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Oct-Nov 2003

Who's Hot

Oct-Nov 2003

Look for Lemieux family By Heather McCutcheon
The fall season is an exciting time for Canadian Team Cattle Penners! October heralds two big shows in the west - the Zender Ford Fall Classic held in conjunction with Farm Fair and the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton, AB, and the Canadian Nationals held at the Stampede Corral in Calgary, AB. Team penners are rated by ability and experience. Starting at a which-way-did-that-cow-go number one, all the way to a been-there-penned-that number six, teams of three combine their rates to calculate for which class they're eligible. Sanctioned classes in Canada include the Open (any combination of riders), 10 class, 7 class, and the 5 class. This fall watch out for the Lemieux family from Bonnyville, AB. Maurice, wife Joanne, and daughter Ashley. This talented trio won the number 10 class on July 27th up at the Blackland Ranch, near Gibbons, AB. Joanne was also on the champion number 7 team as well as the champion open team for the July 26th classes.

Young 'Chuck' drivers comin' on
When the dust settled at the close of the World Professional Chuckwagon Association season wind-up at Red Deer, AB in late August, the World title (his third) was earned by Westerose, AB's Jerry Bremner and Tour champion was Norm Cuthbertson of Halkirk, AB. It was a back-to-back Tour title for Cuthbertson, who started driving in 1987 after a decade as an outrider. However, much of the attention through the WPCA season was on youngsters Rae Croteau Jr., 20, of Bonnyville, AB and 19-year-old Kurt Bensmiller of Dewberry, AB. Both are third-generation wagon drivers; both are taking dead-aim on their seniors at the top. Croteau ended up 10th overall on the season, up from 18th a year ago in his first season (after three in the Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association) on the World Tour. Rae's grandpa, Ray Croteau, retired from wagon racing six years ago after 25 years "in the family sport." His son Bert (Rae's father) absorbed grandpa Ray's horses into his stable. Following three years as an outrider, Rae built up his hitch from the family herd. After the Calgary Stampede's Rangeland Derby last summer, Rae moved one of his wheel horses, Stake Point, onto the left lead, where his grandpa had run the horse before. "The horse really responded to the move," says Rae, and his outfit finished the season much improved. As for racing against the old veterans of the WPCA, young Rae says: "I enjoy it. I take it as a challenge. I know I have the horses and the potential with the skills I'm developing. I'm learning something new pretty much every day. I guess you never stop learning."

Sapergia's hopes ride on Shiners Q Chex By Heather McCutcheon
Reiners across Canada are in the midst of the exhilarating futurity season of 2004. Three year olds that have only spent a year in the show pen are being pushed a bit harder and their minds and bodies are being asked to perform more strenuously. In August, the Canadian Nationals had the highest paying three-year-old class of the year ‹ $15,000 dollars in prize money was up for the youngsters of 2003. The winner was one of the fastest-rising stars in the Canadian reining scene aboard a horse of undeniably attractive breeding. Cody Sapergia piloted Shiners Q Chex, a three-year-old palomino by Shining Spark and out of Bueno Q Nic, to take home a cheque for $5,250. The horse is owned by Q and Company of Stony Plain, AB. Sapergia also placed third in the class on Wright On Loomis which is by Lenas Wright On. The Canadian Reining Breeders Classic was held September 19th ­ 21st in Winnipeg, MB at the Pineridge Equestrian Centre. Sapergia was taking a herd of horses out who are all expected to do well ‹ Shiners Q Chex and Wright On Loomis in the Futurity, BL Whiz Kid for the Canada Cup, and Cee Bee Boogie and JBS Badges Top Ten in the Derby. All of the horses have an excellent chance at a finish in the top three in their respective classes under Sapergia's guidance.

The Moore family's life of rodeo
If you're looking for a model rodeoing family, look no further than the Moore family of Pouce Coupe, BC, near Dawson Creek. They're about as active in the horse sports as any family can get. Grandpa Gary Moore still trains and shows cutting horses while his son Danny (a professional horse trainer) and his wife Annette both rodeo and cut. But it's Gary Moore's grandkids that "do it all" in rodeo. Chelsea Moore, 14, has been competing since she was six. Over the years, Chelsea has won eight saddles and 38 buckles. Competing in barrel racing, pole bending, break-away roping, steer undecorating, goat tying and cutting, she was rookie of the year in the Northwest Rodeo Association in 2002. An honors student, Chelsea is in Grade 9 this year, making her eligible for High School Rodeo competitions. She'll be seeking scholarship prizes so that she can go to university as a veterinarian student. "She's not just all about horses," says her mother, Annette. "She does well in school and in other sports, particularly basketball and volleyball." Chelsea's older brother Clayton, 22, just completed his four-year studies on rodeo scholarships at Panhandle State in Oklahoma. He's gone on down to Texas where he's starting a pro rodeo career in steer wrestling and calf roping. Growing up in the Peace River country, Clayton "did it all, too," says Annette. He won events in High School Rodeo competitions in both Alberta and B.C. Clayton also qualified for the Canadian HS Finals and went to the National HS Finals in the U.S. two years in a row. The collection of trophy saddles and buckles won by the Moore family of Pouce Coupe, B.C. would fill a small western tack shop.

Brad Pedersen snaffle bit champ
To no one's surprise, Brad Pedersen of Lacombe, AB captured the Alberta Reined Cow Horse Association 2003 Snaffle Bit Futurity Open class on the Labour Day weekend at Blackland Ranch, near Fort Saskatchewan, AB. Victory was worth $5,350 for Steven Best of Macklin, SK, owner of Dixie's Hot Pepinics, Pedersen's talented mount in what ARCHA president Jim Dobler, of Delburne, AB calls Canada's richest snaffle bit reining event. Purse money and prizes totalled close to $40,000. There were 32 futurity horses, the largest entry in almost 20 years. Reserve open champion was Doc Dry Badger, owned by Mark Cathey of Leduc, AB and ridden by Loren Christianson of Stony Plain, AB, who also captured the Limited Open/Non-Pro class. Non Pro winner was Max Matthews of Whitecourt, AB, John Swales of High River, AB topped the open working cow horse class while Veronica Swales rode the non-pro working cow horse winner. Tracy Veilleaux of Bassano, AB was best at the $250 limit level. Dobler reports that there's a real resurgence in reined cow horse membership and activity in Canada and especially in the U.S. "We've got 500 members in the Alberta association. It goes up every year," notes Dobler, "And we've got lots of youth; talented youth. The future looks good,"