COCHRANE— The third annual Rocky Mountain Classic Working Equitation Show is set to kick up a little dust at the Cochrane and District Agricultural Society grounds over Sept. 17-19.
The three-day event is presented by the Prairie West Chapter of Working Equitation Canada and will leadoff with a working equitation clinic put on by international clinician, judge and competitor Jill Barron on Friday (Sept. 17), followed by a two-day show with a dressage phase on Saturday and ease of handling and speed phases on Sunday of which Barron will also be the judge.
Any breed of horse or mule can ride in the B-rated show, said Lisa Green, past president of the Prairie West Chapter of Working Equitation Canada, and any genre of tack is also welcome — both of which are unique features of the show.
“It’s exciting to watch,” Green said. “The first day is dressage which requires a lot of skill for the riders and horses. Watching the ease of handling and the speed is really fun — it’s over obstacles. So, they might be going over a bridge, around a livestock pen, through a gate, doing a slalom line, riding up a corridor and ringing a bell then backing out.”
“That’s always really fun to watch and the fact that you’ll see all kinds of different horses and different tack really adds to the show.”
The event, which is free for spectators, will see thirty-seven entrants compete with their mounts.
Some of the horse breeds event-goers can expect to see may include Friesian, Lusitano, Morgan, Andalusian, Appaloosa, Canadian, Fjord, Quarter Horses, Ponies and more equipped with various kinds of tack like western, jumper and dressage.
Working equitation, an equestrian sport relatively new to Canada, showcases skills and riding techniques from various countries use of work and ranch style horses in the field according to Working Equitation Canada. The origins of the sport lie in Portugal, Spain, France and Italy where it took root in the mid-1990s and remains a popular discipline.
In recent years the sport has taken hold in Canada, with local rider Kerry Marit being one such example. Marit, who runs Marit Stables outside of Cochrane, was the highest-level rider in the country in 2018. Both she and another local rider, Deb Erickson, who runs Highland Stable north of Cochrane, are international members of WEUnited, a non-profit organization which promotes the sport of working equitation. Both have been known to host clinics locally, dedicating much of their time to training students and horses alike. In just a few weeks, Highland Stable will host Riding the Waves - Working Equitation Schooling Show Series in conjunction with the local WE Cochrane Chapter from Oct. 2-3, with Erickson set to judge.
The Prairie West Chapter of Working Equitation Canada held the first of their two-show series in Didsbury over Aug. 27-29, which Green said had a great turnout.
The second show in Cochrane will welcome five levels of competitors starting at walk trot and working up to flying lead changes, with each level awarded ribbons for placings.
“There are a lot of special prizes based on participation for things like Best Elimination, Best Turn Out, Bravest Rider and so on,” Green added. “We have a lot of wonderful sponsors who make the prizes extra special and we’re very grateful for them.”
“There will also be series champions and reserve champions for the riders with the highest points from the two Prairie West B-rated shows of the year.”
Both the clinic and the two-day show in Cochrane are currently full with a waiting list for competitors.
For more show information visit the Prairie West Chapter Facebook page. A full schedule will also be posted there closer to the show date.
