Northernhorse.com Blog

Steve Rother of Oregon took home the Championship trophy Sunday for the second year in a row at the Mane Event Trainers Challenge at Red Deer’s Westerner Park.

“I was nervous as usual,” said Rother, after accepting the special edition Mane Event trophy from Canadian Cowboy Country Magazine representative Terri Mason. But he said his horse felt the same in the large arena where the Finals were held as she did in the round pen where the four training sessions had been held over the 2 ½ days of the Challenge. “Very rarely do I get that feeling,” said Rother. “My horse had an open mind for everything I threw at her.”

Drawing last in the order of go for the Finals in the larger Lammle’s Arena, Rother completed all the required elements. After dramatically standing on top of his horse cracking a whip, he trailered his horse - while mounted - and left the ring with five minutes to spare in the allotted half-hour. Continue Reading »

RED DEER, AB - Recent heavy snowfalls in Alberta didn’t deter thousands of horse enthusiasts from lining up in unprecedented numbers to take in the first day of The Mane Event Equine Education & Trade Fair at Red Deer’s Westerner Park. And there was standing room only at the arenas and demonstration areas as attendees took the opportunity to access the expertise of some of the world’s top horsemen and horsewomen.

“We’ve been really well received. People are really friendly and very excited about the information,” said NRHA reining champion Stacy Westfall, who is making her first appearance in Western Canada and is one of the clinicians filling the stands at the Event. Renowned for her bridle-less freestyle riding, Westfall said she is trying to cover a lot of topics in her clinics over the 2 ½ days of the event. “ I’ve broken it down into lots of steps and stuff that I know that a lot of people get a lot out of,” she said. Continue Reading »

Three top trainers had their first encounter with three unbroke two-year-old fillies as the crowd favourite Trainers Challenge got underway at the Mane Event at Westerner Park in Red Deer Friday.

Jon Ensign from Montana entered the round pen first with Jose, one of the registered Quarter Horse fillies supplied by Lukacs Farms of Olds, AB. The horse, which was assigned to Ensign through a draw, appeared to be soft minded and willing, but the more resistant of the three horses supplied by Lukacs Farms of Olds, AB. Continue Reading »