma Mindel, winner of the Frequent Smiler and Best Attitude Award.

It was so great to see Vaulters, Dressage Riders, Jumper Riders and Eventers all coming together to learn and prove that we are all Equestrians!

More Camps will be held around the province next Spring, so stay tuned!

For more information on the Game Ready Program, please contact competition@hcbc.ca All photos provided by: Lynn Walden

DO YOU HAVE AN EQUESTRIAN FOCUSED BUSINESS & ARE LOOKING FOR ADVERTISING OR PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES? EMAIL: COMMUNICATION@HCBC.CA for more information

Cozy up with hcbc!

Since you have to go to the barn anyway... Stay warm and fashionable!

HCBC Hoodies $45 available in sizes small to extra large

HCBC Toque $25

18 | Equine Lifestyles FALL/WINTER 2021

HCBC Beanie $18

HCBC Buff $13

Looking for the perfect thing to keep the little horse person in your life busy & learning?

The Pony Tails Book of Coloring Fun & Horsey Facts is available NOW through the HCBC bookstore Do you know a horse crazy kid?

Horse Council BC’s Pony Tails Kids Club is free and open to kids of all ages!

Follow the adventures of Alice the Pony and her friends, Oliver, Panama and Howdy and learn all about horses and ponies.

For more info on Pony Tails Kids Club or to order your copy of The Pony Tails Book of Coloring Fun & Horsey Facts visit www.hcbc.ca today!

www.hcbc.ca | 19