The Canadian Horse continued to show off its versatility and performance capabilities to Western Canadians during 2018. he heritage breed is still in the endangered category, but dedicated supporters have been doing their best to preserve and promote Canada’s National Horse, a breed that exemplifies the hardiness, adaptability and strength of North America’s early settlers.
Quadrille Team. Photo by Deb Harper. In BC, a drill team of Canadian Horses participates at community events to show off the breed. The CHHAPS Quadrille performed at the Ridge Meadows Country Fest, the Abbotsford Agri Fair and Vancouver’s Pacific National Exhibition, introducing the breed to people who may not have even known it existed. The intrepid team members — Sarah Lindsay, Jackie Poirier, Jessica Tonn and Elaine Ullrich — are all from the Lower Mainland. Also in the Lower Mainland, Sahara (registered name Five Winds Prince Sahara), a 12-year-old Canadian gelding owned and ridden by Alana Hilton, has been successfully competing at 2nd Level Dressage this year. The pair won the 2nd Level Adult Amateur
Alana Hilton on Sahara. Photo by Cara Grimshaw.
Championship at this year’s BC Dressage Championships Gold show held at Southlands in August, and they were also the winners of Dressage BC’s Champion 2nd Level Adult Amateur for the 2018 competition year. Alberta CHHAPS member Kelly Hamzic’s 6-year-old mare, Cache Phenom Zara, is a great example of the breed’s versatility. Showing incredible willingness and ease of handling, Zara regularly competes in Extreme y err alike Cowboy Challenge events, M parades s the tm Calgary Stampede, 3- day eventing ris and local h C fox hunting club rides.
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Kelly Hamzic on Zara. Photo by Adnan Hamzic.
Also from Alberta, Heidi Eijgel has been training her Canadian stallion, Zefyr (registered name Windy Coulee Dawn Zefyr), for Working Equitation, including a 5-day clinic in Oregon this summer. In their last Western Equitation show in September, Zefyr and Heidi both had fun, approaching all the obstacles with a calm and balanced rhythmic gait, and scoring a decent 63% in the Dressage test.
Heidi Eijgel on her stallion Zefyr. Photo by Brenna Varga. The Canadian Horse Heritage & Preservation Society (CHHAPS) also has an enthusiastic group of members now promoting the horse at events in New Riding Arena group in England, as well as a dedicated Storage Oregon. Unlimited CHHAPS has a beautifulOptions 2019 Canadian Horse calendar for sale to raise funds for breed promotion. You can help support Canada’s Made inbreed Canada endangered heritage by purchasing info@DiamondShelters.net one. Visit http://chhaps.ca/2018/10/2019canadian-horse-calendars/ for information.
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DECEMBER 2018
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