Essential Basic Training May Be the Key to a Successful Colt Starting Challenge.

Our 2013 Rocking Heart Ranch Ltd Colt Starting Challenge and Sale had three key goals; help in getting our youth excited about the horse industry, educate people on the importance of properly and thoroughly starting young horses, and promote trainers, people and operations including our own that care about the kind of product that is sold on the market with a guarantee that allow people to purchase with confidence. This led our family during one of our monthly transition meetings, where we usually discuss succession planning as the folks get older, to talk about how we can achieve our three main goals. We all agreed that it was important that we step out of our comfort zone and come up with something creative and exciting. A friend of mine had suggested a horse trainer’s challenge to which I almost immediately dismissed knowing that those horses normally have a saddle on them within three hours. Later that night it hit me that if I usually take about 60 sessions to thoroughly start a horse, why could we not incorporate that format into a trainers challenge? Over the next few months and meetings we had our model for Western Canada’s first solely owned and randomly drawn colt starting challenge. Starting in mid-March through to May 31st we took trainer applications from all over Western Canada. We phoned references and chose what we thought would be 10 trainers that were skilled but not necessarily well promoted. On June 15-24 they drove into the ranch yard, reached into a cowboy hat and pulled out the name of the horse that would be loaded into their trailer for them to take home and work on for the next 60 days. They left with a horse and a judges sheet showing what was expected of them come event day. On August 24th 2013, 10 of Western Canada’s most promising trainers went through their routines in front of 300 plus people, 30 young 4H members who were mock judging, and three industry leading judges. All of the essentials were part of the deal including things like picking up the horse’s feet, loading in a trailer, standing to mount and dismount, being sacked out with a grain sack, and so on. As each trainer completed their routine I explained to the crowd what was happening because I knew that there were many people in attendance that were not seasoned horse professionals. At the end of the 10 trainers compulsory routines they each were given 5 minutes to demonstrate any additional training that was put on their horse. Was this ever impressive; Trainers were laying their horses down, making them bow for the crowd, opening gates off of the horses back, and cracking a bull whip while standing on the back of their horse on a bridge two feet off the ground. These are only two year old horses! We normally do not see that level of training on most four year olds. At the end of the day three winners were announced by head judge Heather-Lynn Smith and I can tell you that determining the top three was a job that I would not want to have. Jaquelene See of Edson, AB came out as the grand champion riding RHR Ms Blue Pally and took home a prize of $5000, followed by Maria Michelle of Revelstoke, BC riding BB Sonoita Hancock who claimed second place and a new wade tree team roper saddle, with third place being taken by Terrel Oler from Canyon, BC riding RHR Miss Bar Frost winning a trophy buckle by Montana Silversmiths. Several 4H members that completed the judging forms in a mock judging scenario walked away with prizes including a pleasure saddle and a long yearling quarter horse gelding from Rocking Heart Ranch. Although we were unsure what to expect, as this sort of thing has never been done before (our family was thinking that we may see 100 people or so), we were astounded to see the bleachers of the Taber Agriplex full with standing room only at one point. The sale that followed was also an unknown for us as were unsure of what value this kind of training would bring to buyers looking for a future family type horse. Bob Perlich from Perlich Auction along with four ring men took bids on 15 horses including the 10 two year old event horses, two yearlings, two three year olds, and a broodmare all from Rocking Heart Ranch. The sale averaged $3200 on the 15 head with the high seller BB Sonoita Hancock bringing a bid of $7000. The trainers that competed were: Barry Arnestad Claresholm, AB Jaquelene See Edson, AB Jon Blackmore Magrath, AB Terrel Oler Canyon, BC Calvin Bevans Lethbridge, AB Renee Gareau Camrose, AB Maria Michelle Revelstoke, BC Sid Matsalla Yorkton, SK Clem Lowry Perryvale, AB Rod Olsen Cardston, AB Judges included Dr. Heather Lynn Smith from Taber, AB, Rose Perozak from Fort Macleod, AB, and Ryan Smith from Champion, AB. Although our family feels that we missed some of the little things, we have received feedback from many folks who found the event educational and exciting. Several have already been asking about next year. Our hope is that we do what is necessary to continue to achieve what people expect from us. We continue to be proud to promote “made and trained in Canada”. Marc Garner