Like Being Dropped in Borneo

Imagine being dropped off in the middle of a country where the locals are out to get you, you don’t understand the local customs, and the food sources, water, rules and terrain are completely different. You have no map, in fact you are not even sure why you got moved here. Not a single one of your friends in your past life are with you. The first day you broke an, unknown to you, important local custom and there is a good chance you could be soup.

That’s pretty much what happened to Rio.

By horse standards Rio was raised and lived in a fairly protected world. A pretty black mare with a popular pedigree, she was destined to be a show horse. Her coat was kept smooth, soft and shiny, her mane groomed and her tail washed and braided and protected.

She was trained and had proven herself in the show world when we met her. She was loved, being cared for and shown by a very nice young man and his family. He was ready to move up. Rio was offered for sale. We bought her.

Rio found it difficult.

Fall Classic Sale A Smashing Success

25th Annual Fall Classic Sale a Smashing Success

The 25th anniversary of the Canadian Warmblood Horse Association’s Fall Classic Sale was a great success. The arena was standing room only as the sale got underway at 6 pm on Saturday, October 5. The decorations were outstanding, the food and wine offered were superior, and the horses set a new standard in quality and pedigree. Of the 40 horses offered, 31 sold, with six going to out-of-province homes and one traveling to the US. The gross sales of $377,250 Cdn, is an increase from 2018 of $90,000 and the highest gross since 2007. There was also a $1,500 increase from the 2018 average sale price to $12,169 ($9,360 US).

The sale hit the ground running when Lot 0, the cover and poster art “Baby Steps”, a beautiful chalk pastel created by Rebecca Shuttleworth of Airdrie, Alberta, was hotly contested and sold for the sale-record price of $3,000 to Rosemary Church.

The energy remained high as the horses were brought through the sale ring. The cooler for the high-selling young prospect, sponsored by Sparks Innovations, went to O’Star de Chacoon (Chacoon Blue x Zeno H2), bred and consigned by Klondike Victory Farm. This excellent weanling filly sold to Rocky Mountain Show Jumping of Calgary, Alberta for $19,000 ($14,615 US).

Kelly Hirsch of Rocky Mountain Show Jumping (buyer)
Lorrie Jamieson of Klondike Victory Farm (breeder/seller)
Ruth Jamieson of Klondike Victory Farm (breeder/seller)
Coreen Jamieson of Klondike Victory Farm (breeder/seller)
O’Star de Chacoon
Joyce and Allan Sparks of Sparks Innovations (sponsor)