16/ JULY/AUGUST 2024 THE RIDER Ontario Reining Horse Association


President, Banquet Dan Fletcher


president@orha.on.ca


1st Vice-President Rules & Disciplinary


Samantha Speed memberships@orha.on.ca


2nd Vice-President/ Treasurer Terri Purdie,


finance@orha.on.ca


Past President Gary Yaghdjian


Elected Directors Joanne Milton Mike Monroe Ashley Janzen Leona McAtee


Visit Our Website: www.orha.on.ca HALFWAY POINT and an Interview with JENN SHAW


By Ashley Gregoris Show season is well


underway with 2 out of 4 of this year’s ORHA approved shows completed, and On- tario’s reiners are here for it! The reining commu-


nity came together for J & J Reining Inc’s Steel City Spin at the Ancaster Fair- grounds, June 14-16th. There was much on offer during the three day show, which was filled with both reining and ranch classes, a derby, sponsored dinner, and plenty of vendors. One of the highlights was the fam- ily friendly atmosphere, fea- turing LOTS of activities for


last hour to cut. As a result, Matt showed Epic, and she was fantastic. I cried as she was so great with Matt. In all, it was a good call! We ended up getting our hay in, and Matt won the Derby on Epic Love.” Matt was pretty happy with Al’s decision: “I’m glad Al had to stay home to do hay! That meant I got to show his mare, Epic Love. I’ve never shown her before, and she always looks super fun when Al shows her. He’s done a great job on her. I just got to do the fun part!” Matt also took second


place, riding Hrshoulda- toldthewife, with a score of


Appointed Directors Loris Epis


Rebecca Nelles Alyssa VanKleek Tracy Nelson


Leadline Class 12 Champions! Photo Credit JJ Reining


Dream, owned by Josette Brideau, took first place in levels 1 and 4 of the Non- Pro.


Second for both level


1 and 4 was Cara Brown, aboard Like My Whizkey, with a 142.5. Third place for level 4


was a tied score of 142 by Todd Sherrer aboard Char- lottes Code, and Noemie Corbeil riding Ms Jackie Cash. Noemi also placed third in the level 1 Non-Pro.


The Future is Bright! The Derby always


Cowboy Hat Decorating Party!


the kids, including a cow- boy hat decorating station, and a variety of activities, crafts and puzzles in the viewing area.


144. Martin Audet of


Springfield, Ohio came third, aboard Tori Smoking Gun with a score of 143.5.


draws a big crowd, but this year it had some stiff com- petition with a lead line class that brought out some of the best up and coming riders we have ever seen! It was a giant class of 12 rid- ers, strutting their stuff for judges Ollie Griffith and Lorie Duff. The competition was so tight that the judges called a 12-way TIE! All participants received gift bags overflowing with toys, bubbles, crafts, and a cro- cheted donkey made by Becky Vissers. The smiles on everyone’s faces warmed the whole arena. The future is looking bright for the ORHA with these future members! Thank you to J & J


Matt Hudson Winner of the Level 4 Open Derby aboard Epic Love owned by Al J.S. Rose. Photo Credit Connie Smith


Derby Level 4 Open Saturday night fea-


tured an exciting derby, with Matt Hudson sliding in to win the Level 4 Open Derby with a 148.5 on FM Epic Love, owned by Al J.S. Rose. Al was unable to at- tend the show because, as most horse people know: hay comes before play. Luckily, his wife Chris Rose was able to attend: “My hus- band normally shows Epic Love in the Non-Pro, but due to the weather looking great, he backed out at the


Derby Level 1 Open Martin Audet claimed


first place, riding Tori Smoking Gun, with a score of 143.5. A score of 142 earned


a tie for Todd Sherrer on Charlottes Code, owned by Dareth Miller, and Noemie Corbeil aboard Ms Jackie Cash, owned by Julie Laten- dresse.


Derby Levels 1 & 4 Non- Pro


Josephine Dammers, aboard Gotta Spooky


Reining Inc. for a great weekend at the Steel City Spin. We are all looking for- ward to the J & J Reining Inc Steel City Slide at the Ancaster Fairgrounds on August 23-25th.


A Peek into Ranch Riding Ranch events incorpo-


rate several classes - Ranch Riding being just one of them - and have become in- creasingly popular in recent years! Ranch classes focus on combining a pleasurable ride with the versatility nec- essary for ranch life. ORHA member Jenn Shaw has had a lot of success in Ranch classes, competing in On- tario and the USA, and was kind enough to answer some questions about the events:


For those who may not be familiar, what is Ranch


Riding? Ranch riding


itself is a pattern class meant to simu- late some maneuvers you might see a horse on a ranch do. A pattern can in- clude walk, trot, lope, extensions of any of those gaits, a back-up, side pass, turn-around, lead change, and walk or trot poles. It’s a class meant to showcase your horse’s move- ment and willing- ness.


What attracted you to the sport and how did you get in- volved? I fell into it al-


most by accident! During the pandemic, I was looking for something to do to break up the monotony of schooling rides, and hap- pened across a little online show. At the time, I had no idea what Ranch Riding was, but I liked how precise the patterns required you to be. I read as much as I could find about it at the time, and figured it was worth a shot. We recorded a few patterns to submit with the help of my long-suffering friend Katie, and watching them back, I realized pretty quickly that there was room for improvement.


What do you like most about Ranch Riding classes? I love figuring out


how to get the most out of a particular pattern; working out where I can push my horse to excel versus which maneuvers we need to be more conservative about. There are a lot of quick tran- sitions; there’s no time to overthink in a ranch pattern! On a broader level though, I really enjoy that the class is very inviting at an intro level. Most horses can put together a basic pattern, and that means lots of riders get an opportunity to try it out! It’s very inclusive that way,


Jenn Shaw and her Ranch partner


which I think the horse world needs more of.


What type of horse do you need to participate in Ranch Riding? I think what level


you’re looking to compete at is certainly a factor. I’d encourage anyone who has the basics down to give it a try at a local club level show if they’re curious. For peo- ple looking to compete at breed shows, like AQHA or APHA, you want a forward mover with an adjustable stride, who looks like an easy, confident, comfortable ride. People get hung up on headset a lot, and it’s impor- tant to remember for ranch, there’s nothing wrong with a higher head carriage, as long as it’s consistent.


Is there any special equip- ment that you need for the event? That’s another reason


I think ranch is only going to grow from here: you can show in your everyday tack and a plain leather headstall and score just as well as someone who has a fancier set up. The recent addition of the ranch horse appear- ance score on AQHA score- sheets does mean it’s a good


idea to add a breast collar and back cinch, but that’s about it.


Ranch classes have become in- creasingly popu- lar. Why do you think this is? Accessibility has


a lot to do with it, I think. In a time when cost of living is skyrocketing, not having to drop 10K on a saddle drip- ping in silver makes a difference. Ranch is also at a stage where lots of different kinds of horses can compete successfully. You’ll see horses from reining lines, cow


horses, foundation bred, even some pleasure bred or


pleasure crosses in the mix. Having come from the Eng- lish world originally, [I find] the attitude amongst ranch riders at shows is much more welcoming and laid back overall. We all appre- ciate watching a nice run!


You have experienced a great deal of success in this sport! Can you tell us


about some of your proud- est moments? I’ve been very lucky


that way! Ranch Riding has taken me to shows I never thought I could compete at, and they were all memo- rable for different reasons. I suppose though, my proud- est moments are much smaller, quieter ones: perse- vering through rides where I felt like I wasn’t able to re- ally get it, putting on two pairs of long underwear to ride when it was minus 20 and all I wanted to do was curl up in bed. All the hard work comes before the big show, and if I’m proud of anything, it’s that I put the time in ahead to be able to make the judge pay atten- tion to a plain bay gelding! I also had someone tell me recently that I was the rea- son they decided to try Ranch Riding, and I really can’t think of any greater compliment than that! Jenn rides with


Hayes-Cofell Performance Horses, and credits much of her success to their training and coaching, as well as the support of her barn crew! “I’ve been very lucky to have had success in the sport, but that’s really a re- sult of their help,” she said.


Looking Ahead…Futurity and Derby Deadlines The summer has just begun, but we already have


eyes on the ORHA Grand Finale. A reminder that to avoid late fees, please ensure that payments for the Futurity and Derby are paid by August 15th. It’s not too late to nomi- nate your horse! Please refer


https://ontarioreining.com/ for all nomination forms and information concerning fees. Payment for the two-year- old class can be made at the show office upon arrival


ORHA 2024 Schedule of Events


August 23-25: Steel City Slide, presented by J&J Reining Inc, Ancaster Fairgrounds September 27-29: Grand Finale, Futurity & Derby, pre- sented by ORHA, REACH Clinton


to the


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