Telus Challenge of the Breeds @ Spruce Meadows

Congratulations to the 2009 team!
Champions and Fan Favorite!

Story by Bob Watson, photos by Brett Watson

The 2009 Telus Battle of the Breeds finished yesterday and the booth and demo team will finish today. The 2009 team consisted of the same four horse as last year and three of the same humans as last year. Unfortunately Gabriella Baers broke her ankel about August 1 st and was unable to participate. Her place on the team was taken by Kathryn Duke, a friend and mentor of Gabriella, who was familiar with her horse Blue Diamond Dancer. This new combination served the team well.

Unfortunately I have not been unable to down load the Thursday results for Compulsory Skills (Dressage) and Jeopardy Jumping nor the final placings for the five competitions. I do know the placings for Team Morgan but don't know the specifics compared to the other eleven teams.

There were twelve teams participating in this year's battle and Team Morgan got off to a good start on Thursday in the first event Compulsory Skills. The rules were changed this year and it worked to our advantage. For the first time in the twenty year history of the event the teams had to have one member drive and the other ride. Team Morgan had a very good performance from newcomer Katie Duke riding Blue Diamond Dancer and from veteran Cec Watson driving JMF Beam Walker. They finished with identical scores and placed second to Team Connemara.

Unfortunately we had a reversal in fortune on Thursday afternoon in Jeopardy Jumping and finished twelvth. Blue Diamond Dancer while having a clear round over the course failed to jump the bonus obstacle thereby losing 100 points and STM Victory's Foxy Lady refused three times on the second jump. Strategy is a big part of the battle and I believe we would have finished tenth if we had declined to attempt the bonus jump.

Our fortunes changed again on Friday morning when we finished first in Precision (Obstacle) Driving with the veterans Cec Watson and Deb Clary driving the course very expertly. They finished with 169 points to 154 for the second place team (American Saddlebred) and had the best time 249.66 vs 258.10 as well for a very decisive win. They also looked very good in the victory parade with a pretty well matched pair of black morgans trotting out nicely.

It was a real yo yo year for Team Morgan as we again had a reversal of fortune on Friday afternoon finishing ninth in the Barrel Race. The winning Team Quarter Horse completed the four barrel course in a combined time of 45.32 a very clear winner over Team Appaloosa at 48.97and well ahead of our time of 57.68.

Saturday morning at 8:30 A.M. the drama and suspense were intense as we went into the final event Trail tied with Team Quarter Horse for first overall. This was going to be a very tough challenge for our team because Team Quarter Horse is always very strong in the trail competition. They have two veteran human/equine teams but fortunately we were able to match them with our own veteran teams of Cec & Blackie and Deb & Image. We have historically done very well in trail the past ten years and expected to do well this year. Cec was the sixth competitor to go and had a very good round finishing with a score of 450 in a time of 165.89. Doris Heintz of Team Quarter Horse had also scored 450 but in a time of 192.01 giving us a slight advantage. Maggie Glynn-Jensen of Team Quarter Horse also scored 450 in a time of 168.37. You could cut the tension with a knife and both Cec and Aline Young were so nervous they couldn't watch (these gals are pretty competitive and take the battle very seriously). It all came down to Deb Clary and TLR Night Image having to match Doris Heintz score of 450 and better her time of 190..01for Team Morgan to win. Deb is a veteran long time competitor in the battle and she was riding her 17 year old stallion who is also a long time veteran of the battle. When her run was complete Deb also scored 450 in a time of 158.95. This clutch performance by Deb Clary gave Team Morgan first place in the Trail competition on a score of 900 and a time of of 324.84 compared to Team Quarter Horse's score of 900 and on a time of 360.38

TEAM MORGAN 2009 BATTLE OF THE BREEDS CHAMPIONS.

Congratulations ladies on a job well done you have given all Morgan Horse owners in Canada bragging rights until September 2010.

The team members and their families were very jubilant, although as Cec said “it is all surreal” and I'm not sure they really have grasped the fact they are the champions yet. They did have a victory dinner celebration last evening and spirits were pretty high.

P.S. To add an extra sweet touch Telus introduced a new feature this year, a text message call in to vote for your favorite team. Due in large part to a supermom effort by Sherry Baers (Gabriella's mother) in soliciting people to vote for us Team Morgan also won “The Fan Favorite” award.