Two years ago, Steve Gregg judged the draft horse events at Canadian Western Agribition.
Last week, the Ontario Clydesdale breeder returned to the Regina show as a first-time exhibitor.
“I’d sooner show,” he said after completing three successful days of events. “Everyone needs to take a turn judging but I’d like to just prepare and show and shoe.”
Gregg shoes horses, and is the third generation to breed Clydesdales on the family farm near Cargill, Ont.
“We try to make it a business,” he said.
Read Also
Going beyond “Resistant” on crop seed labels
Variety resistance is getting more specific on crop disease pathogens, but that information must be conveyed in a way that actually helps producers make rotation decisions.
Gregglea Clydesdales keeps eight to 10 mares and two or three stallions, and also breeds other owners’ mares.
He has shown horses all over North America, and most recently attended the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto.
“The NAERIC (competition) made it worthwhile to come here,” he said of the 40-hour truck ride.
When he was in Regina in 2001, he bought two weanlings in the draft horse sale conducted by the North American Equine Ranching Information Council.
Those weanlings were eligible to return this year and compete in futurity classes for a share of the 2001 pot. Each year, NAERIC matches half the sale proceeds to create a prize paid out two years later when the horses return to compete.
Gregg’s purchases – a Percheron filly and a Clydesdale gelding – competed last week, and placed second and seventh out of 12. The futurity pays out the top 10, and the entries earned about $6,200.
“This is the only place I know of that does this,” he said.
Although far from being the largest draft horse show, the Agribition show is a good one, said Gregg, and is likely to attract more entries over time as more people get into the business.
The Belgians he brought to Agribition for a neighbour won the four-horse and six-horse hitch competitions, while the Percheron filly, which is actually owned by his son, Jason, placed second in her breed class. The gelding was champion in the Clydesdale competition.
Gregg said he would definitely be back in 2005.
That’s because he bought Rose Hill Jack, a Percheron gelding, for $5,000 in this year’s weanling sale.
“There will be more than $20,000 in prize money,” he said. “I’d be foolish not to come back.”
