Mother of two living the dream connecting people to the ‘horse world’ on land located near the Rocky Mountains
CRANBROOK, B.C. — Rae-Lyn Janzen was on a horse the week she was born — and three days after.
It is no wonder that the spirit of the horse permeated every facet of her early life, and now will be the central focus of her adult life as well.
“She was literally born doing trail rides because I rode the day I was due with her, then I had her on a Monday and I went to work with her on something like the Wednesday or the Thursday,” said Rosanne Pighin, who spent a decade operating trail rides at the Panorama resort when she was a new mother. “I’d put her in a snuggly at first, and when she was old enough to hold her head up, she rode in a backpack.”
Having a horse-outfitting mother and being born into a well-known family of ranchers and rodeo competitors, Janzen became a barrel racer and a horse trainer, travelling throughout Western Canada to compete at the highest levels.
Her true calling, however, has always been to allow the average person to immerse themselves in the cowgirl lifestyle she experienced as a kid.
“The horse world can be kind of cliquey so my dream has always been to bring people into that life with no judgments so they can just enjoy riding,” said Janzen.
With five solid riding horses and borrowed land on the Pighin family ranch, which borders the St. Mary’s River, she established Spur Valley Adventures, which began in 2022 to offer trail rides.
Her homesteading grandparents, Ernie and Toni Pighin, and her uncle Clint Pighin jointly own and operate the 750-acre cattle and sheep operation, so Janzen had to get their blessing to allow the new venture on the property.
“I was with my mom and I went to the barn and I asked my uncle if it was possible to just start a little business out here for a couple of years to see how it goes,” said Janzen. “I was so nervous to ask him because cattle usually rule the ranch, but he said yes and I remember just being over the moon.”
With two successful seasons now under her belt, the 26-year-old mother of two is diving into the riding dream full-time by building a permanent facility on 40 acres of land that offers spectacular views of the Rockies.
She has spent the past two years business planning, and taking her Equine Assisted Learning certification to prepare for what she’s hoping will be a full-service 2024 season.
This past year featured a string of 13 trail horses, riding lessons, kids camps and two daily trail rides.
“We’ve been so fortunate with amazing customers and lots of tourists this year so we’re confident we can grow the business,” said Janzen, whose sister, Gabby Vigne, helps operate Spur Valley Adventures.
“I was really happy with the customer feedback this year because I really put my heart and soul into it to help families have a great experience.”
The new location will feature a 40-by-60 metre riding arena with office space and a classroom, as well as exterior paddocks for 20 or more trail and boarded horses.
The wrangler program, a cornerstone of Spur Valley’s operations over the past two years, will continue in the new location. It features riders volunteering with all aspects of the Spur Valley operation. With 14 riders (aged 12 to 55) being part of the program, Janzen’s original vision of bringing people into the horse world is being fulfilled.
“What I love about the wrangler program is watching their horse skills develop every day and their confidence grow along with that,” said Janzen, explaining that the wrangler project is an Equine Assisted Learning Canada program.
Janzen’s mother says she couldn’t be prouder to see her daughter carrying on the family legacy of introducing the wider world to the magic of the horse, and doing it in one of the most beautiful places in Canada.
“I can’t even begin to tell you how incredibly proud I am of her,” said Pighin. “She not only has a passion for horses but she has a passion for people as well and that’s a rare combination.”
The best part, for Janzen and Pighin, is that the next generation gets to follow in the footsteps of their ranching and riding ancestors.
“I was so fortunate to grow up the way I did, riding for hours and having all the freedom in the world, and now to see that being passed down to my grandkids means everything,” said Pighin.
Janzen agreed that seeing her two children (Mia-Rose, 6, and Corbin, 2) and her sister’s three children (Ryder, 9, Sophie, 7, and Easton, 5) running around the ranch and helping out has been just another reward of starting Spur Valley Adventures.
“I just love watching the kids have this lifestyle that we were fortunate to grow up with because it teaches them so many values in terms of trust, respect and confidence.”
For more information, visit www.spurvalleyadventures.ca.
