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Claresholm, Alberta, Canada
Clinic Highlights

May 22-23: Fundamentals and Horsemanship
May 24-25: Fundamentals and Horsemanship

Thank you to the Simpson Family for their great hospitality!
(Left to Right) Donna Irvin, Sydney and Ashley Simpson,
Sharon, and Brady, Travis and Traci Simpson.

It was delightful to return to the plains of Southern Alberta. We thank Greg Noval, Bar N Ghost Pine Ranch, for the invitation and opportunity to present the Performance Horsemanship Clinics for a select group of Canadian cowgirls. The hospitality was delightful and ranch managers, Travis Simpson and his beautiful wife Traci, treated Donna Irvin and I like royalty. Traci is a gracious hostess who delights in entertaining and cooking. Beautiful breakfasts, lunch prepared for the clinic students and dinner at the close of each day combined to make our trip to Claresholm and the Bar N Ranch a fantastic experience.

Lindy Barron and Don Ecklin offered their training facility for the program. It was great to be indoors as the rain fell steadily throughout our visit. No worries, as most of the riders were ranchers and we all knew spring grasses would benefit greatly from the welcomed moisture.

(Left to Right) Standing: Donna Irvin and Sharon with
May 22-23 Clinic students, Andrea and Colby Anderson,
Cheyenne Christie, Meagan Bigsnake and Ashley Simpson.
Kneeling are Fast-time Winners: Aaron Courchesne,
Alice Courchesne, Sydney Simpson and Hallie Anderson.

Donna and I enjoyed the opportunity to ride with this talented group of cowgirls. Already proficient at the sport of barrel racing, our riders were interested in the technical skills necessary to sharpen themselves and their horses for the upcoming rodeo season. One of our youngest riders, Sydney Simpson, daughter of hosts Travis and Traci, did an excellent job showcasing skills she and twin sister Ashley learned earlier in the year at our Solcom, Washington Clinic in February. On the sidelines with a broken ankle, Ashley ran our music and graciously loaned Donna and I her nice mare, Kate, for demonstrations. We all join together to wish Ashley a rapid recovery and quick return to competition.

(Left to Right) May 24-25 Clinic students with Donna and Sharon.
Standing: Donna Irvin, Sydney Simpson, Shawna Burton,
Shayna Gagnon, KC Akins, Sharon, and Ashley Simpson.
Kneeling are Fast-time Winners: Courtney Hays,
Donna Burdon, Kelly Keeley and Crystal McPeak Young.

We were reminded how tough and driven our girls to the North are. They ride all winter, regardless of the weather. We admired their tenacity and the passion they have for rodeo. The fact that they have resources available to do other things on their horses besides arena work gives them an advantage in helping their horses take the pressures of arena competition.

The pavement ends and the west begins in the
picturesque country of the Bar N Ghost Ranch.

On our way to the airport, we had the opportunity to see one of the World Heritage Historical sites, Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump. As a western history buff, the site was interesting and the museum was fascinating, well worth the stop. As we drove from the site, the view of the Alberta prairie and the Old Man River with reproductions of tipis in the foreground was an awesome reminder of the vastness of the world we live in. Southern Alberta is truly where the road ends and the remaining west begins.

It was really enjoyable seeing the ranch land and stock.

Alberta is truly the land where the deer and the buffalo roam!

We look forward to our return to Claresholm, Alberta in 2009. Contact Traci or Travis Simpson for information at (403) 625-9396.

Congratulations to these Fast-time Winners!