20/ MARCH/APRIL 2012 THE RIDER


Mid-Western Ontario Horseman’s 35th Anniversary “A Strong History, Looking Ahead to the Future!!”


This year, the Mid- Western Ontario Horse- man’s Society is celebrat- ing their 35th Anniversary. The Mid-Western Ontario Horseman’s Society was formed in 1976 to provide a standardized rule book for Open Shows in south- western Ontario within a 60 mile radius of Elgin- field, Ontario, offer a Year End Awards Program and a newsletter to keep the membership informed of shows and other events.


Anniversary Reunion Awards Banquet will be held on Saturday, Decem- ber 1, 2012 at Amy’s Restaurant and Banquet Hall in Strathroy. Past members are invited to submit photos from the past 35 years and bring tro- phies and awards from the past to the banquet. MWHS continues to offer both Performance and Speed Events with Senior (Open), Jr. A (Youth 18 & Under with horses and Jr.


The original Board of Directors included Tom Baker, President; Nelson Bilyea, Vice-President; Beryl Spearman and Jean Johnston, Secretaries; Karen Pringle, Newsletter Editor; Eric Vanneste, Treasurer and Directors, Ian Basson, Gisela Cord- ing, Wayne Dobinson, Wayne Longfield, Jack Malone, Doug McCallum, Ken McLellan and Phil Vinet.


A Special 35th


B (Youth 12 & under with ponies).


The first MWHS Point Award Show was hosted by the Red Valley Saddle Club in Strathroy on Sunday, May 8, 1976, judged by Don Thomas of Embro who stepped in when Ron Berg, the sched- uled judge did not show up as a horse had fallen on him and injured him the previous day. Due to heavy rains and winds, the performance and speed


events were postponed until Sunday, May 29 and judged by Bill Sterling of Vinemount. There were a total of 279 entries includ- ing 40 Halter entries. A Versatility Riding Class had 14 entries with English Pleasure, Western Pleasure and Barrel Racing and a purse of $120.00. Gisela Cording and Go Sock Bai- ley were the winners. That first year, MWHS Point Award Shows were also hosted by Parkhill Saddle Club, Huron Trail Riders, St. Marys Fair, Gold ‘N Rib- bons, Donnybrook Roughriders, Thorndale Fair, Thames Valley Rid- ers, Mitchell Fair, Mel- bourne Fair and Exeter Saddle Club among others. High Point Winners the first show season were Jim Kersey & Treena Reed, SR. GAMES; Gisela Cord- ing & Go Sock Bailey, SR. PERFORMANCE; Robert Vanneste & Lollipop, JR. B GAMES and Diane (Vanneste) Ewing & King, JR. B PERFORMANCE. For more than 25 years, MWHS hosted Futurama, one of the largest All Breed Futurities in Canada with both a Sired Stakes and Open Division. Futurama encouraged stallion owners to participate with the Sire of Excellence Awards. The Futurama Stallion Service Auction was well support- ed by both stallion and mare owners for many years.


MWHS hosted a


Format Barrels and Pole Bending which will allow competitors to carry times from their respective class- es allowing SR., JR. A & JR. B competitors to com- pete against each other, Thomson Quarter Horses are sponsoring a Wild Card Payback in each SR. TRAIL CLASS at MWHS Shows this year. A Wild Card Payback will be offered in various Perfor- mance Classes at MWHS hosted shows.


in Ontario, the Western Fair Horse Show in the Agriplex at Western Fair District in London in September. This show draws contestants from across Ontario to compete in both performance and speed events and the unique “Purina” Elimina- tion Race, a drag race between horses.


MWHS has hosted numerous clinics and semi- nars over the years. In 1978, Jim Babcock pre-


number of bus tours to the AQHA World Show in Oklahoma City, visiting a number of top facilities as well as attractions between Ontario and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. Stops have included the International Livestock Rodeo, Grace- land, Country Music Hall of Fame, Wild Horse Saloon, Budweiser Stables, Branson, AQHA Museum and others too numerous to mention.


The MWHS Annual Filly Draw was the founda- tion for the MWHS Schol- arship Program. Each year at the annual Awards Ban- quet 2 to 3 - $500 Scholar- ships are presented to Youth members and non- members to assist in con- tinuing their post-sec- ondary education. The scholarships are awarded based on an essay “How Horse Have Effected My Life”, academic achieve- ment, extra-curricular activities, community ser- vice and association partic- ipation.


MWHS continues to offer at least 10 MWHS


approved shows per year. These are held from Brig- den in the west to Clinton in the north, Dorchester in the east and Melbourne in the south. Up to 100 hors- es and more show at each show with many of the members also competing at Quarter Horse, OBRA, NBHA, PAINT and other breeds and disciplines.


Purina has again sponsored High Point Cir- cuit Awards for each of the six divisions offered based on points earned from the 4 MWHS hosted shows: 2 at


The MWHS Shows are eligible events for Ontario Quarter Horse Rac- ing Industry Development Program Post Racing Bonus Application. For 2012, MWHS is introduc- ing at the 4 MWHS Hosted Shows, an optional 3-D


Reach, Clinton, Saturday and Sunday, June 9 &10; 1 AQHA Introductory & MWHS Show in Strathroy, Sunday, June 24 and 1 in Dorchester, Sunday, August 12.


MWHS is also pleased to host one of the largest Open Horse Shows


sented a clinic on Halter, Showmanship, Western Pleasure and English Plea- sure. In 1979, Glen More- house and Windjamer were featured in a Barrel Clinic and Joe and Pat Carter were the Trail and Western Pleasure clinicians. Many Ontario trainers have offered their knowledge and support to help educate MWHS members and other local horse enthusiasts. MWHS will be host- ing a clinic this spring fea- turing Sue Collier, Glen- coe, Speed Events; Rick Fleetwood & Robyn Storey, Cambridge, Perfor- mance Classes and Jessie Cofell, London, Reining. These clinics will be held Saturday, April 14 at the Agriplex at Ilderton Fair- grounds in conjunction with the MWHS Annual Tack Sale and Flea market. Tables for the flea market are only $10.00. For more information, contact Shel- ley Thomson at thomson- qh@sympatico.ca.


You are invited to help MWHS celebrate their 35th Anniversary. Mem- bers who show at 50% or more of the MWHS Shows will be entered in an Exhibitor Appreciation Award Draw to win a Framed ORIGINAL PAINTING of their horse generously donated and painted by the very talented Ashley Cook. The MWHS Rewards program allows members to receive more than their membership fee back in Purina Feed Cer- tificates alone as well as discounts from corporate partners. MWHS is also selling Anniversary T- Shirts, Sweatshirts and Hoodies. For more infor- mation, visit their website www.xcelco.on.ca/~mwhs.


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