What a great time it was.....On July 15-17 and July 22-24, Host Kathy Kolesar who is a two time Canadian Champion distance trail rider organized and carried out two separate trail ride weekends in beautiful Writing On Stone Provincial Park. Both Les and Lindsay Ohara who are seasoned professionals conducted each ride and described the landmarks and events that took place so long ago.
As a new director for the American Quarter Horse Association here in Alberta I was honoured to have AQHA sponsor these rides. Each weekend consisted of a short 2 hour ride on Friday night, an all day ride on Saturday, and a short 2 hour morning ride on Sunday. The first weekend consisted of 45 riders with about 24 riders on the second weekend.
Saturday nights included a "Burn Your Own Steak" supper with side dishes provided by Jackie Cook, the hosts sister with help from my wife Susanne who cooked baked beans, baked potato, and coleslaw. Jackie also provided a morning concession on Saturday and Sunday morning for breakfast. Her breakfast sandwiches are so good!! It was so exciting to be able to award prizes supplied by AQHA like embroidered pullovers and a hat along with other various AQHA prizes to those that put in for the draw.
The trails challenged riders to belly deep river crossings every day, inclines with a sandstone base, and boggy creek crossings out and back. What is unique about this particular ride is that a guide is required with restricted access in order to preserve the petroglyphs from vandalism. Riders were treated to seeing the NWMP barracks erected in 1875 which is about the same time Chief Sitting Bull came across the 49th parallel in escape of the US Cavalry. Whisky Tree, Police coulee, and several areas where protected petroglyphs (indian writings) were described and viewed as only can be from a guided tour via horseback. Nights also allowed horses and riders to swim with their horses in the Milk River. What a cool experience it is to ride your horse out bareback into the river, swim beside them, and get on once they are able to get a footing on the bottom as they exit.
Of course these rides require good horseman to act as drag riders to aid anyone who may need help. I enlisted the help of my two sons Colton and Graydon for this of which I was grateful for.
I have never met so many people that truly are "old time" tough and durable both physically and emotionally as neither the questionable weather (at times), horse mishaps, or other obstacles stopped them from enjoying themselves. Meeting people from B.C., Alberta, and Saskatchewan who took part and getting to know a little bit about them was one of the highlights of this ride.
Regardless of what type of horse my fellow trail riders own and enjoy, my hope is that those that attended had a great time, learned a little about their horse and themselves, and perhaps a little bit about the most versatile and dependable breed of horse in the world...The American Quarter Horse.
Always AQHA Proud
Marc Garner
AQHA and CQHA Director For Alberta
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