The heavy snow and freezing temperatures that southeast Saskatchewan has experienced this winter hasn’t slowed down a couple of local quarter horse riders from continuing to pursue their passion.
Sisters Tiana and Talissa Gervais are spending the winter months at an indoor arena on their family farm in Bienfait preparing their animals for another season of quarter horse shows. The young athletes are practising trusted and new routines as well as spending some quality bonding time with the horses in an attempt to be ready for the start of what could be their most promising season.
“Every day we go out and we either ride or practise with them,” said Tiana, 17. During the “winter we try to learn new things with them and improve, (while) summer is just travelling and trying to keep ourselves crisp.”
In this past spring-to-fall campaign, Tiana participated in seven competitions culminating in two reserve, or second-place, titles at the season-ending Canadian National Quarter Horse Show at Red Deer’s Westerner Park from Aug. 25-28. Talissa, 14, captured seven first-place championships along with two reserve titles at the national competition before travelling to Columbus, Ohio, in October to participate in the prestigious All American Quarter Horse Congress.
The Grade 9 student at Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) said the Quarter Horse Congress allowed her to compete against 100 of the best novice riders from around the world in the disciples of Trail, Horsemanship and Showmanship. She said the tough competition knocked her out of medal contention, but the chance to even participate at the Congress showed the hard work she’s put in is paying off.
Talissa added the connection she had with her horse Missy, despite it being their first year together, had a lot to do with her success this past season. She noted this upcoming spring will mark her ninth year participating in quarter horse competitions and the plan is to do “at least just as well” as the past campaign with this winter’s training hopefully making that a reality.
Tiana, who is entering her 12th year as a quarter horse competitor, spent the past season riding three-year-old horse Joey and 12-year-old mare Sophie due to an injury to her regular steed Tracen. She said the gains made with Joey and Sophie simply comes down to hard work, but a chance to work with Tracen again this winter raises hope for future accomplishments, including a match of her younger sister’s, once the snow melts.
“I’d like to get my horses broke and next year at nationals I’d like to do better than I did this year and go on to more events,” said Tiana. “One day I’d like to show at the Quarter Horse Congress.”
