The atmosphere at the Wild Rose Draft Horse Association’s 2009 Draft Horse Futurity was charged with electricity. Officials, spectators, and exhibitors felt the static charge, for no winner was evident, when the two-year-old horses completed their third discipline. When Emma Duhaime tallied the points, three horses were tied for first. The charged Caluori Pavillion exploded!

While taken by surprise, Committee members reviewed the rules the Wild Rose Futurity Committee drafted, albeit following the chaos centre-ring. Without question, Eaglesfield Nate, the two-year-old Percheron gelding, second shown on halter, was the 2009 Wild Rose Draft Horse Futurity winner. Calico Garden of Eden, the two-year-old Clydesdale filly, third shown on halter, was placed second; while SanLan First Tango, the two-year-old Percheron filly, fifth shown on halter, placed third. Ties that occur in the Wild Rose Draft Horse Futurity are broken by a horse’s halter placing.

Jason Bexson of Carstairs and John Ruzicka of Viking exhibited Eaglesfield Nate, the 2009 Wild Rose Draft Horse Futurity winner. This two-year-old Percheron gelding Brian and Colleen Coleman of Didsbury bred, was purchased at the 2007 NAERIC Draft Horse Classic Foal Sale at Regina’s Canadian Western Agribition. Consequently, he was also eligible for the 2009 NAERIC Draft Horse Classic Futurity, which offered a $47,785 purse. Eaglesfield Nate, a Blencathra Ruraidh Mor son, is from High Hope Commander’s Paige, a Queen’s Commander mare. Second shown on Halter, Eaglesfield Nate fell to fifth in the Pattern Driving Competition but topped the Rail Cart Class, winning $416 for his owners. Needless to suggest, the three totally different disciplines test for a horse two years of age.

Keven and Tammy Pelonero of Huxley bred and exhibited Calico Garden of Eden, the two-year-old Clydesdale filly placed second. By the California-bred stallion, Claymore Royal Stewart, she is out of Highfield Barrons Blossom, whose sire, Highfield Collessie, was bred in Scotland. Third shown on Halter, she placed second Pattern Driving, third in the Rail Cart Class. This gave Kevin and Tammy Pelonero a $363 Cheque.

SanLan First Tango, a two-yearold Percheron filly, Cammeron and Julie Roy of Markerville, bred and exhibited, was third. Sired by Vicalta King, her prolific dam, Little Bow Spitzie, is by M.E.F. Hot Shot 2nd, a Pennsylvania-bred stallion. Placed fifth on Halter, she won the Pattern Driving Competition. In the Rail Cart Class she was a popular second. Her owners received a $334 cheque.

Gordon Ruzicka of Viking placed the two-year-olds shown on Halter. Later, he scored each two-year-old, fielded on a cart, in the Pattern Driving Competition. The schooling and manners of each entry was tested, as the pattern driving course challenged the two-year-old horses and their respective drivers. The Rail Cart Class, which evaluated the action, style and the presence of the two-year-olds, shown on a cart, was judged by Roger LeClaire of Didsbury. Veteran pundits ringside applauded each official for a job well done.

Blake and Fran Anderson of Didsbury won the Yearling Futurity Class. Gentle Giant Mercedes, their massive Shire filly, is sired by Sladbrook Jubilee Spirit, an imported English-bred stallion. This powerful, black filly’s full sister, Gentle Giant Rose Royce, placed second at the 2008 Wild Rose Draft Horse Futurity as a yearling, was sold to Ontario shortly thereafter. Members of the Futurity Committee were pleased to learn Gentle Giant Rose Royce was Reserved Grand Champion Mare at the 2009 National Shire Show held at St. Paul, MN.

A big thanks to Blake Anderson, chairman; Meg Phillips, secretary; and Louise Krebs, treasurer; of the Wild Rose Futurity Committee for their time administering this event; to Jason Bexson, who solicited sponsorship without parallel; to John Ruzicka, the ringmaster; Emma Duhaime, the clerk; Val Bexson; the photographer; and to Colleen Coleman, John Hunder and Gordon Ruzicka, committee members, whose Pattern Driving Course challenged the two-yearolds. A special thanks to the Gold and Silver sponsors, who were acknowledged in the Catalogue of Entries, on the Wild Rose Draft Horse Association’s website, on the banner flown centre-ring and by the event’s announcer. Congratulations to Brian Coleman of Didsbury, who won the Two-year-old Exhibitor’s Draw for a single harness and to Tanya Goodwin of Innisfail, winner of the Yearling Exhibitor’s Draw for a set of hoof nippers.

The 2009 Wild Rose Draft Horse Futurity was held October 24 and 25 at the Caluori Pavilions in Olds, together with the 2009 Alberta Foal Show. Horseman interested in a share of the Futurity’s growing purse, can consult the Wild Rose Draft Horse Association’s website www.wrdha.com. The deadline for nominating 2009 Belgian, Clydesdale, Percheron, Shire or Suffolk foals is February 6, 2010. Nominations can be made by mail or at the Wild Rose Draft Horse Association’s Annual Meeting. Nominations are now open to Canadian and American-bred foals from across North America.

AIR MILES

If ever a draft horse in North America has gathered air miles, Vintage King’s Rex must be the horse, for the two-yearold Percheron stallion travelled 20,000 miles this past year. Supreme Champion Percheron, Grand Champion Stallion at the Calgary Stampede; he was Reserve Champion Stallion at Ohio State fair; Grand Champion Stallion at the Canadian National Exhibition; Resserve Junior Champion Stallion at the National Percheron Show (Indiana State Fair); Reserve Grand Champion Stallion at Iowa State Fair; Reserve Grand Champion Stallion at the Keystone International Livestock Show (Harrisburg, PA); Reserve Grand Champion Stallion at the Michigan great Lakes International Draft Horse Show (Lansing, MI); and Reserve Grand Champion Stallion at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. He ended the year Supreme Champion Stallion (All Breeds), Grand Champion Percheron Stallion at the Canadian Western Agribition. Never in draft horse history has a Percheron horse been campaigned over such a distance.

Shane and Colleen Patterson, Spade Creek percherons of Dawson Creek, British Columbia, own Vintage King’s Rex. Sired by Pleasant View King, Grand Champion Stallion at Calgary’s 1998 world Percheron Show, his dam is the Ironwood Beauregard mare, H.F. Ann’s Bea. It is fascinating to know Intransigeance, the foundation mare in the southeast corner of Vintage King’s Rex’s extended pedigree, was imported from France in 1910, by W. W. Hunter of Olds.

A court of 23 Percheron mares is been booked to Vintage King’s Rex for the 2010 breeding season.