LAMPMAN - At the Westerner Park in Red Deer, Alta., 435 purebred and part-bred Arabian horses and 300 riders took part in the Canadian Arabian National Championship horse show.
The event took place from Aug. 9-17 with many locals attending.
Channie Rutledge of Oxbow attended the show for the first time in over 15 years, not to be a spectator but to ride in the show and make a special tribute to her mother Loretta Threinen of Lampman.
Her six-year-old gelding named Rogue One LE, known as Finn, was trained by Sharon and Rena McLean from Shaunavon.
Rutledge purchased Finn when he was only two days old, and he came home to the farm at the age of four months. There he would grow and be given time to mature before going into training.
The pair did quite well for their first time showing, and Finn even took some reserve championships in classes with Rena.
Rutledge was raised on a farm near Lampman with her parents Bernie and Loretta Threinen.
Loretta Threinen had a passion for horses but fell in love with the Arabian breed. She felt they were beautiful, loyal and smart.
In the 1980s, Threinen purchased her first Arabian and joined the Canadian Arabian Association.
The Threinens herd would begin to grow as they had a special eye, kind touch and patience for horses.
Threinen spent many hours on the farm working, while being a stay-at-home mom, but her horse passion came through.
Soon her daughter Channie and some local girls got involved in the show circuit.
Threinen would spend countless hours preparing the horses and girls, pack them all up and hit the road for a show. The girls always respected Threinen for her knowledge and drive to get things done. They also knew she meant business when the time came, but she still liked to have fun.
Regan Clark is Channie’s daughter. She too, got involved with Arabian horses at a young age, showing often at the Arabian shows held in Moose Jaw and taking home many titles.
With the family involved, Threinen would continue to teach and train her girls, but also work countlessly behind the scenes.
She has organized many shows, including the schooling shows in Estevan, but always offers a helping hand, a word of advice and praise for a job well done.
Threinen was always heard from the sideline, yelling advice to shorten the reins, fix a wrong lead or take other matters and it did not matter who the person was.
On July 7, Threinen passed away in her sleep at the age of 68, shocking the Arabian horse world where she was a life-long member, as she had joined over 45 years ago. Not only did the Arabian world feel the loss, but so did all those she had taught and touched with her endless guidance through the love of horses.
At nationals in Red Deer a tribute was held for Threinen Aug. 19.
“If a crowd of people were asked what they remember about Threinen, it would be her smile, her jokes and her pure laughter,” said Clark.
Tex Cam, the Canadian Arabian Horse Registry president, presented Clark and Rutledge a plaque in honour of Threinen's dedication to the horse world.
Rutledge rode her horse Finn and carried her mom’s ashes for her last ride around the arena.
“It was very emotional,” said Rutledge. “I kept thinking she would text me, asking me to send her photos and videos of my ride.”
“As we move forward in this new world without her, let's sit back and fondly remember all the good times,” said Clark. “Even if the ride did not go as planned, pick something good from it."
Threinen sat in many stands and cheered on everyone as her voice was heard above everyone’s.
“If you are on the wrong lead, Loretta will still be echoing in your mind, yelling from the bleachers, wrong lead,” said Clark. “As a rider we will all remember this and she will be missed by many.”
