THE BRANDON SUN • WINTER FAIR • MARCH 2022
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ing two-horse teams, four- horse hitch and six-horse hitch. There is also a ladies, mens and youth cart class with a one horse pulling a two-wheeled cart. North American Equine Ranching Association will also be showing several heavy horse events. One will be the obstacle class involving sharp turns and reversing. That will take place in the main are- na this year. The associa- tion will also have a halter/ line class, where the horse and handler will be judged on conformation. It’s exciting to see heavy horse teams still compet- ing, even as the industry has contracted over the years, Cleaver said. She is still excited to see young- er exhibitors still getting involved with heavy horse teams, showing there is an- other generation carrying on the traditions. A heavy horse judge usu- ally does at least one talk on the Ag Action stage in the Kinsmen Arena. BARREL RACING This ubiquitous western event is also taking place, with 15 riders featured Monday and Tuesday eve- ning. This is where horse and rider race around bar- rels in a ring in an attempt to finish in the fastest time. This evolved out of cow- boys bringing their horses to rodeos to make some extra money. Today, hors- es are specialty trained to bend and run around bar- rels at high speed. It looks simple, but this distinctly North American sport is fast-paced and highly skilled. The rodeo event is sanctioned by the Manitoba Barrel Racing As- sociation. » kmckinley@brandonsun.com » Twitter: @karenleighmck1
There will be a full show of hunter jumpers at the fair in the Westoba Agricul- ture Centre of Excellence. Some riders do both sports, but usually with dif- ferent horses. HACKNEYS This year will see 11 hackney ponies from three farms. This is also down due to COVID, but Cleaver said they are going ahead with the show. Originating from the Norfolk area of England in 1760, hackney is compet- itive carriage driving. The sport was born out of the need for wealthy farmers to improve the trotting speed of their carriage horses. The Hackney can be identified by its fluid trot- ting and high knee and hock action. Hackney ponies are di- vided into four competitive categories: the Hackney Pony; the Harness Pony; the Roadster Pony; and the Pleasure Pony. The Hackney horse, like the Hackney pony, is a ver- satile performer that is a favourite in carriage and combined driving events, as well as in the show ring as a harness and under sad- dle performer. The pleasure ponies are like the aristocrats with their four-wheeled wagons. The harness ponies look similar but are a different style. Then there’s the road- ster, with the drivers wear- ing jockey silk as they race around the track on sulky- style carts. They are judged on their disposition, style of moving and other ele- ments. DRAFT/HEAVY HORSE The heavy horse teams will feature seven teams in several classes, includ-
Thriller Trick Rider Karen Sandford performs for the crowd during the opening day of the 2019 Royal Mani- toba Winter Fair at the Keystone Centre. (File)
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