CLUB NEWS
HEAVY HORSE HIGHLIGHTS
| BY MERLIN FORD
The 12th Annual Cutter Rally For Cancer will be held at Lloydminster on February 28. This will be the second year that horseback riders are welcome to participate, and the $60 entry fee includes both supper and entertainment. The grand prize will be the winner’s choice of: a cutter; a $2500 travel voucher; a harness package; or $2000 cash. For more information contact Della Wist at (780) 871-0484.
As a result, the majority of Belgians in North America are quite different from what is currently found in Belgium and surrounding area. The horses in those regions are referred to as Brabants, and there are seven accepted colors: bay, bay roan, black, blue roan, sorrel, sorrel roan, and applegrey. As the photo which is included with this column illustrates, they have a significant amount of feather on the leg, and are more drafty in type than the majority of their North American counterparts. In recent years, an increasing number of North Americans have expressed an interest in re-introducing horses or characteristics of the traditional type, and a few horses have been imported.
Above: Participants in the 2014 Cutter Rally For Cancer at Lloydminster. This year’s rally will take place on February 28. Photo courtesy of Jim Metherell.
Harold Harmon of St. Brieux is planning to host a sleigh rally in March. For more information contact Harold at (306) 2754527. Al Tomyn of Bjorkdale is also intending to host a sleigh rally. Although the date has not been finalized, it will likely be held sometime between mid February and mid March. If you would like more information, you can reach Al at (306) 886-2021. Since the days in which they were first imported, Belgian horses in North America have changed in both color and type. In addition to what we think of as the usual colors (sorrel, chestnut, blonde, etc), the early Canadian stud books included a number of roans, as well as some bays, and even a few blacks. North American farmers and horsemen soon started selecting and breeding along different lines. This included a significant reduction in the amount of feather (hair on the lower leg), as well as a refinement in type, and a move away from some of the traditional colors.
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Saskatchewan
Above: Tomba van de Kannelust, Grand Champion Brabant Stallion at the 2014 Dutch National Championship. Photo courtesy of Ton van der Weerden.
One of the breeders in Saskatchewan who is currently using these genetics is Niall Campbell of Bjorkdale. He has a registered four year old stallion - that is sired by a Brabant stallion and out of a North American type Belgian mare. Niall is also making arrangements to bring a yearling stallion (that is 3/4 Brabant, 1/4 North American type), up from the United States. For many years, one of the first draft horse shows of the season has been the Manitoba Winter Fair, held annually in Brandon. 2015 will also mark the fourth year that the NAERIC futurity has been held in conjunction with the fair, which takes place this year from March 30 to April 4. To view a list of draft horse activities, you can view the Coming Events page at www.clippityclop.ca. If you don’t have internet access and are unable to view the list, or if you have any other draft horse news or coming events, please feel free to call Merlin Ford at (306) 338-9672.
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