Appaloosa Horse Association of Alberta

Our 2006 “Battle” team were:

Team Appaloosa really came through moving up through the placings right to the end of Battle of the Breeds.  Team Appaloosas' crowning moments came in the Trail Competition. Sherry went in first with Drifter and their trail practice paid off.  Drifter was in fine form and a real crowd pleaser when 
he decided to eat grass while Sherry reeled in the big yellow tarp with both hands.  He then added to the audiences' amusement when Sherry lined him up to the big blue ball.  Other horses push the ball through using their legs and chest, Drifter decided to put his nose under the ball to roll it between the rails.  Sherry and Drifter scored a very credible 380 points after completing the bonus obstacle, putting the ball through the jump standards 
with a polo mallet.  Not to be out done, Lynn and Bobby completed a beautiful course and the bonus obstacle ensuring Team Appaloosa's first place finish in Trail and putting Team Appaloosa 100 points ahead of the nearest team.  Their performance was letter perfect and unlike some of the other 
competitors appeared unhurried - a pleasure to watch.  Hats off to all of our team!

Thanks to the following people for their help:
-Connie Kluczny for scorekeeping, this allowed the team to track their standings throughout the competition
-John Wilson for video taping their performances, his patience with four women and his “go for” abilities
-Jason (from Saskatoon) for helping in the barn
-Chantel (from Saskatoon) for her expertise braiding manes
-Carrie, Jessie’s jumping coach
-Adrienne Kisko, photography.
 

Congratulation to Team Appaloosa on their 7th place finish in the Telus Battle of the Breeds!

Team Appaloosa 2005 consisted of:

Lynn Johnson and Dandy's TQ Bobby
Denise Jones and Shady's Leo Dexter
Sherry Gresko and Shady Drifter
Anita Wilson and Meri Blackbird

We went to the battle with an almost completely new team this year, Denise Jones from Edmonton brought Shady’s Leo Dexter, Anita Wilson from Montana brought Merri Blackbird, Sherry Gresko from Leduc brought her stallion Shady Drifter and our anchor was Lynn Johnson from Rimbey with Dandy’s TQ Bobby. 

The team got along very well and everyone was there as a serious competitor. 

We started strong on the first day with a second in Compulsory skills thanks to a strong performance by Lynn Johnson and Dandy’s TQ Bobby - earning a respectable score of 194 driving the course. Sherry Gresko performed admirably riding the Pattern and earned an outstanding score of 213.

Anita Wilson and Merri Blackbird were first up in the precision driving and drove a very clean course, unfortunately missing one obstacle, still earning our team 94 points. Bobby, worked very well for Lynn showing himself to be a Battle.

Veteran and earning a score of 109.5. This was enough for 4th place in the driving – and Thursday finished with us in a 3 way tie for first place in the overall competition.

Friday took us to the barrel competition and the rain began. Never the less we had two strong runs with our barrel competitors in the first run – taking us to the second heat. Bobby and Lynn had a communication problem in the second heat – which dropped us down in the overall competition.

Friday night to Saturday evening it poured. While we waited to compete we did our best to stay dry. Lynn and Bobby had a very good run in the trail competition but Bobby stepped on himself cutting his back foot with his corks. Sherry also had a good run but when she and Drifter went to push the Jeopardy ball through the markers a wind came up and blew them off course.

The pressure was on for Denise Jones as we went into the jumping as she was riding both of our jumping horses Dandy’s TQ Bobby and Shady’s Leo Dexter in the final event. Bobby tried hard but was not up to his usual talent, knocking a couple of jumps and the Telus Jeopardy jump. 

Denise had a superb run on Dexter earning a score of 320 on the course. Full of confidence and in an attempt to make up  lost ground she tackled the Telus jump, but unfortunately ticked the rail and lost 100 points.

All in all we had a very good and competitive team who represented our breed very well.

Team Appaloosa has won for the third straight year, and the first breed to have won the Battle of the Breeds five times! 

Compulsory Skills - 2nd
Driving - 1st
Barrels - 2nd
Trail - 1st
Jeopardy Jumping - 4th

What an impressive victory to share with the ApHC CEO, Wayne Hipsley, who attended Spruce Meadows the final day of competition.

The biggest horse event in Alberta has taken place from September 8 to 12, at Spruce Meadows near Calgary, Alberta. In addition to the Masters Competition which attracts people from all over the world both to compete and to watch, there was the Telus
Battle Of  The Breeds. 

The Battle is an all breed competition – one that shows the versatility and competitiveness of numerous breeds of horse. Team Appaloosa are the two-time defending champions! 

This year’s team is a mixture of old and new faces. Returning are Lynn Johnson on “Dandy’s TQ Bobby”, Grace-Ann Walker on “Dream Chips”, and Colleen Claiter on “Justa Dandy Kid”. “Kid” is now owned by Bernice Capusten of Red Deer. 

 New to the team this year is Cassandra Bebee who will be riding Bill Cookshaw’s mare “Show me a Sign”

The Team Captain is Chris Ullmann.
 
 

Events in Pictures
Photographer - Andi Bartnek

Compulsary Skills Cassandra Bebee	Cassandra Bebee
Driving Lynn Johnson	Grace-ann Walker
Barrels Grace-ann Walker	Colleen Claiter
Trail Grace-ann Walker	Grace-ann Walker
Jumping Colleen Claiter	Colleen Claiter

Team Captain - Anne Allison, Sundre, Alberta

JUSTA DANADY KID & Colleen Claiter, Calgary, Alberta
- Compulsory Skills, Barrel Racing, Jeopardy Jumping

DREAM CHIPS  & Grace-Ann Webb, High River, Alberta
- Compulsory Skills, Precision Driving, Barrel Racing, Obstacle Trail

DANDYS TQ BOBBY & Lynn Johnson, Okotoks, Alberta
- Precision Driving & Obstacle Trail

TRS PALOUSSE & Christine Waldroff, Calgary, Alberta
- Jeopardy Jumping

l-r:  Christine, Grace-Ann, Colleen, Lynn

Team Appaloosa has now equaled the record set by Team Arabian in the early days of the Battle of taking the championship 4 times.

The 2003 Team is: Colleen Claiter, Calgary on Justa Dandy Kid; Grace-Ann Webb, High River on Dream Chips; Lynn Johnson, Okotoks on Dandys TQ Bobby; newcomer to the team, Christine Waldroff, Calgary on 17 hands tall, TRS Palouse and Team Captain, Anne Allison, Sundre, Alberta. 

This year's team was tough and determined, placing no lower than fourth in the five Battle events with a total score of 40 out of a possible 50. Team Connemara finished strongly in the final event to take second with 32 points. 

Team Appaloosa won the Precision Driving (Grace-Ann & Lynn); second in
Compulsory Skills (Colleen & Grace-Ann); second in Barrel Racing (Grace-Ann
& Colleen); second in Obstacle Trail (Grace-Ann & Lynn). The team had such a
strong lead going into Jeopardy Jumping, the final event of the Battle that
Christine and Colleen merely had to finish the course to cinch the Battle
Championship. They rode smart and took a fourth in the Jumping. 

For their excellent performance, each of the Team members took home a cheque
of almost $1,000 as their share of the Team's winnings. Congratulations on a
superb performance!!

The 2002 Team is: Colleen Claiter, Calgary, on Justa Dandy Kid; Grace-Ann Webb, High River, on A Perfect Promise (owned by Sylvia Webb); Lynn Johnson, DeWinton, on Dandys TQ Bobby; newcomer to the team, Ann Laing, Edmonton on Ima Doc O’Lena (owned by Brian Cookshaw) and Team Captain, Anne Allison, Sundre, Alberta. 

This year’s team was tough and determined, placing no lower than third in the five Battle events with a total score of 40 out of a possible 50. Tied for second were Team Saddlebred and Team Thoroughbred with 29 points. 
 

Team Appaloosa won the Barrel Racing (Grace-Ann & Colleen); second in Jeopardy Jumping (Anne & Colleen); second in Compulsory Skills (Colleen & Grace-Ann); third in Precision Driving (Grace-Ann & Lynn) and third in Obstacle Trail (Grace-Ann & Lynn). 

For their excellent performance, each of the Team members took home a cheque of  almost $1,000 as their share of the Team’s winnings. 

Each day, different AHAA members manned the booth and brought in a horse to display:  Thunderstruck Ranch (Dobler/McLevin), Delburne; EagleView Appaloosas (Ullmann), Olds; Starmyri Appaloosas (Hokanson), Edson; Misty Creek Ranch (Dortch/Taylor), Drayton Valley; and Shady Acres Appaloosas (Gresko), Leduc, Alberta. They reported lots of interest from booth visitors and one breeder said, that if he had them he could have sold a dozen horses the day he was in. 

AHAA members also participated in daily 10-minute demos and the afternoon ShowTyme parade of breeds. Thanks to Barry Webb, High River who was our main demo guy with help from the Team Appaloosas members when they could. On the weekend, Lianne Ritter, Rimbey; Heather Zaleschuk and Katie Ford, Carseland, Alberta came to ride whenever the weather allowed the demos and ShowTymes to take place.

We had a number of people who helped us through the week by spelling off in the booth; advising and making recommendations for the Team; running errands; loaning and repairing equipment; and generally just being there to fill in where needed at the last minute. Thanks to all of you!!