by Rhianne Weghnnar
Since 1980, the Westerner Spring Horse Show has been divided into two shows, one for the Arabians, Morgans, and Saddlebreds and one for the Quarter Horses. As coordinator of the Westerner Spring Quarter Horse Show – a strictly volunteer position – Linda Scott has successfully orchestrated this well-attended and successful event for ten years.
The show is a Westerner Park event sanctioned by the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) and the Quarter Horse Association of Alberta (QHAA) and features a Five-and-under Reining Futurity. As the show is split combined, using two judges per day, it’s like attending two shows a day, allowing competitors to earn more points.
Says Scott, “I think that the best part of the show is that we produce what the exhibitors’ need, which is a showcase for their horses and the ability to earn points.”
Prior to holding the volunteer position of show coordinator, Scott worked as the ring steward from 1987 to 1997 and co-chaired the event in 1998 with Neil Berg.
Scott is no stranger to the show world and neither is her family.
“My father was a Quarter Horse man and my siblings – Ron Anderson and Nancy Critchley – are active in the horse industry,” she says. “It’s a real family affair.”
Scott’s husband, Jim, also sets up the trail class for the show, and her daughter, Colleen, has been the show secretary for the past five years.
The greatest challenge in coordinating such a large event as the Westerner Spring Quarter Horse Show is rounding up committed volunteers. Westerner Park has a volunteer and shareholder relation committee in place and it is their mission, with dedicated volunteers, to take a leadership role in providing services, programs, and events benefiting central Alberta.
As show coordinator, Scott has to be on the grounds at all times while the show is running, from before the show starts until after the very last class. It takes good communication between the exhibitors and the show committee as well as about 12 to 15 dedicated volunteers to make everything run smoothly.
One such long-time volunteer is Tom Mireault. Mireault has been volunteering as the arena man since the event took place in downtown Red Deer.
“When you find good people you want to keep them happy,” says Scott. “The only people who are paid are the show secretary and the announcer and, of course, the judges.”
AQHA provides Scott with the listings of approved judges in good standing. “We’ve been so blessed with great judges. Many times the judge from the previous year will rec-ommend someone.”
Judges are predominantly from the US and Canadian provinces other than Alberta because employing in-province judges can jeopardize their client’s showing.
Scott finds that as the show has progressed from year to year, technology has led to advancements behind the scenes. For example, for the last two years the whole show program, schedule, and exhibitor information has been accessible via Internet, easily found at www. westerner.ab.ca making the show secretary’s job much easier.
Changes over the years are seen in some classes as they grow or decrease in popularity. Notes Scott, “We used to run some jumping classes but because of the lack of participants and the labour intensity we’ve stopped running them.”
Also, instead of splitting youth classes, the show now runs a combined class of youth of all ages to allow more point-earning potential, as you need enough competitors in a class to make it point worthy.
Another advantage of the show is the fact that the AQHA, within the last few years, has initiated the Limited Rider for Youth, Amateur divisions. This is designed for exhibitors that may have graduated out of the Novice Program and can serve as an Intermediate division between the Novice and other divisions.
“The competitors have become more skilled and more refined – their talent improves as training improves,” says Scott. “World champions come out of this block, with their skills, interest, and passion honed.”
In 2002, Amateur Select classes started running for people who are 50-plus and it has seen a lot of interest.
The number of reiners has tripled in the Novice and Amateur divisions because of the good footing, inexpensive fees, and the fact that the show is a great training ground for new or younger riders and horses. This year boasted the largest number of reiners in the past five years with a combined class total of 90 runs.
Horse showing is a very educational experience. By being aware of all the other things that happen outside of the show arena and the barn, it helps make everyone’s experience that much better. “The important thing is to educate the exhibitors, making them aware of the rules we have to work with.”
Some tips from Scott include reading the AQHA handbook as it affects you, know what documentation you need to present to the show secretary (for both you and the horse) and if you’ve never shown before, it might be a good idea to contact someone who has. The Alberta Quarter Horse Association can also help you out with questions you may have.
A show like this is successful because the people who access it are active people in the industry. When they’re not happy, I’m not happy, so I rely on them and listen to their comments.”
If you would like to know more about future volunteer positions with the Westerner Park, please contact Peggy Jackson, Executive Assistant at (403) 309-0225 or for more information specific to the Westerner Spring Quarter Horse Show contact Linda Scott, Horse Show Coordinator at (403) 227-1309.
