Oct 12, 2009 - We entered the Canadian Team Penning Nationals and came away with 5th place in the #6 shootout! The team consisted of myself on 'Cookie', my husband Loren on his Arabian gelding 'Ibn' and our 79 year old friend Doug Morris on his Quarter Horse 'Casey'. There were 49 teams in the class.

The 2009 awards we ended up with were as follows:
Classic Royal Kiltie - 2009 WPCSA Hi Point English Pleasure Sr
Reserve Hi Point Western Pleasure Sr and Reserve Hunter under Saddle Sr
Western Canadian Res Champion Eng Pleasure Sr, Western Pl Sr and Ridden Welsh C/D
Canadian National Reserve Champion English Pleasure Sr and Western Pleasure Sr.

VLQ Dunnin Gold - 2009 WPCSA Hi Point Reg 1/2 Welsh Sr Horse/pony
Western Canadian Champion 1/2 Welsh Sr Horse/pony
Canadian National Champion 1/2 Welsh Sr Horse/pony

And lastly, we would like to congratulate Allison Motsowitch, the owner of one of the boys we bred and raised - registered Arabian gelding VLQ Friendly Fire, for an amazing 4 National Championship titles in 2009 - Amateur & Open Purebred Arabian Reining Champions at both Canadian and U.S. Nationals! 'Fireman' is the first Arabian horse in the history of the breed to accomplish this. Wonderful job, Allison!

Sept 5,6 - CATPA Regional Finals - placed 2nd in the 10 Class out of 88 teams, with partners Jim Gilbert and Vern Hamilton, and 3rd in the 7 Class out of 79 teams, with partners Loren Quartly and Doug Morris.

Sept 12 - I took my Arabian gelding VLQ Sam I Am to our dressage club wind-up show. This was his first time doing Level 3 Test 3, and he came away with 3rd (a score of 60.9). I was very proud of him that day!

Aug 1,2 - Thorsby Parkland Welsh Show - we managed 2 Grand and 2 Reserve Championships between Goldie and Kiltie.

Aug 22 - First place out of 44 teams in the CATPA Team Penning 7 Class.

July 26 - I entered the 6 Class in one of the team sorting circuit shows with my Arabian pony mare VLQ Lady in Red (Cookie), and along with my partner, Larry Cressman, came away with the trophy for the very exciting (and rather dangerous) Brahma sorting competition. Out of 54 teams, only 13 managed to sort the Brahmas!

July 3,4,5 - Olds Wild Rose Welsh Pony Show. We had a very good show the first time out this year. VLQ Dunnin Gold ended up winning 7 Grand Championships and one Reserve Championship, all in 1/2 Welsh and Sport Pony Halter class. Classic Royal Kiltie also managed to garner one Championship in Halter and a Reserve Championship in the Western Pleasure Futurity class, along with several other firsts and placings in English Pleasure Sr,Western Pleasure Sr and Hunter Under Saddle.

June, 2009 - Loren and I had another good day team penning at the C.A.T.P.A. competition at the Rockin H Arena in Bowden on the 6th of June. I sat in on a team for a friend who couldn't make it to the 7 class, and we won the class!(58 teams). Loren placed third in the same class with one of his regular teams, so we had a pretty good time there, in spite of the rain and yes, even some snow!

March, 2009 - A big Congratulations to Nadine Cuzack of Sandridge Arabians on the following wins at the Feb 2009 Scottsdale Arabian show: Congrats to KC Crecent Moon owned by Nadine Cusack, shown by Gordon Hester of SR Training center, in the following events: 1st place in the PB Snaffle Bit Working Cow Horse Jr. Horse Futurity, as well as winning the championship! They also won 2nd place in the PB Novice Cutting Horse event and 2nd in the Jr Cutting Horse Futurity. Congratulations to Nadine and trainer Gordon for the following wins with KC Rein N Fire, sired by VLQ Friendly Fire, for his 4th place win in PB Working Cow Horse Snaffle Bit Futurity and 3rd place in the Working Cow Horse Championship. And we cannot forget VLQ Friendly Fire, owned and shown by Allison Mostowich, who placed 1st in the PB Bitted Reining AAOTR 18-44 and 4th place in the ATR Championship. Fire also placed 2nd in the PB Open Bitted Reining, ridden by trainer LaRae Fletcher-Powell.
On March 7th, my husband and myself, along with our 78-year-old partner Doug Morris, won the 7 class (74 teams) in the first C.A.T.P.A. event of 2009 held at JVS Stables in Sundre, Alberta. What a great start to the penning season !

Jan 2 - We've just received word from the WPCSC that our ponies have won the following awards - Young's Heart Breaker won Regional Reserve Champion and was 3rd nationally in the Section 'A' Sr Mares division. VLQ Dunnin Gold won Reserve Champion in both Regional and National Reg 1/2 Welsh 2 Yrs and Under, and Classic Royal Kiltie was awarded Reserve Champion in both Regional and National Sr Hunter!

Dec 22nd - We were lucky enough to be the recipients of the following 2008 Hi-point awards from the Welsh and Cob Society of Alberta. Classic Royal Kiltie was awarded the following: Hi-point Hunter Under Saddle (Sr.), Reserve Sr. Western Pleasure and Reserve Sr. English Pleasure. Young's Heart Breaker was awarded Reserve Hi-point Section 'A' Welsh Sr. Pony Mare and VLQ Dunnin Gold was awarded Hi-point Reg. 1/2 Welsh 2 Yrs and Under, Any Sex.

Dec 10th - I just wanted to tell you all a little about Brenda Harder's and my visit to England from September 20th to October 9th of this year. Both being bona fide 'horse crazy' people, we just had to get all of the equine oriented visits in that we could.Read more....

Nov 12th - Congratulations! to Nadine Cuzack on recent wins with her home bred Arabian mare KC Crescent Moon by BD Sharukus out of our home bred mare owned by Nadine, VLQ Bey-Annette: 2008 Scottsdale Champion Jr Working cow Horse, 2008 U.S. National Reserve Champion Working cow Horse and Top Ten 2008 Nationals Working Cow horse. Nadine, You go Girl!

Sept. 13th I attended our year end Dressage Club schooling show. Me and my 7 yr old Arabian gelding, V.L.Q. Sam I Am, showed in the level 2, test 1 class, receiving a respectable score of 61.59. I was pretty happy with that, as it was the first time we had ever done the test! So next stop, off to England to visit my cousin and also attend the world renowned Fayer Oaks Welsh pony sale. We are also going to try to attend the Hay on Wye sale, as well as visit a few private farms. Should be really interesting. We leave Sept.20th and return Oct.9th. The very next day we are off to the Team Penning weekend, we are also off to The Mane Event in Chilliwack, so as you can see we are busy, busy, busy for the next 6 weeks. We will let you know how all of that turns out as well!

Sept 6th, 7th - We attended the C.A.T.P.A. finals in Olds, Alberta. We came home with the following placings: Sept.6th - Loren on Ibn and myself on Cookie, along with team mate Bob Collenge, got the fastest time of the day for all divisions (5,7,10 and Open classes) with a 27 second run! Top 10 placing out of 101 teams in the 10 class - Sunday, Sept. 7th, me and VLQ Lady in Red (Cookie) Top 10 in 7 and 5 class out of 98 and 43 teams. Then at the year-end Supper and Awards, myself and my team, Larry Cressman and Landon Safron, won Reserve Champion 7 team for the year. Loren and his team, Tom and Vikkie Milne, were top 3 (3rd) in the 10 class for the year. To top it all off I was lucky enough to win the beautiful show bridle that was being raffled off that night. Talk about a lucky weekend!

Aug. 15th-17th - The David Thompson Days Rocky Mountain House Horse Extravaganza was held. I decided to take my team penning horse, the 5-year-old Arabian mare VLQ Lady in Red, to the open horse show on Aug. 15th. She surprised me by coming home with a Halter Horse Open Grand Championship, 4 firsts, 2 seconds, 2 thirds, a 4th and a 5th as well as the Sr. High Point for the show - not bad for a team penning horse!

July 26th the C.A.T.P.A. Team Penning show was held at the J.V.S. Arena in Sundry, AB. Loren, myself and our partner Bob Collenge won 4th place (out of 69 teams) in the 10 class. I also placed 2nd out of 73 teams in the 7 class with my teammates Landon Safron and Larry Cresman.

We would also like to congratulate Ron Brouwer from Brouwer Performance Horses on his 'Regional Reserve Champion' win, riding VLQ Yo Doc Samir in the Half Arabian Open Reining class.

July 4th,5th & 6th, the annual Olds Welsh and Pony Show was held. Some of our pony's wins are as follows: Classic Royal Kiltie received Reserve Champion Cob mare, Grand Champion Futurity Western Pleasure, Reserve Champion English Pleasure Futurity, several firsts in Sr English and Western Pleasure and first in the Sr Hunter hack class (over jumps).
Our Section "A" mare, Young's Heart Breaker, received 2 firsts and one Grand Champion Section "A" award.
Our 2 year old reg 1/2 Welsh mare, V.L.Q. Dunnin Gold, received first place and two Reserve Championships ( one futurity and one reg 1/2 Welsh Jr Horse 2 yrs and under - two very big classes!
And our weanling 1/2 Welsh colt ,V.L.Q. Perfect Storm, also won his class (by default as he was the only baby in the 1/2 Welsh weanling futurity class!).
That is all the news we have for now, but we will keep you posted!

Judge Shirley Macey chats with 7 yr old Hailey Heath in the Jr Equitation 7 yrs & under class at the Fun Show.

An 8 yr old competitor posing with her Pinto pony in the Jr Pleasure 8 yrs & over class at our June 28th Fun Show.

On July 1st Vanessa and her friend Doug Morris won 5th place out of 54 entries in the Carstairs Team Sorting Competition held at the Kjen Ranch. it was a very tough class, in which only 17 of the 54 teams got any cattle through the gate in the first go, and only 6 teams out of the top ten came back at all!
June 28th- We held our first annual Red Lodge Fun Show and Gymkhana. We had a pretty good turn out considering it was a long weekend and I did not get a chance to advertise the way I would have liked, and we all had a really great time!
June 2 & 3, 2008 Vanessa Quartly and her Arabian mare V.L.Q. Lady in Red, won 4th & 5th in the 7 and 5 class, (73 and 35 entries in the classes), at the Rockin H Arena in Bowden at the second C.A.T.P.A. show.

May 11, 2008 Team Penning - at the Stettler C.A.T.P.A. show, my husband Loren and his purebred Arabian gelding, Evergreen's Ibn Petja , along with his partners Tom and Vikki Milne, won first place in the 7 class with about 75 teams competing.

Born May 7/08, "VLQ Perfect Storm" - registered 1/2 Welsh,1/2 Quarter pony bay colt by a QH stallion out of Young's Heart Breaker, chestnut Sec. A Welsh Mare. Watch for him at shows this year!

May 2008 - Announcing the 1st Annual Red Lodge Fun Show & Gymkhana, June 28, 2008! Fun show, gymkhana, Welsh Pony demonstration, pot luck dinner. Located near Bowden, AB.

More details: Red Lodge show flyer.pdf (37kb)

Mar 20th, 2008 - I would like to thank all of the wonderful people who have already made donations to "Rescue 100", the recently established foundation that is desperately trying to save the remaining 100 Arabian horses rescued from a farm in northern Alberta. My own personal friends Sherry Bunney, Shirley Mace, Nadine Cuzack, Eileen Miller, Pat Hill and Laura Dunlop, Poplar Grove Vet services (Dr. Greg Sherman), Scott Irvine Tack and Danes Western Wear have all come forward with cash donations, vitamin/mineral mixes, new halters and shanks and dewormer.
I would also like to thank the Alberta team penning and sorting members who all chipped in for dewormer for the horses. Their generosity is very much appreciated.
To all again, Thank you!
If you wish to make a donation please visit the Rescue 100 website: www.rescue100.com

Congratulations! to V.L.Q. Eternal Spring and her owner Brenda Armstrong on achieving her Legion of Merit/Excellence and also on her 2007 wins as follows: 2007 Canadian National Top 10 Dressage (training level); Region 17 Reserve Champion Side Saddle; Top 5 Hunter Pleasure and Western Canadian Top 5 Hunter Pleasure.

Jan 20th, 2008 - We just got home from the Alberta Welsh Club's AGM and Yearend Awards Day with the following news. We were lucky enough to be the recipients of four High Point awards for our Section "C" mare, Classic Royal Kiltie. We won the following Yearend High Point awards: High Point Sr English Pleasure, Sr Western Pleasure, Sr Hunter Pony and Res Ch Div C/D Halter Mare. We are looking forward to the 2008 season with many planned events to attend, as well as one Welsh-Quarter Horse cross to foal out! We will be attending such events as the CATPA (team penning) circuit, Welsh shows, Arabian shows, as well as our own 'Pony Play Day' Fun Show and Open House on June 28th, 2008, to be held at our place, weather permitting. It's going to be a busy year, but we are looking forward to it.

Interesting Information

Did you know that they have finally completely mapped the Equine Genome?

This is good news, not only for horse breeders and owners (as this will give us a very clear picture of many equine diseases, inheritable problems, predispositions and much more), but also for we humans, as we share many common afflictions. For more info on this subject you can visit www.uky.edu/Ag/Horsemap/ .

Recommended Reading

I have always been a bit of a book worm. I have found invaluable information in the form of books on almost any horse subject you can think of. Here is a very short list of some of the books that I have found most interesting. Look them up if you have some time to spend.

Centered Riding 2 - Further Exploration

Sally Swift. Trafalgar Square Books

This is her latest and last book, as she is now deceased. It is a continuation of her first book 'Centered Riding'. This book has even more of her innovative ideas regarding imagery and more new riding techniques. In this book, she also addresses the horse, his physiology and how to help improve his musculature and way of going. A must read for anyone who was impressed with her first book

Xenophon, The Art of Horsemanship.

Robert Hale LTD. Last printed by J.A. Allen +Co.in 2004.

This book is perhaps the oldest written training information known to mankind. Xenophon was by profession a Greek soldier who fought in many wars over twenty three centuries ago. He was also a master horseman and was probably not only the first person to put his training ideas to paper for the general public to read, but the first trainer to point out that horses are living, feeling, individuals who all need to be handled differently. Almost all of the things that he said in this unique book hold true today. An historically and informationally fascinating read...

Riding Logic
By Wilhelm Musler, Arcoo Publishing 1976. Originally published as translated from German in 1937.

This is truly the dressage trainer's bible. Mr. Musler was the master of his day and all of his techniques and theories still hold true. This book may be a little hard to find but it is definitely worth searching out.

Conditioning Sport Horses
By Hillary Clayton, BVMS, PhD, MRVS.

Dr. Clayton is a world renowned biomechanics researcher who is on the cutting edge in this area. This is a very all-discipline oriented informative book about the different types of conditioning used to improve the physical well being of performance horses.

Principals of Conformation Analysis

By Deb. Bennett, PhD, Volumes 1,2 and 3.

These three books are almost a prerequisite (at least in my small mind!) for anyone who is seriously considering judging ,breeding and yes, even riding horses. Dr. Bennett, a paleontologist, is almost unequaled in her expertise regarding conformation and form to function. These books are surprisingly concise, easy to read and understand, so please, take a serious look at them if you can.

Practical Guide to Lameness in Horses
By T.S. Stashak, 1995, Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins.

This book (written in partnership with Cherry Hill) is a very comprehensive compilation of diseases, injuries and conformation predispositions of the lower leg and foot. It is a a lot of reading but I'm betting that almost anything that you are curious about will be covered in it.

True Horsemanship Through Feel

By Bill Dorrance and Leslie Desmond

This book is written by the brother of Tom Dorrance, author of True Unity. Leslie Desmond, a good friend of Bill's, decided that he too should put his stories and experiences down on paper for horse people to enjoy and learn from. She basically wrote down every word he said verbatim, which is why it is a little hard to follow sometimes, as Bill was not of a "litererary" background! However, it is a charming book with some very interesting pictures to go along with all of his stories and good advice. Well worth wandering through!

What Horses Say
By Julie Dicker and Anna Clemence Mews

Trafalgar Square Publishing, © 2004.

This is a very entertaining book relating the story of renowned animal communicator Julie Dicker. They present a surprisingly analytical study of over 60 horses that Julie communicated with in order to try to find out answers to questions that almost every horse owner wants to know. Whether she is actually relating to these horses in the realm of the 6th sense, or whether she is a very astute observer and incredible guesser is for the reader to decide. Which ever is your opinion, the material that she has recorded is a fascinating glimpse into the Equine Psyche. Well worth reading no matter which side of the debate you may be on.