REINING CANADA
The Official Site of Reining Canada
REINING CANADA NEWS
NRHA Million Dollar Owner Milestone
Congratulations to Mr. Andre de Bellefeuille
Andre de Bellefeuille Reaches Million Dollar Owner Milestone - NRHA News
Spotlight on a Canadian Reiner - Magalie Boulanger
16 year old Magalie Boulanger from St-Jean-de-Matha, Québec, has been showing in reining for three years now and the last two years in the NRHA at the Quebec Reining Association’s affiliate circuit. She has been coached by Manon Moisan. All of her reining show experience has been aboard the 9 year old gelding FS Hollywoodwrangler. In 2016, Magalie won the QRA year end championship in Youth 14-18 and has been the Eastern Canada Affiliate Rookie 1 Non Pro and Youth-14-18 Champions. She has also shown successfully in Oklahoma City at the North American Affiliate Championship by finishing in the TOP 10 in the Youth 14-18 division.
In 2017, Magalie is still undefeated in the QRA year-end championship in Youth 14-18 and she has been the Eastern Canada Affiliate Champion in 3 divisions: Youth 14-18 and Rookie Non Pro Level 1 & 2. She has attended the 2017 NAAC in Oklahoma City. She has tied for the first place in the Rookie Non Pro 1 & 2 divisions of the Rookie of the Year with a 216.5. When the decision was made to run-off for the title Magalie marked 213 for the Reserve Championship! She has also shown successfully in the Youth 14-18 by making the TOP 10.
Magalie is graduating High School this year. She wishes become an Apprentice Trainer for an NRHA professional and eventually become a professional reining trainer. She is a very humble young lady that has a bright future ahead. Congratulations on all of your accomplishments, thank you to have represented so well Canada at the NAAC and we wish you all the best in the future.
Photo - Left to Right
Magalie Boulanger (mounted)
Stéphane Boulanger
Marie-José Arsenault
Liane Cordeau-Desnoyers
Pascal Douaire
Sylvie Martin
Élodie Mailhot
Diane Martin
Photo - Left to Right
Liane Cordeau-Desnoyers
Stéphane Boulanger (father)
Marie-Josée Arsenault (mom)
Magalie Boulanger
Pascal Douaire
Élodie Mailhot
Bob Gleeton
Marilou Paradis
Magalie Boulanger 16 ans de St-Jean-de-Matha, Québec, compétitionne en reining depuis trois ans et les deux dernières années dans la NRHA dans le circuit de l’affilié de l’Association Québécoise de Reining. Elle est entraînée par Manon Moisan. Toute son expérience en compétition est avec son hongre de 9 ans FS Hollywoodwrangler. En 2016, elle a gagné le championnat d’année de l’AQR des Jeunes 14-18 et a été sacrée championne de la finale des affiliés de l’Est du Canada de la division Rookie 1 Non Pro et Jeunes 14-18. Elle a aussi connu du succès à Oklahoma City aux championnats des Affiliés Nord Américain en se hissant au TOP 10 dans la division Jeunes 14-18.
En 2017, elle est restée invaincue pour les championnats d’année de l’AQR dans la division Jeunes 14-18 et elle été championne de la finale de l’Est du Canada dans trois divisions : Jeunes 14-18 et Rookie Non Pro Niveau 1 & 2. Elle a participé aux championnats Nord-Américains à Oklahoma City en 2017. Elle était ex-aequo pour la première position dans les divisions Rookie Non Pro 1 & 2 du Rookie de l’année avec un pointage de 216.5. Elles ont décidé de faire un ‘run-off’ pour le titre, et Magalie a fait un pointage de 213 pour terminer championne de réserve! Elle a eu aussi bien du succès en terminant dans le TOP 10 de la division Jeunes 14-18.
Magalie termine son secondaire cette année. Elle désire aller travailler en tant qu’apprenti entraîneur pour un Professionnel NRHA et éventuellement devenir entraîneur professionnel. Elle est une jeune femme très humble et a un très beau futur devant elle. Félicitations pour tous tes accomplissements, merci d’avoir si bien représenté le Canada au championnat Nord-Américains et nous te souhaitons le meilleur pour le futur.
Spotlight on a Canadian Reiner - Bailey Kolsun
21 year old Bailey Kolsun has been showing reiners since she was 10 years old. She is originally from Red Deer, Alberta. Bailey had a very successful show career in Alberta with multiple futurity, derby and ancillary wins and reserve championships. In the Fall of 2014 Bailey relocated to Aubrey, Texas to train with Ruben Vandorp. In the Spring of 2015, the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas offered her an academic scholarship through their Honors College. It was an offer too good to turn down, so she started attending UNT in the Fall of 2015. She is now a junior at UNT majoring in Finance and has maintained a 3.8 GPA. Bailey’s schedule has allowed her to be up at Cardinal Ranch five days a week to ride and train with Ruben Vandorp.
At the 2015 NRHA Futurity, a 3 year old stallion by the name of Diamond Studded Guns (Gunnatrashya X Like To Flo), caught Bailey’s eye for sale. “Super Duty” as he is affectionately known as, was unshown as a 3 year old because he was too green. The only reason he was even at the show was to get sold. After Bailey and Ruben took Super Duty for a test ride, it was evident that he had a lot of natural talent and just needed more time to get his maneuvers finished. The Kolsuns purchased Super Duty and sent him to Cardinal Ranch in Aubrey, Texas where Bailey and Ruben worked to get him ready to compete in the Derbies in 2016.
Bailey and Ruben worked together over the next few months to get Super Duty ready for the bigger derbies in the year. This included a test run in a derby at a show in Tulsa, Oklahoma in March, to see what they had. The duo marked a 144.5, and that was good enough for Top 10 in Level 3 Non Pro Derby, and Top 5 in the Level 2 Non Pro Derby.
The National Reining Breeders Classic in Katy, Texas was their second show together. In the first go, Bailey and Diamond Studded Guns had a big overturn penalty in the first go which kept them out of the Level 4 and 3 finals but they did make the Level 2 finals. In the finals, they marked a 217 which tied them to win the Level 2 Non Pro Derby. A run off was declared to break the tie. Bailey and Super Duty rose to the challenge and won the run off by 6 points.
In September, Bailey and Diamond Studded Guns went to the 2016 High Roller Reining Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada. There they marked a 219 and that score earned them the Level 2 Non Pro Derby Champion, Level 2 & 3 Non Pro Stakes Champion, Level 4 Non Pro Stakes Reserve Champion, 3rd in the Level 3 Non Pro Derby and 5th in the Level 4 Non Pro Derby. Those wins were worth $17,200.
To wrap up their already successful year together, Bailey rode Diamond Studded Guns to a Co-championship at the American Paint Horse Association World Show 4,5 &6 Year Old Non Pro Reining Challenge. This show added another $5,800+ to their records.
Bailey describes Super Duty as being the dream horse. His mind is what sets him apart from the others. Every day he comes out of his stall exactly the same and nothing ever bothers him. He truly does not have a mean bone in his body. In every way, he has exceeded everyone’s expectations. To go from a horse that had never been shown, to a horse that can compete with older and seasoned show horses, in less than 6 months, is incredible. Bailey’s total winnings for 2016 are over $28,300 which brought her lifetime earnings to over $65,800. As of November 3, 2016, Bailey is one the Top 20 Non-Pro riders of 2016.
She is a two time NRHA Non Pro Futurity Finalist and a two time NRBC Non Pro Derby Finalist.
Bailey’s future plans include continuing to show as a non pro, and getting her NRHA judges card.
NRHA Vote on Canadian $ at Par
At the NRHA Board of Director August Meeting, the request that Canadian earnings be recorded at PAR with the US was again tabled. Reining Canada Representatives Kim Maharaj and Lee Foster were in attendance at the meeting carrying with them the support of 600 Canadian Reiners who signed the Petition. By a vote of show of hands, the Motion was defeated. Effective January 1, 2016 it will be necessary for Canadian Show Secretaries to recalculate payouts and earnings inUS Dollars for reporting to the NRHA.
The NRHA Board of Directors Meeting was held this past week in OKC. On the agenda was the request for Canadians to have their earnings recorded at PAR with the US. We believe this is fair and equitable considering we are competing under the umbrella of the North American Affiliate. Unfortunately my argument at this time was not successful. I want to thank everyone who signed the petition above and below the 49th parallel. I will continue to fight this decision of the NRHA, and I appreciate the support of our Canadian reiners with the signing of the petition and the letters forwarded to the NRHA. Keep them coming.
Kim Maharaj
Spotlight on a Canadian Reiner
Colton Wong – Youth and Non Pro Reiner
Hometown: Calgary, Alberta
Age: 18
Current Horses: Pinin For Wimpy
Smart Like Macfly Let Loose The Juice
Colton Wong of Calgary, Alberta, had a stellar year in 2015 aboard three really nice horses. Colton and his family are big supporters of Reining in Western Canada and travel often to the U.S. to show. It’s a family affair when it comes to riding and Reining. His mother, Julie, makes sure that the three boys and her are warmed and up and ready to show wherever they may be. Colton is a natural horseperson and is a shining example of what hard work and dedication look like to the sport, the horses, and all of those persons involved in reining.
Colton has been involved with horses and other western disciplines of riding up until the age of 10. It was then that he came to find reining and he’s been hooked ever since. Colton was taught the sport of reining under the guidance of Lachlan Bell and is now currently riding with coach and friend, Austin Seelhof of Cochrane, Alberta. In his spare time, which is few and far between, Colton also is an avid hockey player and currently plays Junior hockey with the Cochrane Generals in the Heritage Junior Hockey League.
Last year Colton accumulated just over $15,000 in NRHA earnings at shows in Western Canada, Arizona, Montana, Nevada and Oklahoma. Not only did he put in some travel time but also was showing two derby and one futurity horse.
His oldest derby mare, Pinin For Wimpy, aka Dolly, the ever so pretty palomino by Wimpys Little Step, started off the 2015 season at the Cactus Reining Classic where the two of them placed in the top 10 in the derby. They then went on to be reserve derby champions at Silver Slate Spring Slide, reserve in the Reining Alberta Spring Classic derby, won the level 1 derby at the Big Sky Reining Classic in Kalispell, Montana and from there went on to place 3rd in the level 1 derby and 8th in the level 2 derby at the High Roller in Las Vegas, Nevada. Colton has owned Dolly since she was a three year old. ‘She was quite behind but she has progressed greatly over the past 2.5 years.’ He tells me that Dolly is a really fun mare to show, super honest in the show pen and will always give her best. And give her best she did this past year!
The second youngest of his horses, Smart Like Macfly, Macfly as he is affectionately called, is now a 6 year old gelding by Smart Like Juice. Colton tells me that he loves to turn Macfly, he takes such huge steps it’s hard not to get turn penalties, he covers a lot of ground. Colton started showing Macfly at the Big Sky Reining Classic in August where he was 4th in the 4 year old derby and 3rd in the level two derby, not too shabby for their first time showing together. In October, Colton and Macfly took the 4 year old derby title at the Silver Slate show.
When it came to the fall season it was time for Colton to show his futurity horse, Let Loose the Juice, a mare by Smart Like Juice that they were fortunate to purchase at the NRHA Derby. Lily is a favorite for Colton, ‘she is one of the nicest horses I’ve ever met and she loves to be loved.’ On top of all that she is an incredible stopper, as stated by Colton and witnessed by myself and many others! The two have such synergy and it was evident with their win at the Canadian Supreme where the pair marked a 148.5 to win the class. They also won the Reining Alberta Fall Classic futurity and were 3rd at the Big Sky Reining Classic futurity in all divisions. The two finished off their season in Oklahoma at the NRHA Futurity where they made Canadians proud and ended up 4th in the Level 1 futurity.
Colton’s coach, Austin Seelhof, says that Colton really enjoys all aspects of showing. He’s a happy-go-lucky kid that likes to visit with friends and competitors. He really steps up to help at shows doing everything from moving bales to filling stalls with shavings at shows for others. Colton works at hard what he does and ‘puts a lot of hours in the saddle, he’s fearless.’ All of these qualities have proven to give Colton the winning edge.
BARBARA BOUCHARD
“THOUGH SHE BE BUT LITTLE, SHE IS FIERCE”
(SHAKESPEARE)
You’ve likely noticed a new name on the reining leaderboard: Quebec native Barbara Bouchard. This tiny dynamo fought above her weight class in 2014, adding over $60,000 in earnings and more than quadrupling her NRHA lifetime earnings.
According to Equi-Stat 2014 Annual Reining Statistics, Bouchard was the highest-ranking Canadian in the top Riders (All Ages/All Divisions) and Level 4 Open Rider lists, and cracked the top 20 Open Riders for 3-Year-Olds. A few highlights: Bouchard finished Top 5 in the $75,000 Added Open World Championship Shootout at the 2014 NRHA Futurity, claimed the Intermediate Open Championship at the All American Quarter Horse Congress, and was named Quebec’s Trainer of the Year.
Bouchard's start with horses came early -
however, her first horse-related memory isn’t exactly positive.
“I had a naughty pony who bucked me off,” she recalls. “You know, the kind that was sold as ‘great for kids’.”
Despite the inauspicious beginning, her obsession with horses grew. Bouchard studied equine science at the Institut De Technologie Agroalimentaire. In 2002, she left Quebec to work with Alberta-based trainer Terry Lee Sapergia. This was Bouchard’s first experience with reining, and she was hooked.
Bouchard relocated to Oklahoma in 2006 and worked for Griffin Quarter Horses. While there, she had the opportunity to learn from both NRHA Million Dollar Rider Cody Sapergia and NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider Duane Latimer.
Armed with a new wealth of knowledge and experience, Bouchard returned to Quebec in 2011. She teamed up with Martin Brisebois to form Les Ecuries BB Stables in 2013, marking the start of a successful partnership. The venture also includes a very special horse: Tag Did It (Whiz N Tag Chex x The Great Dunit), or ‘Tim.’ Now seven, Tim played a big part in Bouchard’s 2014 successes. In addition to the aforementioned achievements at the NRHA Futurity and All American Quarter Horse Congress, Bouchard piloted Tim to her most memorable victory of the year. The duo marked 153½ to capture the NRHA Level 4 Open Derby at the L'Association Québécoise de Reining (AQR) Derby in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec.
“Tim is my once-in-a-lifetime horse,” said Bouchard. “He’s incredible. My ten year old daughter can show him in one class, and he can win the Open the next.”
In addition to proving herself as a successful trainer, Bouchard is also making waves as a coach. Her non pro riders claim Bouchard’s coaching style is ‘unique.’ Her most frequent advice? “Stop being a sissy.”
In 2014, under Bouchard’s guidance, Brisebois won his first Championship in the NRHA Rookie. Bouchard also coached Geri Greenall to a Top 5 finish at the Pink Ribbon Reining Show’s Non Pro Futurity in Levels 4, 3 & 2. Bouchard shows no signs of slowing down in 2015. Her goal? Running through the ‘Gateway of Champions’ at the NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open Finals in Oklahoma City.
“My three-year-olds are showing a lot of talent and potential,” said Bouchard. “I’m really excited about one, a Jacs Electric Spark filly out of a daughter of Gunner. She’s born and raised Canadian, so it would be really cool to take her all the way.”
It’s not all horses with Bouchard. When not at the barn, she’s typically chasing after her two children and has been known to undertake random midnight baking projects. She can’t pass a Tim Horton’s without ordering a ‘large double-double’ and the amount of food she can consume in a single meal is verging on legendary. For more information, follow BB Stables on Facebook or visit www.bbstables.ca.
Exciting changes to the Reining Alberta Sire Incentive Program that may impact YOU!
Reining Alberta is excited to announce that it is implementing an enhanced RA Performance Program “RAPP” starting in 2015. The enhanced program is designed to significantly increase purses and participation for the 4 year old maturity at the Reining Alberta Spring Classic and the 3 year old futurity at the Reining Alberta Fall Classic Show. RAPP will include the current RA Sire Incentive program (significantly reduced enrollment rates for eligible offspring and Sire Incentive payouts) designed to help promote local studs to the market. BUT, in addition, in 2015 ANYweanling, yearling, two-year old, three-year old and/or four-year old, will eligible for nomination.
If you have a weanling, yearling, 2 year old or even a 3 or 4 year old you have the option to pay them into the Performance Program and immediately increase their marketability as they become eligible for significantly increased pursues at these prestigious shows.
The Sire Incentive Program will remain the same with Stallion enrollment will be due by April 30, 2015. Yearlings from enrolled stallions in 2015 will be eligible for enrollment in the enhanced program at existing rates ($50/yearling). All offspring NOMINATIONS will be due by December 31, 2015.
Please note: The Program will take a year to implement thus the 4 year old Maturities (Open & NP) at the Spring Classic and 3 year old Futurities (Open & NP) at the Fall Classic will be open to only those foals born in 2011 & 2012 and SIRED by enrolled Stallions. The Performance Program classes (and increased purses) will begin in 2016.
Reining Alberta estimates that the enhanced program will take the current added monies of $8,000 - $10,000 per year (3 year old futurity & 4 year old maturity) to over $40,000!
Complete details (nomination schedules, forms, etc.) will be available on the Reining Alberta website, under RA Performance Proposal (formally Sire Incentive).
If anyone has any questions on the program please do not hesitate to contact Kathie @staffsecretary@reiningalberta.net.
Sincerely,
Reining Alberta Board of Directors.
Oklahoma Impressions from Talia Bertrand-Meadows
Here are Talia's comments on riding at the NAAC in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma:
"The North American Affiliate Championships in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was awesome. I had a lot of fun there. Oklahoma taught me a lot about perseverance. It also taught me how to handle large amounts of stress.
There were a lot of youth competitors and I made some friends there. Everyone was very nice. As soon as I walked into the show ring, I felt like I was back home in Winnipeg, Manitoba and I pushed myself just as hard as I push myself at home.
I am really proud of how I did there and I hope I can go again."
