Not to give too much away by the look of the championship coolers, but Team Appaloosa finished second in the trail competition and edged their way to an exciting overall victory in the TELUS Battle of the Breeds at Spruce Meadows in Calgary. Here they get the chance to take a bow in front of the enthusiastic Battle fans. Later in the day, the team was center stage in the huge and colorful International Arena in front of a crowd of several thousand.
Lynn Johnson and Dandy’s TQ Bobby negotiate one of the more interesting obstacles in the TELUS Battle of the Breeds trail competition. The TELUS “ball” needed to be pushed through the uprights to score points. As you can imagine, some horses were gung ho to play ball, while others had apparently not seen anything quite like this in daily life. I think it was worth 50 points, so certainly worth a try for most competitors. After the regular trail run (which is a timed event in the battle), participants had the option of attempting a bonus obstacle of a short polo goal. As in Jeopardy Jumping, it was worth 100 points if successfully negotiated, but carried a similar penalty if not completed within the 30-second time limit. High drama all the way around.
Equi-Fair visitors at Spruce Meadows in Calgary were intrigued by the unique and splashy color pattern on “Chester.” He’s a two-year-old gelding officially named ZIPSFITFORCHOCOLATE sired by FIT TO BE TIED and owned by Appaloosa Horse Association of Alberta President Shelby Biddlecombe. For a youngster, he tolerated the noises, strange sights and bustle of people traffic really well. He was quoted late in the day however as saying that he was ready to go back home for a while.
These “Friends of Appaloosas” are part of the volunteer corps helping promote the breed at the Spruce Meadows “Masters” event this week in Calgary. On the left is Shelby Biddlecombe, Claresholm, Alberta, who happens to be President of the Appaloosa Horse Association of Alberta this year. In the center is Connie Hunter of Sunset Stock Horses, Fort Macleod, Alberta. Connie brought a yearling filly by All Around Texas to help greet visitors to the exhibit area in the Riding Hall. Each club volunteer for the AHAA booth also makes the commitment to bring an Appaloosa horse for the day. The breed exhibits are an obvious draw for young and old at the Masters. On the right is Stacey Engleson of Taber, Alberta. She’s a horsewoman and an Appaloosa friend, but also a terrific young artist. One of her paintings was used for the Appaloosa Horse Club of Canada’s 50th Anniversary show poster this year. Looks like another of her works will find its way to Moscow! Thanks ladies.
The extra pageantry of having spiffy horse soldiers lead the parade of winners into the ring for each Battle of the Breeds awards presentation is very cool. I got a little confused by the various titles I read and heard, but I think these fellows are part of the “Royal Household Guard.” Lots of history that someone else will need to explain. The bottom line is that the folks at Spruce Meadows know how to stage an event. In fact, the organizers of the 2008 Olympic equestrian activities are here to observe and learn. I’d say that’s high praise itself.
The Battle of the Breeds continues Saturday morning with the trail class, the last of five events for the 13 breed teams involved. Team Appaloosa leads the pack by one point, so there might be a little tension in the air as things unfold. We certainly wish them good fortune and clean patterns.
Anita Wilson, Team Appaloosa member from Wolf Creek, Montana, negotiates the water hazard (as if the whole course wasn’t wet enough) during the Precision Driving class in the Battle of the Breeds at Spruce Meadows. She managed to gather some serious points for the team despite a few understandable brushes with cones and a spooky ghost that must have been hiding under the bridge.
In case you needed a weather report, this Precision Driving entry should say it all. If it hadn’t been so chilly and wet I’d say “hats off” to the Battle of the Breeds competitors for their fortitude and dedication. Despite the conditions, spectators were treated to some outstanding displays of horsemanship and equine disposition. This event is fun to watch and includes plenty of drama and suspense. Skill has a lot to do with whether a horse and cart are able to maneuver the course fault-free and under the time limit. The challenge should probably come with some free advice: Yes, do try this at home first.
Jessie Halabura, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and Lynn Johnson strut their stuff in the award winners’ parade following the “Jeopardy” Jumping part of the Battle of the Breeds at Spruce Meadows. Team Appaloosa is currently in second place! Friday is driving and barrels. The competition concludes on Saturday with a trail class.
In case you’re wondering (as I was) about Jeopardy Jumping, it’s a course setup with different point values assigned to various jumps. Competitors can choose their own route and can earn 400 points if they make it cleanly over all the jumps. Then, riders have the option of attempting the Jeopardy Jump worth another 100 points. The bad news is that if missed or refused, the competitor takes a 100 point deduction. For some reason, most riders seemed aggressive and greedy this year and went for the additional points. Only one or two didn’t make it. Team Appaloosa did very well over the jumps and did a great job showing off our breed for the crowd.
Day One of the Battle of the Breeds included compulsory skills and “Jeopardy” jumping. This photo is Lynn Johnson of Rimby, Alberta, driving her 17-year-old gelding Dandy’s TQ Bobby in the compulsories. They scored very well, as did Sherry Gresko, another Team Appaloosa member. Sherry and her stallion Shady Drifter performed English-style and helped put the team in contention.
Today was a get-acquainted-with-the-showgrounds day at the fabulous Spruce Meadows facility in Calgary, Alberta. It’s the second day of five for what is called the “flagship” of the Spruce Meadows FEI International Tournaments. The competition is exciting and the exhibits are fun, but we’re also here to promote the Appaloosa breed and cheer on “Team Appaloosa” in the Battle of the Breeds.
First stop though is the Appaloosa Horse Association of Alberta booth in the Riding Hall. Judy Ullmann and husband Hans were in charge of promotional material and greeting visitors. They also went the extra bit to provide their 4-year-old gelding A Rockin Zippo for the live part of the exhibit.
All Posts