by Cyndi Rowat
The Stampede Stock Show’s Heavy Horse Show is an event rich in history and high on quality. Sponsored by Dundee Securities Corporation, the three-day show concluded before an appreciative Saddledome audience July 9, 2006.
At this year’s show, some of the winners learned that there truly is a first time for everything.
NDF Forest’s Brody, a two-year-old filly, made the Stampede a first show for her and owner Pat Connors of New Lisbon, WI.
The filly attracted a lot of attention with the judges, earning a spot on the final day in the Supreme class where the champions of each breed compete for the Supreme title in their breed. “Brody” captured the Supreme and was later crowned Best of Show.
“Pat Connors was pretty happy … big time,” smiled handler Glen Lewis after informing Connors of the filly’s big win by phone. “I thought we had a pretty good crack,” he said. “There were four good horses out there, but I was worried about that Shire filly.”
Lewis is from Sunderland, ON, and is a fifth-generation horseman showing Clydesdales. “We’d always shown our own and Jeff approached us five years ago (to show his).” Lewis also works driving trucks while wife Shelley is in real estate. Lewis provides all the training, care, shoeing, and necessities for his massive charges in addition to judging at shows.
The World Champion Six-horse Hitch competition witnessed the crowning of a new champion this year as well. One would be hard pressed to find a more spectacular display of sophistication and grandeur than this event.
Six-horse hitches in and of themselves are impressive. Add live accompaniment by members of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and stir in 12 hitches in the ring at one time, and that’s 72 horses on the rein in one hockey rink … a spectacular sight!
The Simpson Percheron hitch of Rio Vista, CA, wowed the crowd with their fire-red wagon and slick team of black Percheron geldings driven by young Jason Bexson of Didsbury, AB. Their performance earned them the grand title of World Champion Six-horse Hitch.
Owner Dan Simpson was proud. “It’s wonderful,” he said. “We love being up here.” The Simpson hitch brought 14 horses to their fourth appearance at the Stampede.
“We’ve never won the World Champion Six-horse before, though,” he said. “It’s put a smile on everyone’s face,” grins Bexson, “The long hours don’t seem so bad now.”
Bexson comes from a long line of Percheron horsemen. “My great uncle raised a founding horse in the Percheron breed and my grandfather, who is 102, bought that horse. We have had many generations raising Percherons.”
Bexson has been driving six-horse hitches for five years now. “I get wound up,” he says of getting into the final, “But not as much as I used to.” Bexson raises Percherons as well, keeping around a dozen head at home while travelling on the road most of the year with the Simpson crew.
The Rocky Ridge Clydesdale Farm was also another incredible first timer. Making an appearance in the final on your first attempt is usually enough to send a shiver down a horseman’s back. But how about knocking on the back door of the World Champion Six-horse Hitch on your first try?
Rocky Ridge was declared the Reserve Champion with teamsters Donny Langille and Kyle Forsyth. “We worked really hard, but we weren’t expecting to do this well,” explained Anise Borota of Odessa, MO.
“Our first show was last September in Oklahoma City, and it was our only show,” said Odessa. “We came to the Stampede to see what we could do, to see what we needed to change, and what needed to happen.” Well, the Rocky Ridge team seems to be on the right track.
Borota and her husband Bret, together with Borota’s parents, John and Jan King, first got into Clydesdales in 2002 when her parents decided to get some for parades and exhibitions in and around their hometown.
After a visit to the Stampede last year, the King’s got fired up and decided to pursue the Stampede show. The family brought eight horses, winning several classes and, of course, the Reserve Champion in the Six-horse Hitch.
“We had a great time,” assures Borota. “We’ll be back next year.”
For further information and results on the Heavy Horse Show, visit www.calgarystampede.com and follow the agriculture links or call (403) 261-0162.
