Winning Ways
There are always a tremendous number of photos of horses doing many different chores!!!! This essay contains Sleigh Rides, Trail Riding, Roughrider Camp, Play Days & Gymkhana and a slide presentation on the Prairie ‘n’ Forest Horse Show.
Sleigh Rides
2017- 2018 certainly was a snowy winter!! We were still sleigh riding in the middle of APRIL!
Note that the sleigh riders were wrapped up in a blanket cuz it was still cold and out in the open the wind made it feel colder!
The Sleigh Ride season started again in November for Tall Timber Trails. The Winning Ways crew got to go with Howard again in December.
Trail Rides
I think Mother's Day was our first official Trail Ride of 2018
Although there were many Trail Rides, some are more memorable! The students in the Stampeder Camp were treated to a trail ride on the last day of camp. Guess what they saw!!!!
YES THAT'S A BEAR!!
Right along the tree row in the center of the photo. Need a really good telephoto lens to pick that young bear out in the long grass and brush. It wandered around for about 5 minutes while we watched before it finally loped off across the field.
The next memorable trail ride was one to the Blueberry Patch!
We continued to Trial Ride all through September and October
Roughrider Camp
The Camps & Schools held at Winning Ways in the summer have a wide variety of participants with a wide variety of skill levels and goals. Stampeder Camp mentioned in the Trail Ride segment is for those who are learning the more basic aspects of horsemanship and riding. Summer Schools are individually designed for the group/family that is participating. Roughrider Camp is for those with at least Rookie skills and wanting more of a challenge. During the Roughrider week there are 3 days of English riding and 3 days of Western instruction, as well as some fun bareback. Vawn has been the Riding Instructor for the last several years and Kelly oversees the theoretical and recreational aspects. In 2018, because the McLeans missed Christmas here on the prairies, Vawn requested we have a Summer Santa Day on July 25, hence the appearance of one of Santa’s helpers with a load of presents. We have fun and the campers get to do things that are not usually available.
After Santa's helper delivered presents, the campers and crew enjoyed a turkey dinner with all the usual Christmas fixings. Very tasty even in July!
Part of the Theoretical information is a demonstration of Equine Dentistry by the local veterinarian, Dr Ed. Apparently in 2018 Dr. Ed had been working very hard and decided that if his patients could nap so could he!!
As a wind up, the final day of Camp, the campers get to go on a Trail Ride.
Play Days & Gymkhana
Leonard MacCuish and Clemence hosted a couple of Play Days, one in June & one in July, that the Winning Ways crew enjoyed
The second Play Day had some different riders and different events. Gini & Leonard had schooled Willow and I even got to try my new saddle horse!
The SoS Committee held a Gymkhana at the Stampede Grounds in October, nearly the end of the riding season, in conjunction with the Lobster Fest. The Grandgirls and Ava were able to participate and I was lucky enough to have a photographer!
Prairie 'n' Forest 2018 Horse Show
The Club celebrated it's 15th year to host a Horse Show. I believe that I have attended every year and taken horses to every Show. I tried to get a cross-section of photos depicting as many events as possible and with as many competitors as possible. Enjoy the show again if you were there in 2018 or see what we do at the PnF Annual Show if this is your first time.
I could only persuade the website ninjas to put up half the pictures in a single upload. So here's the rest of the Show!
Somehow the computer ninjas left out Winnie the Pooh and Piglet!
That won't do--here they are.
How anyone can choose a winner with all the novel ideas that show up in the costume class, I'll never know. This year the OFF can & mosquito were chosen for their originality. I believe the OFF can even squirted the ring persons!! In my books they are all winners.