14/ THE RIDER SEPTEMBER 2010 HILLS OF HEADWATERS SPOTLIGHT


The Kids & Horses Foundation


Kids & Horses Foun- dation, founded in Septem- ber 2005, is a registered charity located in Caledon, Ontario, dedicated to giv- ing motivated children, whose families lack the financial resources, the opportunities to learn about horses. It came to be, when two women in Cale- don out riding one day realized the need and came up with an idea using local reputable riding schools. Since it started, several hundred such opportunities have been provided for kids, mainly in the Town of Caledon and Peel Region areas, for summer camp and regular year-round lessons. The Foundation has also established the Kids & Horses Scholarship which is awarded to a grad- uate of the program, wish- ing to pursue college level studies, leading to a career involving horses.


This chance can make a real difference in chil- dren’s lives. Riding and horsemanship teaches chil- dren many skills. These include responsibility, team work, focus and discipline. This opportunity to share in the magic between kids and horses has led to excellent


Frankie Chesler In The Hills By Allison Park Photo credit: Barb Nettleton.


feedback to the Foundation from both children and adults, on how horseman- ship positively impacts not only personal relationships and school grades , but kids’ lives, at many levels. The Foundation holds two major fundraisers dur- ing the year to help cover the cost of its programmes. A successful spring barn/garage sale was held in June. On Friday Octo- ber 29th. Margaret Trudeau will be the guest speaker at


the Best Western Inn & Suites in Orangeville, along with a fashion show by Acheson’s, with the proceeds going to Kids & Horses Foundation. If you are interested in tickets, please contact Acheson’s or Scotiabank in Orangeville.


Applications for the riding programmes may be obtained by calling the Foundation at (905)880- 8711, or emailing info@kidsandhorses.ca.


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PETER DOCKERTY Bus: 705-435-6438 Wats: 800-486-2591 Fax 705-434-0780 Cell: 705-333-2156


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Serving Dufferin County & Surrounding Area Since 1956


How She Began; Frankie was a horse show baby. The family lived in Florida and both of her par- ents rode avidly as ama- teurs and as a result trav- eled to 30 weeks of compe- tition throughout the year while her father Alan and mother Sherry were active- ly employed as a business- man and teacher respectful- ly. It just seemed to make sense for her to have a pony and to learn to ride. So learn she did and before you could blink she became a nationally ranked pony rider in America. By the time she was nine years old she felt a bit burned out and needed some time off from serious showing. Frankie set her sights on barrel racing where she was the fastest fifteen seconds. From there she dabbled in driv- ing and other quarter horse events. However, interest- ingly enough during that time, Frankie was always training those horses to jump! At twelve she returned to show jumping and competed in the chil- drens jumpers division earning circuit champion for two successive winters and at fifteen she partnered with a preliminary black Quarter Horse called Texas Joe Twigs, changing his name to Braveheart (Mel)


Athelete of the month – horse is Picolien Zeldenrust


da in the fall on the Nations Cup Team at Madison Square Gardens, New York City, N.Y. It was noted, she was the youngest per- son to represent for Canada in Nation’s Cup Team competition at Madison Square Garden and remains so. With a flourishing career, she rode for Canada in North America, through- out Europe and the crème de la crème Spruce Mead- ows Masters including the $1,000,000. class.


All the while Frankie was ‘bringing up baby’ competing, training and selling many different horses ranging from four year olds and up to grand


In Spruce Meadows with Ravenna Z


Highway #9, their phone number there is 519 940 9057 and their web site is www.sher-alfarm.com They have thirty stalls, a beautiful indoor arena, 16 paddocks, a walker, a large outdoor arena fully irrigat- ed, a full set of show jumps, and they have full service board including lessons and training for both horse and rider. They operate with two large trailers for shipping to and from horse shows.


Frankie and Stevie Wonder


after the film and began to compete in the low junior jumpers then moving up to the highs the next winter in Wellington again earning circuit champion.


What Has She Done; That Summer her father having been born in Toron- to moved his family back to Canada where Frankie and Braveheart qualified for the North American Young Riders Team from Ontario. This was the beginning of her interna- tional career. She scored double silver medals at that years NAYR held at the beautiful Temple Farms in Wadsworth, Il. Shortly thereafter, Frankie teamed up with an inexperienced but talented mare called Ravenna Z and her career really took off. That year she rode in her first Grand Prix at Bromont, Qc. where she finished fourth, then went on to finish second at Ottawa, On. and second at Collingwood. At seven- teen she represented Cana-


prix level. She won many top placings over those years. One of her mounts, Picolien Zeldenrust, was sold to Brazil for the Olympics after Frankie had finished second with her in the $400,000 Global Tours Grand Prix the richest Grand Prix in America at that time. She actually trained ten young prospects from their early stages to the Grand Prixs, including; Ravenna Z, French Kiss, Algonquin, Hanastasia, Nuit de Pommes, Oscar, Ranville, Triton, Picolien Zeldenrust and Aslan, one she has just moved up. During the ensuing ten years from when she first represented Canada in 1998 until 2008 she remained a short listed rider here in Canada. Dur- ing that time Frankie mar- ried her husband Juan Ortiz a short listed rider for the Venezuelan team and they partner business together as Sher Al Farm Canada Ltd. It is located at 993291


she is a ‘barn rat’. Her family and her horses are her life.


MonoAdjala Townline just one mile east of Airport Rd. and one mile north of


year old, Stevie Wonder and the five year old Mas- querade to capture the Canadian Championship in both age groups. She will be competing both of those horses in the Champi- onships held this year at the Canadian Show Jump- ing Tournament held at the Caledon Equestrian Centre in Palgrave the third week in September. Their son Juaquin has already started on his pony Southern Bis- cuit with his first lead line class this summer. Frankie and her husband Juan have a farm in Wellington, Fl. where the business com- petes for the winter season. For fun Juan changes hats for a ‘seasoned’ lake boat and Frankie goes team pen- ning on her Paint Horse Nemo. In the end result,


Frankie and Juan had a beautiful baby boy called Juaquin in July 2008 which took Frankie out of compe- titions for a year. She is now fully back in the swing of things recently she successfully jumped her current mount, Aslan in his first Grand Prixs. For the past year Frankie has been very focused on the development of young grand prix prospects. Last year she rode both the four


Where Is She Going; Frankie makes her own grand prix horses and has homebreds of varied ages coming along, especially her two babies from her beloved mare Ravenna Z; both now geldings, Reva- cour C (Buzz) and Revino C (Revy). ‘Buzz’ is defi- nitely her mother’s son, jumping her off on occa- sion while ‘Revy’ has her sweet nature. This is part of her future. More than grand prix competition, she has continued the cycle with her son, Juaquin. Her legacy and true contribu- tion to the sport besides her remarkable horse whis- pering talent is her humane passion and love of the horse, which in the end result should be why peo- ple are drawn to this voca- tion.


Frankie, Juan and Juaquin Photo courtesy of Michelle Dunn


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