22/ APRIL 2021 THE RIDER


love to be petted, given treats and taken out,” said Spanier. “Before COVID, they regularly saw peo- ple during events such as tours, barbecue fundrais- ers, silent auctions, etc., and now, not as much. Once COVID restrictions are lifted, it’ll be really good for families to get out and be with the ani- mals. It’s good for mental health.” “Just give it a shot and maybe it’ll make


your life different like it does mine,” said Spanier. “I am truly a different person since I started vol- unteering. It teaches me so many skills like team- work, leadership and time management. If you have the patience, you can accomplish great things.” CQHA honors Emilie Spanier as a 2021


Canadian Quarter Horses Association Q Horse Hero. (Special thank you to Lake County Volunteer Spot- light)


Q Horse Heroes


Community Support Recognition Program


March 2021 Heroes


ing time with her and caring for her makes me feel instantly better. Being able to walk into the pad- dock and have her look up at me and allow me to approach her and then have her walk beside me with her head beside mine has been such a com- fort. I feel immediately relaxed and at peace. Every time I get to take care of her the focus is com- pletely on her for that entire time and I can forget everything else while I am with her. It has given me a purpose during the week especially when I do not feel like moving. And when I take her back to her friends in her paddock, I always go home feeling so much lighter, happier and calm but at the same time energized. She has been the best medi- cine!


Sarah on left and Corrine on right


School, Matt earned a Bachelor of Science in Agri- culture BSC (Agr) from the University of Guelph. The Montana State University (MSU) Far-


rier School was established in 1970 and is part of the Department of Animal and Range Sciences. This well-respected school creates proficient, knowledgeable farriers with the skills to perform professional work on all types of horses. Studies include: equine lower limb anatomy and physiol- ogy, and key concepts of biomechanics. Matt cer- tainly has the educational background to fill his client’s needs. Matt attends Quarter Horse Shows with his


daughter Cassidy in Ontario and U.S.A. Cassidy was chosen as an alternate with Team Canada to show in Texas, Matt was right there with full sup- port. The Youth World Cup competition is an edu- cational, leadership-based event for youth from around the world, to participate and showcase skills learned in an atmosphere of friendly compe- tition.


During the pandemic Matt kept his cus-


tomers horse’s feet trimmed and shod, as Matt stated, “Notes would be left in the barns, regarding which horses needed what, all the farm owners re- spected the lock down orders, most of the time it was just myself and the horses.” CQHA honors Matt Cressman as a 2021


Canadian Quarter Horses Association Q Horse Hero.


Karen Dialous


March 2021 Q Horse Heroes National Recognition Honoree Karen is a long time member and exhibitor


with Ontario Quarter Horse Association exhibiting in the driving classes. Karen’s first Quarter Horse was American Original, an Appendix Gelding that she bred, and exhibited. Currently Karen owns three Quarter Horses, two of whom she exhibited in driving and a young mare sired by My Final No- tice.


Over the past nineteen years Karen has been


a school bus driver in the Guelph area. Remaining strong to her task, Karen takes every precaution that children are following all the safety proce- dures set out by the school bus company and the province. Karen is especially proud of her son


Michael, a full time firefighter in the City of Cam- bridge, Ontario. Karen is looking forward to driving her


welsh pony and in her words, “Zipping around the bush in a cart.” CQHA honors Karen Dailous as a 2021


Canadian Quarter Horses Association Q Horse Hero.


Sarah Garbutt


As written by Sarah Garbutt and her mom Corrine. 2020 has been a tough year. Everything has


felt precarious, we haven’t stopped hearing the words “unprecedented”, “unpredictable”, and “un- known”. Since March there’s been only one thing I’ve been able to count on with any certainty and that’s been my time with Allie. Horseback riding has provided stability and security in an otherwise very uncertain time. Working with Allie has given me the comfort in knowing exactly what I’m going to do this year, next year, and the years after. I’m going to keep working towards my goals, keep learning, and continue to strive for my best in this sport.


What has spending time with Jewel and


being at the barn meant to me during this difficult year? Sanity, happiness, energy, peace and a sense of purpose. Being with Jewel has calmed me down during this not-so-great year. Grooming her, spend-


Craig Hunter


March 2021 Q Horse Heroes National Recognition Honoree Craig Hunter took over Ontario Equine Cre-


mation Services (OECS) from his parents Barry and Mary Hunter after being a valued full time em- ployee for many years. Ontario Equine Cremation Services was established in 1999 located on a beautiful piece of land in Dorchester that has been in the Hunter family since the 1800s. Craig has upgraded equipment to new stan-


dards, but kept the same compassion and respect that the clients had come to know. After all, horses are not just simply horses; they are our friends, therapists and family members. During the midst of the pandemic, Craig hired staff, which provided employment to individuals who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic crisis. Craig and his staff are very careful when it


comes to client safety, and sanitation has always been a crucial part of their day to day. Never the less, this pandemic has made them double their ef- forts as the clients are the number one priority. The pandemic did impact OECS, but in a


different light. Clients, who maybe were not able to spend time with their horses, or spend less time than usual, needed that special understanding and closure. We always take the loss of a beloved horse very seriously, but we felt the need for that more than ever. CQHA honors Craig Hunter as a 2021 Cana- dian Quarter Horses Association Q Horse Hero.


Matt Cressman


January 2021 Q Horse Heroes National Recognition Honoree Matt is a highly sought after blacksmith,


shoeing top notch Quarter Horses and high end Draft horses across Ontario and Quebec. Prior to his attendance at Montana State University Farrier


Emilie Spanier


March 2021 Q Horse Heroes National Recognition Honoree Seventeen year old Emilie Spanier, a full-


time student who attends George Elliot Secondary School in Lake Country, as well as being a very special young lady volunteering to help rescue horses. “My volunteer work at Old Friends Canada


Society has given me a deeper appreciation for the people around me and the things I have,” said Spanier. “When I look at the horses and the rough times they’ve had, it opens my eyes. The horses are an inspiration for me.” Emilie, has first hand experience working with a special horse named “Sox”. “Almost four years ago we rescued a horse


who was badly abused. She was skin and bones in- fected with lice,” she said. “Sox was misunder- stood, scared and very aggressive. Committed to Sox, Emilie gained the trust with the mare, they are now winning ribbons at schooling shows. “I’m applying to Okanagan College as well


as UBC Vancouver to study nursing and then even- tually get my Master’s degree in occupational ther- apy,” she said. “I’m able to apply for bursaries and scholarships because of my volunteer work which is an amazing thing.” She contemplates the impact COVID has


had on the horses. “When I walk onto the property, I can tell


the horses are happy to have someone visit them. There are not as many people now and they really


Laura Michielsen


March 2021 Q Horse Heroes National Recognition Honoree Laura has been a full time Primary Care


Paramedic in Alberta since 2008. Working her en- tire career at busy rural stations along Hwy 2, which is Alberta’s main highway artery. When Michielsen was asked, How has the


pandemic affected her and her family and Quarter Horse operation? Michielsen answered, “The P word was a little unnerving when we


were first learning about it because we are a Fire/EMS home and we have a now 4 year old son. But at this point we are grateful that we have our jobs. My family is in the oilfield so things slowed down quite a bit for them but now work is picking up. The almost daily protocol changes wore on us but we are so thankful that we could look after our physical and mental health by having the horses to keep us busy on our days off.” “The pandemic has actually been great for


our breeding business. I think a lot of people de- cided to breed their nice barrel racing and roping mares since most rodeos and futurities were shut down last year. Our young stallion MP Hot Hayday has had the opportunity to cross on some really nice mares last year and this 2021 breeding sea- son.”


MP Hot Hayday, aka Starbucks, is a


palomino own son of PC Frenchmans Hayday out of a money producing daughter of Lone Drifter, she is a maternal half sister to Sherry Cervi’s leg- endary barrel mare, Stingray. His sire, PC French- mans Hayday, has produced over $4,300,000.00 and multiple world champions in barrel racing and roping events. He is currently in his futurity year and com-


peting with our trainer, Caroline Boucher from QB. They are competing in Texas, Oklahoma, and Quebec so far. MP Hot Hayday is a Pink and Ruby Buckle Stallion so they will be at those events this year.


Michielson was asked what the goals were


after the pandemic with MP Hot Hayday. Michiel- son stated, “ I am hoping to aim for the juveniles with my filly from him and start entering MP Hot Hayday in some rodeos but we shall see what hap- pens. If things stay shut down maybe he will get to be a mountain horse for a season. That’s the nice thing about having a versatile


Quarter Horse, they can do pretty much anything I need them to do, and they can do it well. CQHA honors Laura Michielson as a 2021


Canadian Quarter Horses Association Q Horse Hero.


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