DECEMBER 2022 THE RIDER /15


Hooves for Hospice Wellington Trail Ride


On October 16, 2017, Lynn


Smillie and her family lost James Smillie, aged 83, after a coura- geous battle with cancer. Jim, Lynn’s father, had a


passion for many things in life, his favourites being hockey and fishing. He loved hockey so much that he played with the Ni- agara Chippawa Old Stars, until he was 83. Jim also had a long history of volunteerism and aid- ing those in need of help.


Jim played an important


role in Lynn’s decision to pur- chase Noah, her white Percheron horse. At the time, Noah lived in Niagara, close to Jim’s home. Every time she visited Noah, try- ing to decide if he was the right horse for her, Noah always showed particular affection to Jim. The decision was made to bring Noah home in January 2015, and to this day Lynn says it was the best decision ever


made with her father’s help. After Jim’s passing, Lynn


and her husband Peter founded, Hooves for Hospice, in October 2018, in Jim’s memory and in support of Hospice Wellington. His memory lives on through this annual fundraising event sup- ported by many loyal volunteers, generous sponsors and gracious landowners. Hooves for Hospice is now


in its 5th year, thanks to strong continued support in our commu- nity. In 2022, we raised $10,000 for Hospice Wellington. The funds raised go towards supplies for the Hospice Wellington kitchen, for the families support- ing their loved ones. We hope you enjoy your


ride and help us carry on Jim’s memory of gentle kindness. This is a great riding event


Right to left: OMSSU Captain Jen Ellins, Captain Lisa Rath and Deputy Director Marie Beard.


for a few reasons. We offer this ride and divide the ride into two or three groups, so people enjoy the ride they prefer. Lynn leads a faster paced group that does some walking, trotting and can- tering over beautiful fields. The second and third groups do not move off as quickly, so if folks prefer a quiet trail ride, that is of-


Ontario Reined Cow Horse Association Werner Bohner, President, 519-209-8196


Craig Black, Vice President, 519-874-1294


To promote the reined cow horse in Ontario through education, participation, and mentorship


Or visit us at our website: www.orcha.ca ORCHA Sponsors


Mark Cripps from the Fergus Pipe Band.


fered as well. Open to all disci- plines. We ride on beautiful pri- vately owned land. There is a hot chilli buffet


served in the barn after the ride and prizes are given out for top pledges. The Ontario Mounted Special Services Unit (OMSSU) is also proud to be part of this event. We start the ride with being piped in by Mark Cripps of the Fergus Pipe Band. Next year’s ride will take


place on October 14, 2023. Our website is hoovesforhospice.ca Please mark your calendar


and look for Lynn Smillie’s posts on facebook! For more information visit


www.hoovesforhospice.ca


Marcia Lowes and Lynn Smillie


The Ontario Reined Cow


Horse Association is celebrating a huge milestone this year, with this being our 20th year in exis- tence! From our humble begin- nings, we have seen a massive improvement in the skill level of our competitors over the years. Our focus has always been, and continues to be, to hone our skills while still having FUN! And, in my opinion, we have excelled at this mission. We have been so fortunate to have directors and members and volunteers who work together for the benefit of the association as a whole. After all, what is good for us all, is also good for us individually. After the stress of COVID


during the last couple years, 2022 was a huge success, boasting a full roster of all 5 shows and 2 clinics. Our shows were ex- tremely well-attended and the clinics were booked full almost immediately. We ended our 2022 show season with our traditional and fun trail ride and potluck. We are still going strong finan- cially this year due to the dy- namo combination of generous sponsors and help from directors, members


and volunteers throughout the year. Because of


this, we were able to keep pay- outs high and costs low. What a great group of people to work with!


Here’s looking at more of the same for the upcoming 2023


show season. Till then, wishing you all a great Holiday Season!


Werner Bohner, President Ontario Reined Cow Horse Asso- ciation


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48