38/ APRIL 2023 THE RIDER Trillium Morgan Horse Farm: A Golden Celebration Half a century with


Morgan Horses has been a journey of love and commit- ment for my husband and I. On Saturday, May 13, Tril- lium Morgan Horse Farm and its subsidiary, Trillium Equine Complex, will cele- brate 50 years plus 1 day since owning, showing, and breeding Morgan horses in Orono, Ontario. An open barn will be held to recog- nized this milestone in the


compact body, tiny ears and defined head were most ap- pealing. I could see strength, determination, intelligence, heart, and kindness in those big eyes. One day, I thought to myself, this is the type of horse I want. A year or two later, a Morgan gelding named Ginger came to board at the local stable. I had never seen one in the flesh before. He was a deep red chestnut and had the


cessful Ganaraska Tours for the curious public educating them on the history of the Morgan breed while pre- senting our horses. We hosted our own very popular Christmas Festivals at the farm free to the public. Our very first festival took place during a snow storm. We had 45 brave souls come out to judge the stall décor for prizes. On our last Festival in 2001, our Morgan Horse Christmas event drew 896 people in just two hours. Twenty-four stalls were dec- orated and up for judging; 1,000’ of fresh cedar bows was imported from Nova Scotia to decorate the aisles.


Morgan breed community and beyond. I once owned a book


about horse breeds when I was a little girl. One chapter in this book featured a pen- cil drawing of a Morgan horse. I was fascinated by the history and mystique of this smallish breed claiming epic feats whose diminutive size defied reason. Yet, it was recorded as truth. I had read about all the other breeds, but this one kept drawing me back. That


friendliest demeanor of all the horses in the barn. His American owner loved him dearly and rode him by my little house in North Bay on cold winter days. I would wait for her return as he passed by my window. I was hooked!! That one day I had promised myself I would own a Mor- gan, came in 1973. I had owned and boarded a few grade horses in my early teens but now as a young woman I went in search of


my first purebred Morgan horse. I found a breeder who I ad- mired. That was Deanna Wilson, owner of Lauralee Morgans. I then did my homework. I had decided on my Morgan prospect before it was even foaled. I had picked out the mare I liked from a small herd of brood- mares and researched her bloodlines. She was a maiden mare in foal at the time. I next sought out the stallion she was bred to and went to see him before doing the same study of bloodlines. I liked them both immensely. I had banked on getting the best genes from each parent. On May 12, 1973 my dream of owning a Morgan came true. Lauralee Foxy Man slipped into the world on a bed of straw announcing his arrival with a little whinny. He would become the founding sire of Trillium Morgans years later. My little weanling colt


Rockton


Saddle Club Promoting Horse and


Horsemanship in the Community Start time 10:00 am


Saturday, May 6 • Saturday, June 10 • July 8 • Saturday, August 12 • Saturday, September 9


Horse show to be held at the Rockton Fair Grounds. Start time, 10 am for both rings.


www.facebook.com/groups/64181406821/


grew and I molded him with my training skills. I had a great mentor in Mr. Pigeau during my childhood who I mention in my book “Be- tween the Irons.” His wis- dom about horses taught me how to nurture and respect horses and learn to listen to them and understand their language. After rearing my very first stallion and win- ning in the showring, I went in hunt of my first group of broodmares. Hobbiton Tin- uviel was my first mare, fol- lowed by H-Loli. There would be many others to come as they years past. Each year new foals would arrive and eventually each would find new homes as we continued to share our passion with new owners. Many of our horses stayed with their original owners their entire lives. Some would be donated back to us when they (owners) could no longer ride. One even traveled overseas. Another breeder would buy our en- tire foal crop each year. As Deana Wilson once said to me ‘You are breeding what people want when you have repeat customers.” We showed our horses


up until 2014. Our Morgans competed in every division from the grueling Justin Morgan Performance, Park Saddle, English Pleasure, Hunt Seat, Western Pleasure and Harness Road Racing. We did not show every year. Some years we took time off


from the showring. The ed- ucation side of things was in full swing during the later part of the 90’s. The farm has been instrumental over the years in promoting Mor- gan horses through more than 200 workshops, clinics and demonstration hosted for the general public using Morgan horses. For a dozen years, our workshops at the farm were at sold out capac- ity most of the year. The focal point of all our work- shops was always the Mor- gan. They became the teaches and models for a va- riety of clinics from health care to equine photography, psychology of the rider with Dr. Julia Holt, stable man- agement, training clinics, breeding, foal and mare care. You name it, we prob- ably did it. One of our favourite models for these workshops was non other than our leading sire at the time, Trillium Samson. This gentle stallion illustrated good manners, a kind and willing temperament and all that draws people to the breed. He not just pretty to look at, but he was a hands- on horse for the students. Beyond being a loca-


tion for film production and music videos, we also opened up our Morgan farm to touring companies. We hosted an agricultural group from Europe on one occa- sion and had an interpreter translate for us into German. We participated in the suc-


horse public is paramount. After a debilitating accident on safari in Botswana in 2004, ironically on horse- back, I had to retire from training horses. Since then, I devoted most of my time to a private lesson program using my horse training psy- chology to round out a rider’s understanding of their time in the saddle or on the lines. Our most recent venture has been the estab- lishment of the Trillium Order of Equine Compan- ions. This program had been on the drawing board for awhile. I wanted to share my passion for the Morgan horse with seniors like me


It was our last Festival cul- minating after 11 years of creativity, dozens of volun- teers and coordination in ex- cess. It just outgrew itself. We were honoured to re- ceive the American Morgan Horse Association’s gold medallion for outstanding breed promotion which ac- companied our bronze and silver medallions over the years.


Through the years we


have recognized many peo- ple who had contributed to our success and welfare of our horses on occasion with a dinner and award cere- mony in their honour. Our first presentations were the “Trillium Fellowship” award and “In Apprecia- tion” medallions, followed later by the “Trillium Spirit Horse Memorial” award. Far


beyond the


showring accolades, I still feel that education of the


who just wanted to spend some time and groom my aging Morgan horses. And so the birth of this program began in the early fall of 2022. The program has been a remarkable success be- yond my wildest dreams. I currently have 19 active senior volunteers over the age of 65. My oldest active senior is 88. In 2015, I was inducted


into the OMHC Hall of Fame and this year my late stallion, Trillium Samson was also inducted into the Hall of Fame. A grandson of my first stallion, Lauralee Foxy Man was inducted as well this year. Fifty years is a long


time of feeding and caring for a stable of Morgan horses. We’ve been blessed with good horses and kind people to help us along the way. Life has come full cir- cle.


Colville Elected As SC Chair Joanne Colville


was elected as the Chair of Standard- bred Canada. Colville will serve her fourth term as SC Chair after serving for three straight years from 2016- 2018.


volved in virtually every facet of the Canadian harness racing industry for more than four decades. Her current role is as Events Co-ordinator/Man- ager of the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society, the official adop-


Colville has been actively in-


Canada elected its Officers and Exec- utive Committee for 2023. Joanne Colville of Moffat, Ont.


On Friday (Feb. 3) Standardbred


the Vice-Chair of Standardbred Canada’s Board with Guillaume Cayer-Richard returning as the Chair of the Breeders Committee. The 2023 Executive Committee was also elected to serve a one-year term. Joanne Colville (Chair of the Board) Andrea Rennison (Vice-Chair) Guillaume Cayer-Richard (Chair of Breeders Committee) Bill McLinchey (Past Chair) Blair Corbeil (Executive Committee Member) Lee Drake (Executive Committee


breeds, sells and races Standardbreds in addition to boarding horses for clients. Andrea Rennison will serve as


tion agency for the industry in the province. She is also the outrider at Woodbine Mohawk Park, where her many years of riding skills ensure the horses and humans on the track are as safe as possible. Joanne’s High Stakes Farm


Member) Mark Horner (Executive Committee Member)


Fame Continued from page 37


OADG Hall Of Heather was a strong woman


and business leader in both the horse and financial worlds. She would al- ways pop by the barn after arriving home from her downtown office to check out what was going on, provide advice, sympathy, a shoulder to cry on, or a good laugh. Under her some- times brusque exterior, Heather was soft-at-heart. She truly cared about the people and the horses in her life, and would do whatever she could to help those in need. She was always there if you needed her – no questions asked. We will miss seeing her lovely smile in person.


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