Cool weather and mooseburgers highlight the first championship in Canada.

By Randee Fox

Valerie Baxter grills up smiles and mooseburgers during the evening social at the Region One Championship in Langley, British, Columbia.

Region One (Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon and Washington state) wins the record of having the coldest place on earth for its regional championships.  At 1 p.m. Thursday at Thunderbird Show Park in Langley, British Columbia, it was a breezy 62 degrees. Though most of the spectators were bundled up, the riders sure seemed comfortable in their long sleeved and double-layered jeans with chaps.

What a gorgeous environment. This magnificent 85-acre equestrian show park has been a part of the British Columbia equestrian landscape for 37 years. I counted 10  outdoor arenas and three huge indoor arenas as well as a giant longeing arena, all with the backdrop of rolling hills, meticulous blueberry farms and the lush green of British Columbia.

Canada’s first regional championship took two years to plan. Gayle Pawley-Wilson, a director for British Columbia Quarter Horse Association and AQHA as well as secretary for Canada Quarter Horse Association, was proud today.

“This is a progressive gathering. All five affiliates have been working collaboratively and united to increase the awareness of the American Quarter Horse here in Region One.”

It was contagious. The mood was light-hearted and collaborative, not competitive.  When the Select riders prepared to enter the arena they were all hysterically laughing at a joke: “We’ll only make it around the ring one direction then we’ll have to stop and change our Depends.”

Gatekeeper Karen Haring, or as she has been nicknamed, “The Whipper-Inner,” and her husband, David, the ring steward, have worked every Region One show since the first one six years ago in Oregon.

“I just love playing with the horses, wiping up a few tears and congratulating the winners.”

David personally welcomed each rider as they and their horses were introduced into the show ring.

The evening social activity, hosted by the Alaska and Washington affiliates, included smoked moose sausages and burgers from Alaska. Valerie Baxter of Fairbanks, Alaska, is also Region One’s AQHA Chair. She grilled up 60 moose burgers and 40 moose sausages that she and her husband smoked themselves from a 1,200-pound 2-year-old bull that Valerie’s husband brought down with an old-fashioned muzzle-loader. By the time I got wind that the “Bullwinkle burgers” were being served, they were all spoken for.

The last event of the day was a clinic with AQHA Professional Horseman Mike Edwards on colt-starting. He finished up about 9 p.m. with the northwest sun just setting.

It was a long, cool and invigorating day.

To see photos from the Region One Championship, watch the slide show below. Click on the photos to see the captions.

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