Equine Feature Supplement September 18, 2015

EQUINE

The hounds are coming Groves fundraiser returns for fourth annual event

EQUINE is a feature supplement to the September 18th edition of THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER

PAGE 2 | EQUINE SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

Angelstone attracts big names, improves visitor experience

by Olivia Rutt ERIN - An Irish native winning here in the International Grand Prix at Angelstone Show Jumping Tournaments seems appropriate.

Conor Swail, riding Grafton, took home first prize at the Grand Prix on Aug. 29, winning a total of $36,120 for the Equine Canada platinumranked event.

Having a big name jumper like Swail, Canadian Olympian Ian Millar and U.S. Olympian Lesley Howard is a significant celebration for Angelstone, said Ryan Clermont, vice president of operations.

“This has been a real breakout season for us,” said Clermont, who co-founded Angelstone with president Keean White.

The property has been running as an international show jumping tournament facility for five years now, but each year it has improved and the prize pool for the International Grand Prix - $84,000 for 2015 – gets larger, attracting more wellknown jumpers.

Clermont said it has taken five years to get where they are now, but they are happy with the progress.

“When talking about this venue, a lot of people in Erin know that we are here but I don’t think people know the level that we are operating at,” said Clermont.

“This is, not just a venue that is known locally, this is now a global venue. People come from all over the world to compete here.”

Swail said in an interview with the Advertiser after his win that he loves riding at Angelstone.

“I think Keean has done a fantastic job here … The local community seemed to have really taken to it and there are fantastic crowds here. I really enjoy jumping here, there’s great atmosphere, that’s why I was so hungry to get that win,” he said.

Millar, who came 10th in the Grand Prix, also said he enjoys jumping at Angelstone.

“The essential difference between them and other

organizations is they’re really promoting the sport,” Millar said. “They pay a lot of attention to sponsors, and getting the general public to come out. That’s a big deal because that’s the future of the sport.”

The facility is fairly inconspicuous, set back from the road and visitors have to drive through rows of horse trailers to find the heart of the facility, the main stadium. Hundreds of spectators, bringing blankets or chairs, attended the Grand Prix.

But not everyone is happy with the facility. Angelstone is currently going through a zoning bylaw amendment process so it can operate permanently.

“The zoning issues, basically we’ve been working a lot closer right now with town council, so for example we have a set number of conditions that we operate under,” said Clermont.

Angelstone has updated its speaker system, moving to a mobile app that updates riders and attendees in real time. The facility has

Conor Swail and Gratton. also taken away its stadium speakers and replaced them with a more expensive speaker system that has a 40-foot sound radius.

“We are trying to do everything we can to be neighbour friendly,” said Clermont. “I think that there were issues before, but I think we are

photo by Olivia Rutt

kind of set on a nice path right now.”

The Town of Erin will meet with Angelstone later this fall, but the Erin Economic Development Plan has already identified the equine industry as a major priority for the town’s future.

The draft plan, to be pre-

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sented in its final form in October, outlined a primary goal to “establish [Erin] as a premier location for equine enthusiasts.”

Clermont is confident in the changes made at the facility and he is looking forward to another season of big-name events.

EQUINE SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 | PAGE 3

County residents competing at equestrian championships

by Jaime Myslik and Olivia Rutt WELLINGTON COUNTY – The county will be well represented at the Canadian Interprovincial Equestrian Championships (CIEC) next weekend, with one rider and two coaches representing Ontario.

Joanne Milton of Hillsburgh will coach the Ontario reining team and Tom Dvorak, also of Hillsburgh, will be one of two Ontario dressage coaches. The sole rider from the county is Elora’s Kendra Wheeler, who will be competing in dressage.

The CIEC, which will take place from Sept. 25 to 27 at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, “is key in the development of the next generation of national, international and world champions,” Ontario Equestrian Federation communications coordinator Melissa Kosowan stated in an email.

Each province and territory participating in the CIEC will bring a team of up to two senior and two junior riders

each in show jumping, dressage and reining.

“It’s also a platform for talent identification for athletes, coaches and officials,” Kosowan wrote.

Joanne Milton This will be Milton’s first year as the Ontario reining coach for the CIEC, though the discipline has been part of the competition since the first event in 2012.

“The thing was, if I didn’t (coach) there would be no reining team this year, which would be very, very sad when it’s being held in our home province,” she said.

Reining is a western riding discipline where riders guide their horses through patterns of spins, circles and stops.

Milton has been teaching riding for more than 30 years and has been a Canadian Equestrian Federation level one western coach since 1996.

She said her job as the Ontario reining coach will primarily be for coordination.

Because reining isn’t typically

an FEI (Fédération Equestre Internationale) competition, she plans to guide her riders through the unfamiliar aspects of the competition, such as more strict warmup procedures, testing their horse for drugs and teaching their horse to jog so a judge can check for soundness.

“One of the things I’ve been trying to really reassure the reiners about is that I am not there to teach them how to ride or to fix their horse,” she explained. “They’re on their own program with their own coach, I don’t want to screw any of that up.”

The problem she faced was finding reining riders who qualified for the championship and wanted to participate because the competition is an Equine Canada event and not a National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) event.

“That has always been the world governing body of reining,” she said of the NRHA. “And we were involved with them long before Equine Canada had a reining com-

mittee ... so it’s hard to get people to change.”

Bridging the gap is one of the reason’s Milton was chosen to coach.

“We don’t have a history with the western and reining disciplines as much as we do with some of the English, so Joanne came to us with lots of enthusiasm and interest in helping develop the reining portion of this event,” said Pam Coburn, program manager for the Ontario Equestrian Federation.

For a rider to qualify in reining they had to have three scores logged from an NRHA judge and one of them had to be at least 68 points, Milton explained.

Another challenge Milton faced putting together her team was that the Eastern Canada NRHA Regional Affiliate Finals is taking place the same weekend as the CIEC, so many qualified reiners weren’t available.

However, she has a full team to compete at the CIEC. Tom Dvorak Dvorak will be coaching

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Joanne Milton and Tanner. the Ontario dressage team at the CIEC for the first time, along with Simone Williams from Navan.

Dvorak, a level three coach, has been coaching dressage for close to 30 years. He coaches junior

photo by Jaime Myslik

young riders for the national team as well as senior riders who represent Canada internationally. He is also an Olympian.

“So I guess from an experience point of view I can Continued on page 8

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EQUINE SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 | PAGE 5

PAGE 4 | EQUINE SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

Downtown Elora steps into past with annual Horse and Hound Parade benefitting Groves

by Jaime Myslik ELORA - The picturesque streets of downtown Elora will become a little more quaint and a little more historic when the hunt travels through town.

The Horse and Hound Parade, benefitting Groves Memorial Community Hospital, will be back for its fourth year on Oct. 4 with horses, riders and hounds from the Eglinton and

Caledon Hunt Club travelling through the village.

Elora BIA administrator Fred Gordon told the Advertiser it’s a time to experience the unseen.

“It’s interesting to note that some of the riding clubs have existed for well over a hundred years, they tend to be of course rurally centred ... and when you actually bring them into town to be seen it’s quite a spectacle,”

The Village Inn

said Gordon.

“There’s also, of course, the magnificent both built and natural scenery in the village of Elora, which pro-

est in animals and horses specifically, and I don’t know any child who hasn’t wanted a pony at some point in their life and it speaks to these

I think it’s essential that we continue to show a commitment to the hospital ...

- Elora BIA administrator Fred Gordon vides an excellent backdrop for witnessing the event.”

It’s unfamiliarity, together with a touch of nostalgia, that draws people to the event, he said.

“It’s also the sort of thing that just frankly doesn’t really happen around these parts very much and it builds curiosity,” said Gordon.

“Living rurally we have lots of folks with huge inter-

heartstrings and things that people feel.”

The Horse and Hound Parade had its inaugural run in 2012, when organizer and hunt club member Paul Hinder decided he wanted to give something back to the community .

“They do a lot of this all through the UK for air ambulance and ... cancer, hospice, so I figured if it does

well there it should do well here and it’s been really well received as a result, both by the town and people in Wellington County and outside because the hospital serves not only locals but outside as well,” Hinder explained.

Since its inception, the parade has averaged about $5,000 a year in funds raised for the Groves Hospital Foundation.

“I think most people ...

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anyone accidentally bumped or anything like that,” he said. “So (if) they just sort of approach it and stay at the front end, not the back end, that’s awesome. Just want it to all be very safe and happy.”

Spectators will also have the opportunity to interact with the horses and hounds when they set out from the mill to tour around downtown Elora. Because the majority of the horses are a draft cross they have no problem travelling along the paved streets and interacting with the crowds.

“They’re often bred for the sensibility,” he said.

“Well it’s like the same horses that the police down in Toronto use, they have the draft because they’re usually a little bit more sensible than a thoroughbred, if you will.”

need a hospital at some point in their life so I don’t think you can go wrong,” Hinder said.

In past years the funds have gone towards a digital mammography machine but this year the funds are going to an ongoing equipment fund that allows Groves to purchase equipment like ultrasound machines, defibrillators, stretchers, etc.

“All of the funds for equipment needs comes from

READ

EQUINE ONLINE wellingtonadvertiser.com

the community,” said Lori Arsenault, executive director of the hospital foundation.

She noted third party events like the Horse and Hound Parade are essential to the success of the hospital.

“Those events are always unique. People have great ideas and given that we have limited resources here at the foundations, we’re just a small staff, having the volunteers and the community do an event like this is really valuable and important and we appreciate the support because we couldn’t do it on our own without the support of the volunteers,” said Arsenault.

It was a desire to help the hospital foundation that brought the Elora BIA on board.

“I feel living in a small community, like Elora, Fergus or Centre Wellington ... we are very blessed to have a hospital within our community,” Gordon said, noting many communities have lost hospitals.

“I think it’s essential that we continue to show a commitment to the hospital so that the province continues to show a commitment to us and keep the hospital open and functioning in our community.”

The parade will start

around 1pm on Oct. 4 with the “huntsmen,” horses and hounds travelling across the Metcalfe Street bridge towards downtown and then heading to the Elora Mill.

The group will stop there for about a half hour and members of the public are welcome to meet the riders, horses and hounds. Hinder said all of the animals are friendly but he did ask that visitors stay to the front of horses and avoid going underneath the horses for any purpose.

“We don’t want to see

Hinder anticipated about 20 to 25 riders dressed in traditional attire and about 20 hounds will take part in the parade. Last year the spectator count reached 5,000 by OPP estimates and Gordon said he’d be happy to match that this year.

Hinder’s goal is to raise $6,500 to $7,000 this year.

Though the mill is closed and the event itself is free, there will be food and drinks available for purchase, with all of the proceeds going to Groves. Throughout the day visitors will also have the opportunity to make cash donations to hospital representatives.

Some of the vendors at this year’s parade will include Bentley Tea House, Pearle Hospitality, the Elora Brewing Company and Spirit Tree Cidery.

Though the Eglinton and Caledon Hunt Club is not located within Wellington, Hinder said many of its members live in the county and the parade gives them a chance to show gratitude to their community and neighbours.

“It’s good for our club because it shows we’re caring about the communities and the farms and the farmers, they help us, they allow

us access to their land to ride across so we’re just saying thanks so much and we give back to them, to the communities and to the farmers in this way and ... (it) gives the members a good warm fuzzy feeling saying ‘thank you kindly,’” said Hinder.

For more information visit http://elora.info/events/2ndannual-horse-hound-parade.

Photos, including cover,

by Helen Michel

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EQUINE SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 | PAGE 5

PAGE 4 | EQUINE SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

Downtown Elora steps into past with annual Horse and Hound Parade benefitting Groves

by Jaime Myslik ELORA - The picturesque streets of downtown Elora will become a little more quaint and a little more historic when the hunt travels through town.

The Horse and Hound Parade, benefitting Groves Memorial Community Hospital, will be back for its fourth year on Oct. 4 with horses, riders and hounds from the Eglinton and

Caledon Hunt Club travelling through the village.

Elora BIA administrator Fred Gordon told the Advertiser it’s a time to experience the unseen.

“It’s interesting to note that some of the riding clubs have existed for well over a hundred years, they tend to be of course rurally centred ... and when you actually bring them into town to be seen it’s quite a spectacle,”

The Village Inn

said Gordon.

“There’s also, of course, the magnificent both built and natural scenery in the village of Elora, which pro-

est in animals and horses specifically, and I don’t know any child who hasn’t wanted a pony at some point in their life and it speaks to these

I think it’s essential that we continue to show a commitment to the hospital ...

- Elora BIA administrator Fred Gordon vides an excellent backdrop for witnessing the event.”

It’s unfamiliarity, together with a touch of nostalgia, that draws people to the event, he said.

“It’s also the sort of thing that just frankly doesn’t really happen around these parts very much and it builds curiosity,” said Gordon.

“Living rurally we have lots of folks with huge inter-

heartstrings and things that people feel.”

The Horse and Hound Parade had its inaugural run in 2012, when organizer and hunt club member Paul Hinder decided he wanted to give something back to the community .

“They do a lot of this all through the UK for air ambulance and ... cancer, hospice, so I figured if it does

well there it should do well here and it’s been really well received as a result, both by the town and people in Wellington County and outside because the hospital serves not only locals but outside as well,” Hinder explained.

Since its inception, the parade has averaged about $5,000 a year in funds raised for the Groves Hospital Foundation.

“I think most people ...

www.villageinnelora.com 888-733-3567 519-846-5333 66 Wellington Rd 7, ELORA Sun., Oct. 18 10 am - 4 pm

Visit us at the 165th Erin Fall Fair October 9, 10, 11 & 12 PET FOOD & ACCESSORIES

WILD BIRD PROVISIONS FARM & STABLE SUPPLIES

CARSON’S COUNTRY MARKET FEED & SUPPLY • TACK • LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTS

We have everything for the horse enthusiast in your family!

Stop on by or give us a call for more information 5531 Perth Line 86 Listowel 519-291-2049

93 Main Street, Erin • www.budsonfeed.com 519-833-2002 • 1-877-833-2002

Saturday, Oct. 23 and 24 9:00 am Fall colours Draft horse sale

anyone accidentally bumped or anything like that,” he said. “So (if) they just sort of approach it and stay at the front end, not the back end, that’s awesome. Just want it to all be very safe and happy.”

Spectators will also have the opportunity to interact with the horses and hounds when they set out from the mill to tour around downtown Elora. Because the majority of the horses are a draft cross they have no problem travelling along the paved streets and interacting with the crowds.

“They’re often bred for the sensibility,” he said.

“Well it’s like the same horses that the police down in Toronto use, they have the draft because they’re usually a little bit more sensible than a thoroughbred, if you will.”

need a hospital at some point in their life so I don’t think you can go wrong,” Hinder said.

In past years the funds have gone towards a digital mammography machine but this year the funds are going to an ongoing equipment fund that allows Groves to purchase equipment like ultrasound machines, defibrillators, stretchers, etc.

“All of the funds for equipment needs comes from

READ

EQUINE ONLINE wellingtonadvertiser.com

the community,” said Lori Arsenault, executive director of the hospital foundation.

She noted third party events like the Horse and Hound Parade are essential to the success of the hospital.

“Those events are always unique. People have great ideas and given that we have limited resources here at the foundations, we’re just a small staff, having the volunteers and the community do an event like this is really valuable and important and we appreciate the support because we couldn’t do it on our own without the support of the volunteers,” said Arsenault.

It was a desire to help the hospital foundation that brought the Elora BIA on board.

“I feel living in a small community, like Elora, Fergus or Centre Wellington ... we are very blessed to have a hospital within our community,” Gordon said, noting many communities have lost hospitals.

“I think it’s essential that we continue to show a commitment to the hospital so that the province continues to show a commitment to us and keep the hospital open and functioning in our community.”

The parade will start

around 1pm on Oct. 4 with the “huntsmen,” horses and hounds travelling across the Metcalfe Street bridge towards downtown and then heading to the Elora Mill.

The group will stop there for about a half hour and members of the public are welcome to meet the riders, horses and hounds. Hinder said all of the animals are friendly but he did ask that visitors stay to the front of horses and avoid going underneath the horses for any purpose.

“We don’t want to see

Hinder anticipated about 20 to 25 riders dressed in traditional attire and about 20 hounds will take part in the parade. Last year the spectator count reached 5,000 by OPP estimates and Gordon said he’d be happy to match that this year.

Hinder’s goal is to raise $6,500 to $7,000 this year.

Though the mill is closed and the event itself is free, there will be food and drinks available for purchase, with all of the proceeds going to Groves. Throughout the day visitors will also have the opportunity to make cash donations to hospital representatives.

Some of the vendors at this year’s parade will include Bentley Tea House, Pearle Hospitality, the Elora Brewing Company and Spirit Tree Cidery.

Though the Eglinton and Caledon Hunt Club is not located within Wellington, Hinder said many of its members live in the county and the parade gives them a chance to show gratitude to their community and neighbours.

“It’s good for our club because it shows we’re caring about the communities and the farms and the farmers, they help us, they allow

us access to their land to ride across so we’re just saying thanks so much and we give back to them, to the communities and to the farmers in this way and ... (it) gives the members a good warm fuzzy feeling saying ‘thank you kindly,’” said Hinder.

For more information visit http://elora.info/events/2ndannual-horse-hound-parade.

Photos, including cover,

by Helen Michel

“Quality Horse Hay”

Colt Starting | Training | Sales

Round Bales • Timothy/Alfalfa

519-591-8728

Dale Norris 519-846-8298

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PAGE 6 | EQUINE SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

Sidesaddle group to showcase discipline at Oct. 18 event

by Jaime Myslik BRESLAU - Elegance is the name of the game when it comes to riding sidesaddle and the Ontario Sidesaddle Association is hosting an open house to give exposure to the discipline.

“When I learned to ride in England that was one of the first things that I got told by my instructors ... that sidesaddle riding is the most elegant way for a woman to ride a horse and it really feels like that,” explained association board member Ilka Boecker.

“You can ride just like this but once you have (the costume on) you feel like, ‘Okay this feels so different.’”

So on Oct. 18, Willow View Springs will open its doors and introduce visitors to the art of riding sidesaddle.

This year the group’s goal is to have 60 sidesaddles on display with a visitor for

every saddle. Last year there were 54 saddles displayed and 40 people in attendance.

The purpose of the open house is, “to have people come and have a chance to look and see and then see where (sidesaddle) would fit them,” said Lois Beecraft, board member and owner of

Sidesaddle riding is the most elegant way for a woman to ride a horse and it really feels like that.

- Ilka Boecker Willow View Springs.

Her indoor riding arena will be transformed for the open house so it has more of a trade show feel. Sidesaddle demonstrations will occur at one end of the arena, where a rider will go through a mock lesson showing a walk, trot, canter and even

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the occasional jump over cavaletti while riding sidesaddle.

“This year we were hoping that we would have some western demos as well as the English turn out, and it would be really nice to get a period costume,” Beecraft said.

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Occasionally the demonstration rider will purposefully make a riding mistake so a coach with a microphone can correct it.

“So like a little mock lesson,” Beecraft said, referring to last year’s open house.

“And we didn’t get into tons and tons of detail because it’s a science ... and it was an open house and people didn’t come to stand to audit a clinic, they came to circulate and watch. “ In the other half of the arena visitors will be able to walk around and see a collection of sidesaddles, traditional costumes, period costumes, artwork, prints and frames, hats, whips and other accessories.

Visitors will even be given the opportunity to sit on a sidesaddle - a “sit-upon,” as the association calls it.

“We had a western and an English saddle, we place it so

Elegance - Ontario Sidesaddle Association members, from left, Ilka Boecker riding Rupert, Cathi Illerbrun, and Grace Lockwood riding Tabi, wearing formal habit, a period costume and photo by Jaime Myslik modern western attire respectively. that it’s with the mirrors,” Beecraft explained. “So (visitors) get a chance to sit on the saddle ... we give them a couple of pointers, shoulders back, there’s mirrors here so they can look at themselves from the side view, then we dress them up.”

She said by the end of last year’s open house many visitors who were hesitant at first eventually tried a saddle out and even dressed up in a costume.

“They can go home saying, ‘I tried it.’ There’s no horse, no worry about the horse moving, shaking, it’s too big, too small, they sit on it,” Beecraft explained.

For those wishing to understand what it feels like

to sit sidesaddle, Boecker suggested they stand with their legs shoulder-width apart, cross the right leg over the left, turn the shoulders to the right, ensuring the right shoulder is pulled back and the back is straight.

She said if that twisting is not felt, the rider isn’t sitting properly.

While sidesaddle is traditionally a women’s discipline, Beecraft said it was men who trained their horses and men are taking up the discipline today.

It’s also an option for riders who have had a pelvic injury or fracture, Beecraft said.

“That’s where riding sidesaddle takes you into the

world of riding for the special needs.”

The Ontario Sidesaddle Association’s open house is free and open to everybody.

Association members will be available throughout the day to answer questions and set up future lessons or clinics for those interested in learning the discipline.

The open house is scheduled to take place on Oct. 18 at Willow View Springs, located at 5288 WoolwichGuelph Townline in Breslau, from 10am to 4pm.

The facility is equipped for the event to go on rain or shine.

For further information visit http://onsidesaddle. blogspot.ca.

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EQUINE SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 | PAGE 7

Old traditions used for environmentally sustainable logging

by Olivia Rutt PUSLINCH - The brief pounding of hooves against dirt and the ripping of roots break the forest silence.

On his 25-acre private property, Greg Parker is busy removing invasive buckthorn from his forest with his team of Belgian draft horses.

Bill and Buttercup, weighing 1,500 to 2,000 pounds apiece, are Parker’s perfect team. They mostly stand and munch on the leaves and trees, sometimes looking back as Parker and his two student helpers, Maryn Work and Léo Arseneault, chain trees for pulling.

When Parker gives the command “walk on,” the horses move forward and with a quick tug, a six-foot buckthorn has been ripped from the ground.

It is easy work for the horses, as they are used to hauling much larger logs for much longer distances.

Removing the buckthorn is a summer job, while hauling logs is easier in the winter when the ground hardens.

The thicket they are working in is at the top of a steep slope, where a machine would never be able to reach without destroying part of the mature forest.

“I didn’t want machines, I didn’t want the motor. I wanted horses. I was a rider.

I worked on a horse ranch and rode,” said Parker.

In under an hour, hundreds of buckthorns trees

Tradition - LEFT: Greg Parker with his horses Bill and Buttercup ABOVE: Parker drives the team as Mayrn Work and Léo Arseneault look on. photo by Olivia Rutt have been cleared away, letting light into the dark forest.

Parker, who has been using horses to log for over 20 years, says it is a great way to manage his property.

“The horse taught me how to take care of the land, cultivate, grow and work the

Bartram added, “We thought we could maybe log our own wood lots using horses and that would be a bit of a niche where we would provide sustainable forest management service and do it with horses.”

Using horses is not the

natured and strong and Arseneault agreed, noting amazingly smart. Once they he has seen big machines learned the job, the horses not be able to do the work really (seemed to) enjoy the the horses do. work,” he said.

Parker admits there are Parker said by using less people logging with horses, people would hardly horses than in the past. notice they were even there.

Kim Davidson, past It is an environmentally sustainable way to manage property, to get rid of invasive species and to log.

Both Parker and Bartram are now more or less retired Saturday, Sept. 26 from the business, but Parker still uses his horses Ride Your Horse / Walk Your Dog / Hike to manage his property. He In support of Sunrise’s therapeutic riding program does not consider himself for children and adults with special needs. or his team antiquated, but his students don’t necessarBeautiful trails, BBQ lunch, silent auction, tack sale & ily agree. more! Visit www.sunrise-therapeutic.ca for start “It is an odd job. You’re the only person I know that location & registration info., or call 519-837-0558.

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It’s really incredible, they’re just such powerful creatures.

- Maryn Work land to our advantage,” he said.

Parker went into business with Dave Bartram, a tree planter who saw the benefit of horses in the forest.

“We could sell (logging with) horses because it’s easy on terrain, and it goes in difficult terrain, wet or hilly. It’s very easy on the land,” said Parker.

president of the Ontario Percheron Association (OPA), said less than five per cent of OPA members use their Percherons, another breed of draft horse, for logging, but owners still use them for farm work.

“The art of logging is not lost, but it is in danger of becoming extinct with only a handful of skilled individuals practicing this profession ... we must seek them out and transfer those skills to others,” said Davidson.

Not only do the horses pull logs, they can also remove stumps and boulders and cultivate gardens.

For Parker, it is not about being traditional - he genuinely likes working with his horses.

“I like not having to go and purchase energy, I can manufacture it right here,” he said, patting Bill.

fastest process, and it is definitely labour-intensive, but horses do not get stuck in the mud or snow, they do not make a large trail in the forest, they do not destroy the natural growth and they do not pollute the air, said Parker.

Bartram added the horses are perfect for the job.

“They were gentle-

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PAGE 8 | EQUINE SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

Locals hope to bring home medals From page 3 bring something forward and hopefully I can help the Ontario team win some gold medals,” he said.

In a phone interview with the Advertiser, Kosowan said Dvorak is “a real added bonus this year; he’s a very high-profile rider himself so to have him helping our riders along is just amazing.”

Dvorak said the athletes will be bringing along their own coaches so he will help those coaches as well as the athletes with final preparations before the show and help during competition with questions or suggestions for improvement.

He said the competition is unique because it’s a team competition, something riders Tom Dvorak working to photo by Marnie Gibson reach the senior levels rarely see.

“It’s a really good experience to put people in this environment at the lower level to gain some experience, so when they get to the higher level it won’t be so new to them,” Dvorak said.

He added the mixed age group is a good experience

for the riders.

“I’m kind of excited to be a part of this because I think it’s a great opportunity for the athletes and the coaches,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to [it].”

Kendra Wheeler Wheeler will be competing at the CIEC in dressage. After being long-listed last year, she made the team this year.

Wheeler started riding dressage when she was 13, after her older sister started in the sport.

“I was done with the jumping,” she said. “Dressage was more discipline-oriented and I felt like there was a lot more to learn from it.”

Wheeler will be riding Sasha, a seven-yearold gypsy vanner horse owned by Katherine Mutti of Wellington County Gypsy Vanner Horses in Ariss. “(The gypsy vanner is) not a normal breed for dressage,” Wheeler said. “Dressage is normally warmbloods … so it is showing that the gypsy vanner can do it.

“I just thought it would be a really fun opportunity to showcase the breed and see if we could make it. Last year we were picked as the alternate ... so we thought we would try again this year and we were lucky enough to make the team.”

Kendra Wheeler, of Elora, and Sasha.

submitted photo

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