YORKTON, Sask. — The world’s best Clydesdale was born on a farm near Canora, Sask.
Donegal Dr. Pepper was named supreme champion at the World Clydesdale Show in Madison, Wisconsin, in late October. It was only the second world show held, the first being in 2007.
The six-year-old stallion was raised by Greg Gallagher of Canora and was chosen the show’s grand champion stallion for its current owners, Bob and Laura Gookin of Boulevard, California. It topped a field of 108 stallions that were eligible for the title.
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Donegal Dr. Pepper went on to defeat the grand champion mare and grand champion gelding to become the show’s supreme champion Clydesdale, topping the 380 eligible Clydesdales.
Gallagher was in the stands watching the stallion he had reluctantly sold as a four-year-old.
The horse’s move to the United States began when a Manitoba judge was in California and suggested to the Gookins that Gallagher might be a good source for a stallion.
“They came up and looked at him,” said Gallagher. “I said he’s not for sale.”
They called him a year later while he was holidaying in Mississippi.
“They asked about him again. I said he’s not for sale.”
But this time Gookin asked how much money it would take to make a deal possible, and Gallagher stated a price.
“He said, ‘for that I’ll take him.’ ”
Gallagher hoped to get home from holidays to breed a mare or two to Dr. Pepper, but the Gookins had already arranged for the horse to be picked up.
“I never got to see (him) again until the show a couple of weeks ago,” he said.
But the bloodline remains.
“I raised his mother and his father and grandmother and grandfather,” said Gallagher. “That’s what you call homegrown. … I have a son, two half brothers and a couple of sisters of his.”
Gallagher said he knew Dr. Pepper was a good stallion and had a good chance of doing well at the world show.
“But I don’t think you ever presume that your horse is that good.”
The stallion had placed well at Canadian Western Agribition as a junior stallion, “so I knew I was in the right league.”
He was confident Dr. Pepper would win its class at the world show, but when Gookin asked, “can he win it all?” Gallagher said he knew there were other good stallions.
When the win did come, Gallagher said “it really didn’t sink in for me, until about six hours later.”
Then it struck him: “my God, he’s mine.”
Gallagher said he’s glad the Gookins were persistent in their pursuit of Dr. Pepper.
“I’m a lot better off I sold him,” he said.
The California couple had the time and resources to properly prepare the stallion for the world show.
“He brought him out looking good. I don’t have the resources to do that.”
Gallagher has been involved in Clydesdales almost since birth. His father was born in 1883, and when he turned 15, “took a team of Clydesdales to the bush in Quebec.” It was good business because while a man earned $8 a month, a man with a team made $30.
Gallagher’s father eventually moved west and settled near Yorkton, where he again raised Clydesdale until retiring in 1960.
“So it’s in the blood,” Gallagher said. He started his own herd of horses in
1977 and remains one of Saskatchewan’s larger breeders on his farm near Crystal Lake. He has 60 head and plans to foal 15 mares in the spring.
Now 71, Gallagher has no plans to stop raising the big horses. He said his father’s spirit was broken when he left the farm and his horses for a home in the city.
“He died within a year,” he said. “That’s not going to happen to me. You’re not going to separate me from them. As you age you’ve got to have an interest to stay alive. If you lose interest you’re done.”
Clydesdales from all over Canada and the U.S. competed, as well as horses from Great Britain.
“People from Western Canada and from this district did very well,” said Gallagher.
Delvin and Louise Szumutku of Stockholm, Sask., placed first in a class of 25 geldings. They also placed second in the three-year-old stallion class, fourth in the yeld mare class of 24 entries, fifth out of 20 in the stud foal class and seventh out of 28 in the stallion foal class.
“Linda Banga of Canora placed an amazing third in a class of 44 in the gelding cart class,” said Gallagher.
“Her perennial winner, Banga’s Crystal Doll, was fourth out of 44 in the mare cart class as well as placing third in her line class.”
The Canadian Prairies dominated in the winner’s circle.
As well as the grand champion stallion bred in Saskatchewan, the grand champion mare was exhibited by Wes Gordeyko of Ohaton, Alta., and the reserve champion mare was shown by the Madsens of Hamiota, Man.
“When you’re showing anywhere in Western Canada, you’re showing against the best, and that became very obvious at the world show.”
