source: Farm and Food Report
As a special tribute to Saskatchewan’s 100th birthday, the Saskatchewan Quarter Horse Association (SQHA) is devoting extra resources to encouraging youth who are 19 and younger to get involved in showing horses this year.
The SQHA’s one-of-a-kind Grass Roots program encourages these youth, who own a horse of any breed and who have not yet earned points at a breed show, to participate in either the April or May SQHA shows in Moose Jaw.
“The Grass Roots program has been in operation since 2000,” says SQHA volunteer Adele Buettner, “but we wanted to give it extra scope this year in honour of the Centennial. We managed to access funding from the North American Equine Ranching Information Council (NAERIC). Getting support from a prestigious organization in the equine industry like that is quite the recognition for us.”
Lori Cates speaks for the Grass Roots Showcase. “In recent years, the SQHA could only offer a few classes to participating youth. This year, thanks to the additional resources, we are bringing in a professional horseman who will help kids hone their skills through clinics. This is usually something that costs between $300 and $400 per participant, but we’ll be able to offer this for free as a result of the additional funds.”
The three show circuits where this will be offered are the Easter Classic (April 1-3); the Band City Quarter Horse Show (May 21-23); and the Harvest Gold Show and Futurity (September 3-5), all being held at the Golden Mile Arena in Moose Jaw. As an added benefit, the SQHA will offer a free clinic on Saturday evening, May 21st for all Grass Roots participants and youth competitors. This clinic will focus on trail and showmanship, which are two of the most popular Grass Roots classes.
“We want young riders to feel they have as many opportunities as possible to experience our events. We are actually developing a mentor program where new kids who want to experience the sport will be paired with other kids who are already enrolled in the program. They’ll be able to help with grooming and preparation. They will get an insider’s look — they will see for themselves what the world of show riding is like.”
Brenda Clemens is a certified riding instructor and coach in Lumsden.
“Sometimes young riders may feel that all that is involved in being a show rider is quite daunting. But there is actually a pretty good structure in place to make it easy to access the knowledge and training. Young riders start at the 4-H level; then they participate in local fairs; they move on to the Grass Roots program, which is a real stepping stone to serious competition. Many of our Grass Roots participants have earned international distinctions at our equine world equivalent of the Olympics, as far away as Australia.”
Riding skills have played an integral part in the evolution of transportation industries in the province. Although equestrian arts are no longer a necessity, they still represent a significant part of Saskatchewan’s heritage.
As Lori Cates puts it, “the Saskatchewan Centennial Grass Roots Showcase is our opportunity to keep a very dear tradition alive, by ensuring younger generations are more aware of the rich heritage we have here. Our relationship with horses in Saskatchewan contributes to our identity as a province of communities, in which horse transportation has played more than a fleeting role. Our collective identity has been shaped in no small measure by our association with these beautiful animals.”
For more information, contact:
Lori Cates
Saskatchewan Quarter Horse Association
http://www.sqha.org
(306) 657-2901
Brenda Clemens
Beaver Creek Ranch and Horse Centre
(306) 731-2943
http://www.beavercreekranch.ca
Adele M. Buettner
(306) 249-4641
As a special tribute to Saskatchewan’s 100th birthday, the Saskatchewan Quarter Horse Association (SQHA) is devoting extra resources to encouraging youth who are 19 and younger to get involved in showing horses this year.
The SQHA’s one-of-a-kind Grass Roots program encourages these youth, who own a horse of any breed and who have not yet earned points at a breed show, to participate in either the April or May SQHA shows in Moose Jaw.
“The Grass Roots program has been in operation since 2000,” says SQHA volunteer Adele Buettner, “but we wanted to give it extra scope this year in honour of the Centennial. We managed to access funding from the North American Equine Ranching Information Council (NAERIC). Getting support from a prestigious organization in the equine industry like that is quite the recognition for us.”
Lori Cates speaks for the Grass Roots Showcase. “In recent years, the SQHA could only offer a few classes to participating youth. This year, thanks to the additional resources, we are bringing in a professional horseman who will help kids hone their skills through clinics. This is usually something that costs between $300 and $400 per participant, but we’ll be able to offer this for free as a result of the additional funds.”
The three show circuits where this will be offered are the Easter Classic (April 1-3); the Band City Quarter Horse Show (May 21-23); and the Harvest Gold Show and Futurity (September 3-5), all being held at the Golden Mile Arena in Moose Jaw. As an added benefit, the SQHA will offer a free clinic on Saturday evening, May 21st for all Grass Roots participants and youth competitors. This clinic will focus on trail and showmanship, which are two of the most popular Grass Roots classes.
“We want young riders to feel they have as many opportunities as possible to experience our events. We are actually developing a mentor program where new kids who want to experience the sport will be paired with other kids who are already enrolled in the program. They’ll be able to help with grooming and preparation. They will get an insider’s look — they will see for themselves what the world of show riding is like.”
Brenda Clemens is a certified riding instructor and coach in Lumsden.
“Sometimes young riders may feel that all that is involved in being a show rider is quite daunting. But there is actually a pretty good structure in place to make it easy to access the knowledge and training. Young riders start at the 4-H level; then they participate in local fairs; they move on to the Grass Roots program, which is a real stepping stone to serious competition. Many of our Grass Roots participants have earned international distinctions at our equine world equivalent of the Olympics, as far away as Australia.”
Riding skills have played an integral part in the evolution of transportation industries in the province. Although equestrian arts are no longer a necessity, they still represent a significant part of Saskatchewan’s heritage.
As Lori Cates puts it, “the Saskatchewan Centennial Grass Roots Showcase is our opportunity to keep a very dear tradition alive, by ensuring younger generations are more aware of the rich heritage we have here. Our relationship with horses in Saskatchewan contributes to our identity as a province of communities, in which horse transportation has played more than a fleeting role. Our collective identity has been shaped in no small measure by our association with these beautiful animals.”
For more information, contact:
Lori Cates
Saskatchewan Quarter Horse Association
http://www.sqha.org
(306) 657-2901
Brenda Clemens
Beaver Creek Ranch and Horse Centre
(306) 731-2943
http://www.beavercreekranch.ca
Adele M. Buettner
(306) 249-4641
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