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Dwayne Erickson photographed at the Calgary Stampede Rodeo infield late December, 2012. Photograph by: Gavin Young, courtesy Calgary Herald.
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In This Issue: May/June

SCREEN DOORS AND SADDLES April 27, 2012
As promised we did the draw for the second set of Mane Event tickets to give away at noon. Congratulations Denise Pezderic, you’ve got yourself two passes to this weekend’s Mane Event in Red Deer, Alberta. Pick up your tickets at the front ticket booth at the show.
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Denise’s response to the question of what she’s looking forward to at this year’s event:
“Hands down my favorite part of Mane Event is Jonathon Field. So much fun to watch him work with his horses. Just amazing. I love the problem solving and skill shown in the Trainers Challenge too, fun to watch the progress over the weekend. Jackie Johnson is fun and talented Saskatchewan gal that puts on a fun clinic as well. Mane Event rocks!”
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Our May/June issue just rolled off the press, and I want to share some of the contents with you.
We interviewed three Canadian barn builders and profiled a barn from each, timely and great ideas for anyone considering a build or reno this spring.

photo credit: Crimson Chickadee Photography

Our regular feature Out West, celebrating life in the West, pays homage to mothers and daughters and their horses, just in time for Mother’s Day.

Hayfork Steer by Vel Miller, Atascadero, California – wall mounted bronze.

This magnificent bronze is hanging on the wall of the horse person we’ve featured in our new Western Art feature – What’s Hanging on Your Wall, which asks just that question of horse people. We also profile B.C. artist Liz Mitten Ryan and tell you how the Glenbow Museum Senior Curator gathered up almost all of an original 17 Charlie Russell originals featured in the Calgary Stampede #1.
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Western Style Editor, Deanna Beckley shows you how to build four outfits for the show ring and profiles the best in equine shampoo and conditioners of the season.
Also kicking off this issue is a series we’ve discussing at editorial meetings for some time. Our Alternative Therapies begins with a look at the infrared light therapy and it’s benefits.

photo credit: Krista Kay Photography

Also in the health department, two potentially crippling lamenesses: navicular disease and laminitis are explored. As well we take a look at the benefits of packing a hoof boot along in your trailer.

While she generally tackles health related articles for the magazine, in this issue, Equine Health Editor Susan Kauffmann details the step-by-step plan she and her husband employed to build these sturdy and beautiful horse shelters. Don’t expect these to blow away in the next wind storm.

Futurity Road prospect, McCabe.

In the third instalment of the series Futurity Road, we continue to follow the paths of five futurity bound barrel racing prospects. In this segment, five becomes four as one of the prospects is sold, trainer Raylee Walters reveals her barn must-haves, catches us up with an analysis of the latest events the hopefuls competed in and also discusses the bit she has been using for each of the four remaining horses.
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Speaking of bits, cutting and cow horse trainer Dustin Gonnet reveals his handy go-to bit in our Bit of the Month.
Trick rider and Cavalia star Sally Bishop talks about the ups and downs of stunt riding and life on the road. She’s an incredibly brave woman with such a positive outlook on life, it’s not hard to find inspiration through the eyes of this accomplished horse woman.
Our ranch profile spotlights an ambitious and incredibly functional facility near Bozeman, Montana – Copper Spring Ranch.
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Lisa Scheistel continues her series on training the two-year-old, and, drum roll. .  we’re really pleased to present an exclusive article with Shawn Flarida, in our Secrets of a Four-Million Dollar Man. It seems he doesn’t appear to be stalled at four million dollars either, as he just won the Open at the NRBC Classic.
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Finally don’t miss 15 charming bed and bales stops across Canada, and a recap on the high sellers so far in spring sales (prices appear up!).

A billboard campaign posted by Angel Acres (a US based anti-slaughter group), displayed along an Ottawa, Ontario highway.

Last, but certainly not least – it’s an emotionally charged subject and one close to Canadian horse people, whether we like it or not, as our country allows horse processing. Feature writer Deanna Buschert examined her own thoughts and feelings on the subject as she visited a horse meat processing plant in Alberta to document the tender subject of horse slaughter. We hope you appreciate her candidness and professionalism on the subject.
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Hope you enjoy the issue. If you’d like to subscribe do so here. As well, we’ll have some single copies of this issue for sale at the Mane Event. Please stop by the Western Horse Review booth, not only to pick up a copy, but check out our giveaways and contests. We look forward to chatting with you.
Thanks so much for tuning in, and have a great weekend!
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Mane Event Ticket Giveaway Part 2

SCREEN DOORS AND SADDLES April 26, 2012

Mark Sheridan, one of 2011′s clinicians at the Mane Event. Tell us which clinician you’re most looking forward to seeing this year and win two passes to the event. Enter in the Comment section below.

As promised we did the draw for the Mane Event ticket giveaway this morning in the wee hours. Congratulations Jenn Refvik, you’ve got yourself two passes to this weekend’s Mane Event in Red Deer, Alberta. Pick up your tickets at the front ticket booth at the show.
Jenn’s response to the question of what she’s looking forward to at this year’s event:
“This will be my first Mane Event! Can’t wait to check out the shopping and the Trainers Challenge. Must find a SF Roundbale net and could use a new blanket for my future cowboy’s mini.”

We’ve decided to host another giveaway for TWO MORE passes to the Mane Event.

Simply let us know in the comment section below, what clinician you’re most looking forward to seeing at the event. We’ll do a draw Friday at noon and post the results on Screen Doors & Saddles.

Finally, remember you have until April 30 to win that gorgeous saddle pad as well. Enter here.

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Mane Event Ticket Giveaway

SCREEN DOORS AND SADDLES April 24, 2012

It’s been a bit distracting around here lately. Really, for the past two months. All in a good way. For one thing, spring arrived in the usual yard work and seasonal cleaning sort of way. More on that later.

The girl’s 4H club is in full swing. In addition to their regular activities one of the highlights of their month was a clinic with Keith Stewart at the Bullpen Arena, just east of Airdrie.

Keith and his wife, Denice operate The Key Ranch, southwest of High River, along with their two daughters, where they work at their craft and style of horsemanship which is Ray Hunt and Buck Brannaman inspired.

It was a great opportunity for our 4H’ers to get to spend a day with Keith, who took such careful and thoughtful time with each of them – working on groundwork in the morning, and then in the saddle for the afternoon. We all sure did appreciate Keith’s time.

At the Western Horse Review office, the past two months have been a blur of two back-to-back issues – March and April, plus the Canadian Supreme Register. This year’s Register was our largest since 2009, making us pretty darn happy, but insanely busy with it all.

Thanks to all of the stallion owners who support the Register. The Canadian Supreme nomination program is a brilliant way to showcase the Canadian performance horse industry and set yourself up for the prestige of earning a Canadian Supreme championship buckle. Mare owners, be sure to get yourself a copy. Not only was it packaged with the April issue, but we distributed many to arenas and events all over western Canada, and we’ll have them at the Western Horse Review booth at this weekend’s Mane Event in Red Deer. If you happen to be a clinic participant at the show, you’ll receive one in your swag bag.

We also completed two special projects in collaboration with the Horse Industry Association of Alberta: Horses 101 – the third edition of which rolled off the press about a week ago, as well as a new brochure, focusing on basic care considerations for horses. Both publications are handy guides and will be available at this upcoming weekend’s Mane Event in Red Deer, Alberta at the HIAA’s booth. Please drop by and visit with the Robyn, Heather and crew and pick up your copies.

Speaking of which, we have two tickets to give away to the event! Simply let us know in the comment section below, what you’re looking forward to at this year’s event. We’ll do a draw Thursday at 6:00 a.m. and post the results on Screen Doors & Saddles.

Finally, remember you have until April 30 to win this saddle pad. Buddy the cat included. Enter here.

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The Cowboy Artist

SCREEN DOORS AND SADDLES April 13, 2012

In Without Knocking (1909 oil on canvas), is considered by some as the best western work ever painted. It will be on loan from the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas to the Glenbow Museum for the duration of the Charlie Russell Exhibition.

At the 1912 Calgary Stampede, there was a rodeo, a parade, and a Charlie Russell Exhibition. Next to the rodeo the artwork of Charlie Russell was perhaps the highlight of the inaugural Stampede. For Russell’s career it was a defining moment, both critically and financially. He not only sold 13 of the 20 paintings he brought to the Exhibition, his work gained international attention and a host of new and wealthy patrons, including the titled Englishman who bought four, and the wealthy Torontonian, who took home three.

That year, Russell’s artwork was also featured on the first Calgary Stampede poster.

For eight weeks from June 2 to July 29, the Glenbow Museum in Calgary will be featuring 18 of those 20 works showcased at the 1912 Calgary Stampede, for a special exhibition, titled “Charlie Russell and the First Calgary Stampede.” 

Aspiring journalist, Jenny Antonenko is currently interning with Western Horse Review, and yesterday she caught up with Glenbow Senior Curator, Lorain Lounsberry to ask her a few questions about the Exhibition. She discovered one of the greatest challenges of tracking down 18 (for the Glenbow already held two of the original 20) 100-year-old paintings was following the trail of title renamings over the past century.

As Lounsberry related to Jenny, “Not only are they scattered in private and public institutions over nine states and one province, the names kept changing on those paintings, so to be able to match up those paintings with the title that they now exist under was a bit of a challenge.”

The Glenbow crew worked with Dr. Brian Dippie, a Russell scholar, based out of Victoria, B.C., and they now have most of them nailed down, although, “there a couple that may not be the exact ones but they are very similar. We’ve been very careful; we do have a companion book [for the Exhibition], and Dr. Dippie in his essay indicates that it’s not one hundred percent certain, but it’s so close and so compelling an argument that we feel that if this painting wasn’t the one, it’s a good stand-in.”

Call of the Law, 1911 oil on canvas, is on loan from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City for this Exhibition.

The paintings were gathered from private lenders and such leading galleries as the Amon Carter Museum (Fort Worth, Texas), the C.M. Russell Museum (Great Falls, Montana), the Tucson Museum of Art and two works from the Glenbow’s own collection.

Undoubtedly this collection of Russells’ represents his greatest work, and all of his passions – the landscape, the wildlife, the ranches, the First Nations people, the cowboys. The Old West as Russell viewed it.

I believe we have been gifted with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view this collection of iconic art from the Cowboy Artist.

Stolen Horses, an original Russell held by the Glenbow is part of the Exhibition.

Russell’s links to the Canadian West were many, and his work is forever a testatment to his love of the land and people. After he died in 1926, A. E. Cross – one of the “Big Four” of the Calgary Stampede expressed what Russell’s passing meant for western Canadians with a note to his wife, Nancy. Within it, he penned this sentence:

“You have not only my entire sympathy, but the sympathy of all the old cow men in this country.”

Perfectly put, I’ve always loved that quote. And, I can’t wait to visit the Glenbow for this Exhibition.

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Spring Contest

SCREEN DOORS AND SADDLES April 9, 2012

 

It’s spring, and we happen to have just the right ingredient for your riding pleasure – a new saddle pad!

Please excuse the fact this photo has a decidedly autumn feel to it. When I sent Teenage out last week to photograph this pad over an old fence, I neglected to mention I desired a spring color palette for the end result.

And she refuses to run out and conduct another photo shoot.

Teenagers. . . . .

I love the shades on this saddle pad.

They match any and all of my brown horses.

Which, with the exception of a certain red roan pony include all of them.

I’m turning this contest into an informal Reader’s Survey. All you have to do to be entered to win is let me know what your favorite reads in any of the 2012 issues thus far were.

That would the following issues:

January/February 2012.

And this one – March.

And finally, the latest – April.

We’re about to begin planning 2013 editorial. And, knowing what you appreciated this year will help us plan.

So, in the comment section below, tell us what article(s) you enjoyed – small or large, feature or department. And thanks for the feedback!

At the end of April, we’ll do a draw from all the answers and the lucky respondent will win the saddle pad pictured above.

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