Manitoba Pennwoods Draft Horse Futurity
August 20 & 21, 2005
Virden, Manitoba
By Brenda Hunter, Kenton, Manitoba
Virden, Manitoba was the place to be the weekend of August 19 & 21, 2005 when the Manitoba Pennwoods Draft Horse Futurity was held in conjunction with the Virden Indoor Rodeo and Wild West Daze. Mr. Wes Gordeyko from Ohaton, AB was the judge for the two day event, with Darryl Horn of Virden handling the duties as ringman, and Dr. Everett More also of Virden, capably providing the commentary.
In order to become eligible for the futurity, any Manitoba producer can nominate weanlings into the futurity before the end of their birth year (Dec 31st). If the animal is sold, the nomination into the futurity goes with them, and they may still be entered by the new owner. Entries for the yearling class must be made by May 15th of the following year. Two year old entries close May 15th of their two year old year. As long as the nomination is made, owners may choose to miss the yearling year and enter the two year old year, or vice versa, without any penalty. As long as the entries are made in the year for which they choose to show, they are eligible to compete for the total purse.
The first event on Saturday for the futurity exhibitors, was the obstacle or pattern class. In this class, exhibitors are judged on an individual pattern designed to show how well broke the horse is. There are seven components to the complete pattern. Each maneuver is judged and scored out of 100 points. It is a simple pattern designed with 2 year olds in mind, and consists of entering the arena at a walk, an entry lap at a trot where they are scored on soundness, a figure 8 at a trot, stop, back up, fan left and right, and enter and exit a keyhole.
Once all exhibitors had completed the pattern individually, the scores were tabulated and the placings were made. Lyle Brown, of Lenore, MB driving Ju-Ly Durango emerged the winner of the obstacle portion with a total of 640 points out of a possible 700.
Sunday morning began with the 2 year old halter class taking to the arena, followed by the yearling halter class. Lone Oak Evelyn, a Percheron mare bred, owned and shown by Jim Lane of Birtle, MB took top honors in the 2 year old class. Mount Joy Spooks Echo, a Percheron filly bred, owned and exhibited by Lyle Farquhar of Birtle placed first in the yearling halter class, in a field of 17 entries.
The final portion of the 2005 Manitoba Pennwoods Draft Horse Futurity was the 2 year old rail class which was held during the intermission of the Sunday evening rodeo. Lone Oak Evelyn also took top honors in this event, followed by Gardiner's Styllin' Stella, who incidentally was the winner of last year's yearling class. Lone Oak Evelyn easily emerged the overall winner in the 2 year old division, with a 4 point spread between her next closest competitor, Gardiner's Styllin' Stella, a Belgian mare bred and owned by Rob & Karen Gardiner of Virden, MB. Third and fourth place both went to entries from Ju-Ly Percherons of Lenore, MB, Ju-Ly Durango and Ju-Ly Dominator, driven by Lyle Brown and Kathy Wesley respectively. Trailing them by only one point was Mount Joy Spooks Lady, a Percheron mare bred, owned and shown by Lyle Farquhar of Birtle, MB and a full sister to the yearling winner. First time competitor at the futurity, Ben Howard of Miniota, MB placed a respectable sixth place overall, with a Belgian gelding his family raised, T8 Eddie Louis.
The winners in each division took home a plaque sponsored by the Virden Wild West Daze Committee. Mount Joy Spooks Echo, winner of the yearling class, and Lone Oak Evelyn, top point earner in the 2 year old class, each won a blanket sponsored by The Mutt Hutt and Peacefull Valley Pet Crematorium (Rob & Karen Gardiner), and Neepawa Canvasworks (Ken Dalgleish), as well as a cheque in the amount of $1000. The total purse in this year's yearling class was $4900 with placings one through ten receiving a payout. The total purse in the two year old division was $4050 with all 6 horses exhibited earning a cheque.
Overall this year, the futurity was considered a success, thanks in large part to the sponsors of the event, those being, Pennwoods Equine Products, Virden Indoor Rodeo & Wild West Daze, the Manitoba Percheron Belgian Club, the Manitoba Horse Breeders Association, the 2004 World Percheron Congress committee, the Mutt Hutt and Peacefull Valley Pet Crematorium, and Neepawa Canvas. Out of 55 nominations to the yearling class, 31 horses were entered for competition, with 17 actually being shown. In the 2 year old class, there were also 55 nominations, 14 entries received at entry deadline, and 6 horses taking to the rail over the weekend. This year's entries included representatives from all three of the predominant draft horse breeds in Manitoba - Percheron, Belgian and Clydesdale. Despite the continued uncertainty currently existing in the equine industry, the Manitoba draft horse breeders proved once again that they can rise to the challenge in producing and promoting some of the finest draft horses in North America.
