16/ OCTOBER 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 MEET THE PROS (PART 1) By Ashley Janzen
The Ontario Reining Horse Association is fortunate to have a wealth of professionals among our members! In 2024, we have over 20 profes- sional members. We’d like to feature them a few at a time, in this and upcoming articles. In no par- ticular order…let’s get to know some of our pros.
Staff: Brittany Barbosa & her partner, Alan Crocker, now do all the heavy work on the farm.
Family/Personal Information: My family is mostly 400 miles away. I’m getting a bit crippled up, but still love to teach be- ginners. I read a lot (over 80 books so far this year) & do a bit of creative sewing when I can manage to get up & down the stairs to my basement sewing room.
How do you like to spend your time when not with horses?
What is “time away from horses??!!
Jeanette Martin JM Performance Horses Arthur, Ontario 5198209255
Jeanettetrainer81@outlook.com
Services Provided: Training, Coaching/Lessons, Sales, Boarding Professional Since: 2018 Family/Personal Information: Mother of 3
Pro, Limited Open, and Intermediate Open. I also achieved the Reserve Championship for the elusive Open division.
Family/Personal Information: I am supported by my incredible family
throughout this journey: My mother, Terri Purdie, is the collector of all my paperwork and, of course, our show garments; My grandparents, who are now involved in the cutting discipline, but will still be at the reining sidelines; My road trip partner and girlfriend Mikayla Goudie; And of course, my sur- rogate grandparents, Larry and Lynne McDougall, who have always been in my corner and bestowed a number of reining pearls my way. Even my non- equine family are always eager to watch my latest video or hear about our escapades. This sport is far more enjoyable when the entire village is behind you.
How do you like to spend your time when not with horses? Although my time away from the horses is
limited, when I have a chance, I enjoy spending time at our camp in Killarney or travelling to other destinations. You may have heard that I also enjoy a good restaurant or two. Portion size is important.
Appointed Directors Loris Epis
Rebecca Nelles Alyssa VanKleek Tracy Nelson
Darby Mailhot
Aim High Performance Horses Maxwell, Ontario (705) 441 4638
Dallie0111@gmail.com Facebook: Darby Mailhot
Services Provided: Coaching (Haul-ins welcome, lesson horses available, and show coaching), sales, standing an own son of Smart Chic Olena at stud.
Professional Since: 2015
How did you get your start in horses? I was raised with Racehorses, and AQHA/APHA horses from both my parents.
Professionals Worked Under/Related Experi- ence and/or Education: Jonathan Newnham, Jason Richards, Boyle Ranch, Stefano Calcagnini
Career Highlights: • 10 x NRHA TOP 10 finishes including a 3rd • Multiple Congress Top Ten • Multiple ORHA year end Champion/ Reserve Champion • Multiple Reining Canada year end champion/ re- serve champion
Professional Focus(es): • Body control • Achieving the athleticism with quietness • Teaching others how to utilize the reining horse’s body to achieve their goals • Truly loving the sport and the animal
Assistants/Staff: At the moment I am only taking a select
number of show horses to put my focus into and doing it all by myself with goals of many more Aged events and growing my LTE.
How do you like to spend your time when not with horses? Time without horses isn’t really a thing. All
our family members are horse people, but with sorting horses, we hold practices and competitions at Aim High Performance Horses! We also dabble in roping. We do enjoy any time on the water, but that’s a rare occasion!
Gavin Purdie
Four Ps Performance Horses Weldon Ranch, head trainer (519) 216 9179
gavinpellerin199@gmail.com
Services Provided: Training, coaching, lessons, sales, farrier services, and boarding available. Spe- cializing in Reining performance horses.
Joanne Milton Hillsburgh, Ontario
(519) 855 6865 / (519) 820 0968
info@rusticmeadows.com
Services Provided: Coaching, Boarding Professional Since: 1995
How did you get your start in horses? My Mother always swore up & down that the
first word out of my mouth was NOT Mama or
Dada...it was HORSE!
Professionals Worked Under/Related Experi- ence and/or Education: Worked as a stable hand for many barns in
the last 50 years. Graduated with Honours from the Humber College Equine Studies course. Had my Standardbred trainer’s license for many years. Started Reining with Bridget Gilkinson. Got to know almost everyone in Reining by being the ORHA Show Secretary for over 20 years. Bred a few nice colts.
Career Highlights: Ran the “Prepare for the Reiny Season” clin-
ics for 19 years. Got a lot of students started in the Reining pen, then turned them over to the “REAL” pros!
Professional Focus: Getting beginners started & hooked on Reining.
Professional Since: 2019
How did you get your start in horses? I got my start in horses from my grandpar-
ents, John and Lynne Purdie. My first class was an Invitation to Reining class, where I worked with professional Melanie Cressman. I then went on to Short Stirrup, Youth, and then Open when I was 16. Some kids watch cartoons with breakfast; for me, it was assessing horse confirmation in The Reiner magazine and studying sales books with my grandfather.
Professionals Worked Under/Related Experi- ence and/or Education: I am proud to say that I have work experi-
ence with a number of great NRHA professionals: Loris Epis, Matt Hudson, Wendy Nelson, and Matt Palmer. The skills they shared with me were in- valuable. I carry a piece of each one of their pro- grams with me.
Career Highlights: So far, the highlight of my career was finish-
ing fourth in the Top Ten in the Rookie Pro division my first year as a professional, riding Letric N Chic, after bringing him out of retirement for one more year up and down the road. A close second would be that I have earned a buckle or year-end achievement in almost every level of competition I have competed in: Short Stirrup, NRHA Youth 13 and under, ORHA Youth, NRHA 14-18, Rookie
Jason Richards Team Richards at Richards Performance Horses Wyebridge, Ontario at the Ranch at Waverly (208) 709 8844 Jrreiner@
yahoo.com Facebook and Instagram
Services Provided: Training, Coaching,Sales and Marketing, Lessons, and Rehab
Professional Since: trainer since 1992, NRHA judge since 2019
How did you get your start in horses? I got my start at summer camp 1985, and grew up on a Ranch in Oregon.
Professionals Worked Under/Related Experi- ence and/or Education: Ron & Ginger DeGrange (Santa Rosa, Cali-
fornia), Stan Fonsen - cutter (Windsor, California), Mike & Barbie Boyle (The Boyle Ranch, Ione, California), Craig Schmersal.
Career Highlights: • Multiple finalists at the NRHA Futurity & Derby, NRBC, Congress Futurity • Congress Champion • OBBO Futurity Champion • Breeder’s Trust Futurity Champion • Coached Multiple NRHA World Champions
Professional Focus(es): Reining and Ranch Rid- ing currently.
Family/Personal Information: Daughter Kaylie, 22
How do you like to spend your time when not with horses?
I spend my time cooking and travelling. Continued on Page 18
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