by Roxanne Sapergia
As with any project, putting on a cow horse show can be a large undertaking. As Doug and I began to sort out the details of putting together a new show in which our major focus would be on the bridle and non-pro horses, we were impressed and surprised by the number of people who stepped forward to offer not only their encouragement but also their help with organization, sponsorship, and cattle and arena preparation.
To our amazement, people just wanted to be a part of the show and many offered financial support without even being approached.
With folks like Colleen Sawatzky and Vance Kaglea, who worked tirelessly in show preparations, we can’t say enough to thank you. Jane Kramer who worked the office on show day and volunteers like Don Edey (announcer), Brenda Minue (scribe), Tim Minue (gate/bit checker), Jen Friesen (cattle handler) and, of course, our expert photographer Barb Glazer who captured the spirit of the show, and our judge Frank Craighead who did an exceptional job of judging. You are the best and we couldn’t have done it without you.
We would also like to express our gratitude to the exhibitors who encouraged us and supported the show. It was great to have you all here. Thanks for coming; we hoped you enjoyed it. (Sorry about the weather!)
Most importantly, we need to recognize our many generous sponsors who offered their financial support and merchandise for prizes for the show. Without the support of people such as you, we simply couldn’t put on a show like this.
The weekend started off with a bang for local trainer Vance Kaglea as he prepared to set up what would prove to be a “triple header” for him. Starting with the Open Hackamore, Kaglea and Listo Lena Olena (owned by Max and Cherri Zbrodoff) were awarded a beautiful championship hackamore, handcrafted and donated by Dale Clearwater of Saskatchewan. Sponsors Catalyst Consultants and Tecumseh Industries Ltd. provided generous prize money.
Tom Sawatzky and PC Got True Grit, and Greg Gartner and Smart Sassy Date tied for reserve.
In the Open Bridle, the premier event of the weekend, Kaglea went on to top the leader board with a score of 71 in the reined work and a smoking 75 on the fence on Smoke N Pep (owned by Monica Wille of Victoria, BC).
Kaglea and Smoke N Pep were handsomely rewarded with a handcrafted bit generously donated by Dave and Louise Elliot of Elliot Bit n Spur, and a cheque for $1,700 for their efforts. The pair also won the Limited Open Bridle, a cheque for $375, and a Pro Choice pad donated by the Mill Store in Okotoks, AB.
Proving his skill and training abilities, Kaglea also piloted his second horse, Smokums Miss Parette (owned by Ron Mathison of Calgary, AB) to the reserve spot in the Open Bridle taking home a cheque for $1,020 for Mathison.
To top off his weekend, Kaglea won the Open All Around Stock Horse on Ron Mathison’s Smokums Miss Parette. After a somewhat discouraging Steer Stopping run in which Kaglea’s steer refused to leave the gate and ran into the box several times, Kaglea managed to get a score of 68.5 which tied him with John Swales and They Call Me Fritz owned by Doug and I.
After a quick conference with the judge (Frank Craighead of Weatherford, Texas) it was determined that the high fence score would break the tie, thus being awarded to Kaglea.
Veronica Swales, on behalf of dad Peter Swales, presented Kaglea with a pair of beautiful handcrafted chaps and a cheque for $1,440.
When asked about his weekend, Kaglea responded by saying: “It was one of the best shows I have ever had. My horses worked great and everything came together.”
Always in the hunt for top money, Veronica Swales and her hackamore horse, Leopard In The Mist captured the championship in the Non-Pro Hackamore. Swales received one of Dale Clearwaters’s hackamores and a cheque for $390.
With Tom Sawatzky and PC Got True Grit, and Greg Gartner and Smart Sassy Date tying for reserve, each received a pair of Pro Choice splint boots and split $260 prize money.
In a close race for first place, They Call Me Fritz and I narrowly squeezed past Bart Holowath and Precision Dee in the Non-Pro and Novice Non-Pro Bridle.
Thanks to sponsors O’Reilly O’Rena and Wille Dodge Chrysler, the class payout in the Non-Pro Bridle was $1,600 and $1,100 in the Novice Non-Pro. Along with prizes donated by the Mill Store, it made this an excellent class.
You know what they say, “A family who plays together stays together” and so it was a fun weekend for the Holowath family as competitive counterparts, Bart and Terri Holowath, each attempted to unseat the other in the Non-Pro All Around Stock Horse.
After a quick calculation of the scores at the end of the Steer Stopping, and with only a half-point between them, Terri Holowath and her horse Pickachicklet were declared the Champion Non-Pro All Around Stock Horse.
While her husband Bart graciously accepted the reserve championship, I may have overheard a good-humored challenge set in place for next year’s show!
As our $1,000 Limit riders took over the arena, Rhonda DiStefano and Chenas Hickory were declared the champions, and Montana resident Joani Mink and Selenas Smokum Duels captured the reserve spot.
Sponsored by Willow Springs Ranch of Nanton, AB, the class payout was $400 with DiStefano also being presented with a Pro Choice pad and Mink Pro Choice splint boots for reserve.
Evidence that the Alberta Reined Cow Horse Association was on the right path when they included the Non-Pro Limited class in their class lineup two years ago, the scores of our limited riders were all over 140 in the top four placings.
Elyse Thomson and Genuine Gina, and Remington Holowath and Pickachicklet topped the scoreboard, tying with a 144.5. After a tie-breaker fence score of 73, Thomson was declared the champion and was presented with a handy grooming organizer donated by SS Chaps.
One of the highlights of the show was the Little Buckaroo class. Riders 10 years old and under were encouraged to participate under the supervision of their parents and “cattle holders” John and Clint Swales.
The Little Buckaroos performed a very simple reined work pattern and “boxed” a cow at the end of the arena for a short time. Our two smallest buckaroos four-year-old Casey and two-year-old Falyn Thomson assisted their dad Jesse, as he piloted Reno through the pattern.
As luck would have it, there was an eight-way tie for first place, so all of the participants received grooming kits, brushes, combs, picks, halters with shanks, and a good helping of sugar thanks to Totem Building Supply and Tom Sawatzky.
Proud dad Greg Gartner summed up his daughter Ali’s experience: “We would like to thank you for the great experience Ali had in the Pee-Wee class. She had a fantastic time and wants to do it again badly. That was an excellent idea and is just the thing we need to get some kids involved.”
Congratulations to all the exhibitors on a job well done! We hope to see you all next year.
