About Sheltering Sky Quarter Horses
I remember it starting when I was about four years old. I would raise horses of exceptional quality with pedigrees that were filled with the legends of Thoroughbred Racing: Northern Dancer, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Alydar, Genuine Risk, and relatives of the tragic Ruffian. I was glued to the TV set for every major horse race, memorized books on pedigrees, and I could say with confidence things like, “short back, a stayer, long back, a sprinter.” Living in Toronto and being close to Woodbine, Canada’s premier thoroughbred venue, only made things worse. There I had access to the Queen’s Plate, the Rothman’s, and what used to be the Molson Export Million, attracting the best horses in the world.
One day, while attending Quarterama, a large Quarter Horse show, the dream changed. I saw the most amazing thing: it was a freestyle reining demonstration. Full tilt gallops, sliding stops, spins, lead changes, all without a bridle. A little buckskin Quarter Horse was doing the most incredibly athletic things I had ever seen any horse do. I was hooked.
The dream was now a ranch with Quarter Horses. I moved from Toronto to Saskatoon. Before I bought a house, I bought a very good horse (Sheza Little Mystery) from a very talented lady, Jeri Hemm. I knew nothing, but Jeri and her mother, Gail, were very patient and taught me a lot. Then, I bought a house in the city. The ranch was on hold until I figured out how the horse thing worked.
I met some good people (Brett Jones and June Verhelst) who continued to teach me a lot, started taking some western pleasure clinics with Pat Ross, and then I started showing. Sheza Little Mystery and I went on to win a whole bunch of AQHA points in Open and Novice Amateur competition.
My next horse was a real reining horse, Socks To The Hocks, bred by the Braun Family of Beechy, Saskatchewan. When Vicky Braun was finished showing Socks, I started riding Socks and taking reining clinics with Shawna Sapergia. Sheza Little Mystery was sold, and I bought a second reining horse, Peppy Little Blonde. With two horses and a pretty big monthly boarding bill, it was time for my ranch.
Construction was completed in May of 2001. Sheltering Sky Quarter Horses is not quite 11 acres, just 15 minutes south of Saskatoon. It is in the middle of ‘Saskatchewan Parkland’, which means there are a lot of trees and rolling hills. I breed my three mares to some of the best stallions the AQHA, NRHA and NRCHA have to offer. I breed proven pedigrees and proven performers to get exceptional prospects.
I have a son, who is the best boy in the world. We have a Balinese cat named Meeko and two rabbits, named Minnie and Hazel. The number of horses we have for sale varies from year to year. I am an Engineer by education, but have spent most of my professional life working in marketing and finance. Currently, I work in economic development, specializing in the mining and energy sectors. I would rather ride horses all day…
