ANOTHER BUSY YEAR.

We started our year off in Arizona then Utah then Oregon coast. My last blog was riding the beaches of Oregon. Once we got home to British Columbia and our small farm in Merritt our first stop was going to be the "Kamloops Cowboy Festival" where some of our good friends down the highway  from us had their children entered in the Raising Star competition at the Cowboy Festival. They call them selves "Mack-Station".  There was 8 competitors in the competition most of them adults that had been singing for many years. The kids made it into the final 3 going onto the big stage and competing in the final round. Here is their last and "Winning" performance. 

Congratulations to the Mack family ....Job well done..

Back at home here at Canoa Farms we still had lots of fencing to finish before breeding season started. Our stallion "The Huntsman"  already had a few mares booked to come in for the 2015 breeding season. 

New Mare corrals (and winter paddock)

On April 28th 2015 we lost our dear Sidney of 15 years.  She was such a wonderful dog and we shared so many wonderful memories over that 15 years. 

After Sidney died I needed something to get my mind off of the loss. I have always wanted to get back into pottery so Ron and I bought a Pottery studio from someone not doing pottery anymore. We got the kiln, wheel and lots of tools and started doing pottery.....

Some of my first pottery pieces

May would be a busy month first part of May was the grand reopening of Lundbom Lake horse campsite, then the May long weekend at Rainbow trails and with me on the board for the 2015 Back to Basic RV for BCHBC I was going to be busy. 

We had a Parade into the newly renovated camp site at Lundbom lake

Lots of fun this weekend up at Lundbom Lake this weekend in May. 

The local news paper was there to do a story "Click here for Link"

I still missed Sidney....I didn't think I could get another dog because the pain of losing one is so hard but the pain of not having her anymore was even harder so within 3 weeks of losing Sidney we had a new puppy. His name is Blue he was born on March 1 2015 and we let him pick us. There was 5 males in the litter of border collie pups and I yelled who wants to live with me????? And this little guy came running. 

This is Blue can you see where his name came from? 

Blue was only 10 weeks and had not had any shots so we took him right from the breeders to our local vet. Merritt Vet Hospital and Dr Molnar gave him his shots and a good bill of health

Do they come any cuter??

Just days after getting Blue we heading to Rainbow trails to celebrate the May long weekend with BCHBC horsy friends. 

Around the campfire with great friends

Heading out on the trail


Once we got back from Rainbow trails it was time to start getting ready for the Rendezvous here in Merritt the end of May beginning of June.  We mapped out trails above the rodeo grounds where the event would take place then as well as clear them of downed trees.

Ron and Ross clearing the trail

Some of the views from the trails we made. 

Only a week before Rendezvous Ron sold his horse Cimaron to someone on Vancouver Island. The plan was to replace him with on of our young horses. 

Jay 0'Jay doing a round pen clinic at our place just before RV

Ron started working with Jay and his 2 year old gelding. 

Jay felt this gelding had a lot of maturing to do so Ron will be looking for another young horse to bring along. We will give this gelding Tracker another year to mature. 

Back to Basic RV 2015 

Merritt Chapter wins the Tug-O-War with the Yarrow Chapter of BCHBC

The view of the Rodeo grounds for the 2015 RV

Ron ended up using Hunter to take out the RV trail rides as he no longer had Cimaron. 

This is a cool canyon only minutes from the rodeo grounds they call it "Windy Canyon"

Jay O'Jay did a clinic and a demo at RV this year

Saturday evening entertainment was Mack-Station

Last day of RV

The event that is the most fun to watch it the packing competition. Here is Merritt's team Ross and Kevin. 

Yes they made it into the final 3 and even crossed the finish line....

Here is a video Shaw Cable did about RV and BCHBC

After RV Ron got a new horse "Huntin for a Legacy" a 3 year old Warmblood cross by our stallion "The Huntsman".

This guy is broke but will need some work.

After 3 good buck off Ron had Jay O'Jay work with his young one. 

Spider is a nice big athletic gelding and need a little more despooking.


We also made the decision to sell our little guy "Tricker". He was bought to keep our home bred colt company and turned into a very nice horse. We found out he could really jump he jumped out of a 5'2" round pen from a stand still. He was sold in 2 days to a big Hunter Jumper barn on the coast and we look forward to watching his career sore.

Here is a Video of this crazy little jumper 

Saying good bye to our little guy

The end of June my good friend Laura whom I had not seen in many years came to visit with her family and her horse crazy daughter Lauren. 

We all headed down to Hidden Valley Rustic Horse camp (our friend Clint and Cathy's place) and we took them out on a ride. 

Lauren had fun the next couple days jumping around our cross country course on our stallion "The Huntsman"

The beginning of July ...

In July we headed to Lundbom for my birthday weekend. We had beautiful weather and some good rides. 

Sammy and Blue out fishing

My Birthday dinner with great neighbours and friends. 

It was a busy weekend at Lundbom Lake. 

The next weekend in July my oldest dearest friend Joyce and her family came to visit. 

They all had a great time play ladder ball and riding horses. 

Lots of fun had by all. 

July Back to our pottery..

We got busy with the Pottery. I decided to do "The Mane Event" but we would need way more pieces so even Ron got in on the action.

Here is a video Shaw did about our pottery. This ended up making Global news as well.

Jay O'Jay came up again to do some teaching in Merritt we had him work with Rons horse some more. 

Ron, Jay and Spider

This horse still had a good spook in him. Ron's last fall he broke a rib or 2 so we really needed to get this spook our of this young horse. 

Training is going well. 

Oh and my favourite time of years seeing all the babies from The Huntsman start showing up. From May to August we had lost of new 4 leggers hit the ground :) 

These foals are not in order of birth just random shots of this years foals. 

August was also a busy month. First week in August we always have a big family and friends weekend. This was our 3rd year in a row. 

Siobhan just celebrated her 1st birthday in June.  She was up here in August with Ron's son Kerry and his wife Maeve. 

Skylar and Amanda playing Ladder ball

My dad and some of my cousins watch us play extreme botcy ball 

I think Siobhan love her new birthday tracker. 

This is our little shooting range out back everyone had fun trying out different guns but me I am afraid of them LOL 

Yes August was Party time. We headed to Big Bar lake with some of our neighbours for a big celebration of Birthdays of our neighbours across the street Ross and Irene Walker. We had 3 days of fun and over eating on their beautiful property on Big Bar Lake. 

Ross and Irene dancing well the Mack Family sang

Out on the lake 

Our campsite

Ron was not back riding yet so I only brought one horse up. This is Jake Mack on Hunter after my ride. 

Singing into the sunset

Sammy and Kenya

The dogs had just as much fun but little did we know this would be the last camping trip for both Sammy and Ross and Irene dog Rego. 

Sammy and his long time friend Buster both 12 years old this was Busters last visit with Sammy. We lost Sammy only weeks after this picture was taken. I miss him every day. He was the best little jack russell anyone could have asked for. 

September we spent a lot of time getting ready for the Mane Event more pottery and more painting. 

The story Shaw had done had hit Global TV and people were now coming to our FB page https://www.facebook.com/Spottedhorsestudio/

We had come up with some really cool western designs that we hoped would be popular. 

I love this design too my War pony. 

This summer was very dry everywhere worst summer in history for forest fires this one was a little to close for comfort and was started by someone throwing a cigarette out the car window. Forestry services where quick to the seen.  

Sept we did a fund raising ride for the "Food Bank" in Merritt. We called it the Back to School food bank drive. So people donated school supplies, lunch box snacks and lots of canned and boxed foods.  We rode from  Hidden Valley Rustic Horse Camp to the Left Field Cider House. 

We tie the stallion away from the other horses on a tree in the middle well at the Cider House

October 2015

The second week in October we headed to Rainbow trails for Thanksgiving. We had been coming here for Thanksgiving since 2004 it is always a very fun weekend. 

The campsite

Ron is riding Hunter until his ribs are 100% so I am on the 3 year old. All these are Hunter son's. 

Ron ponyed Tracker 

Thanks again to Bill Cox's whom every year bring the whole prime rib rack. Yummy

I made 2 cheese cakes my triple layer Pumpkin cheese cake and this one above I call it my reese pieces cheese cake the bottom layer is a baked chocolate cheese cake and the next layer is a cooled peanut butter cheese cake. 

The weather up at Rainbow was a bit iffy so we came home on Sunday Thanksgiving Monday the weather was beautiful so we headed out on a trail ride with our friend Darrell Brown to show him how beautiful it is at Hidden Valley Rustic Horse Camp

You have to love the fall and the beautiful colours.

After our ride we had a big Thanksgiving dinner with the Mack family from 

 Hidden Valley Rustic Horse Camp

Now it is really time to pack up and get ready for "The Mane Event" 

Getting our booth ready. Ron had made some pretty cool shelves from logs. 

Lights camera Action......Ready to open!!

What a great weekend not only seeing all our friends but we where very busy. 

These were some of our neighbours at  "The Mane Event"  Above is Artist Anita Klein and below is Avalon Butchart 

  

Once we got home Ron thought if we are going to be this busy we need  studio. 

He found the prefect location on our property to put the studio and started working right away. 

We picked a sight just beside our work shop and RV pad it was not even so Ron had to put a couple huge support posts in.

All levelled and floor in time to get the walls started. They say snow is coming....

Ron making the roof trusses 

First wall almost ready to go up. 

3 walls up 

Walls all up ready for the roof

Starting to look like a very cute studio. 

Now we have to wait another week for the tin roof but the doors can go in. 

Roof did not make it in time for the first snow fall but we did have it all tapped. 

Sarah came back to do a Christmas story on us. View video below. 

The pictures below are just some of the custom work we are doing. Ron now does all the pottery and I do a more personal job of painting. 

You could call us "The Potter & The Painter". 

Custom made award for Paint-O-Rama in Mississippi USA the Dixie National

This one will be Auctioned off at 2016 RV for the 25th anniversary of Back Country Horsemen of BC in May

Even though we had a busy year with the pottery we still have time to get out for some great rides. 

We did a Christmas Toy ride for the Food Bank the beginning of November 

We had a huge turn out not only Back Country horsemen but the whole horse community in Merritt came out to help with donating toys. 

I believe we had 17 riders in total 

We rode from the rodeo grounds in Merritt to the ridge above. Super views...

Looking down below to Merritt 

One of my favourite rides in Merritt is Windy Canyon it reminds me of places in Utah.

These are just some of the food and toy donations. Merry Christmas .....

Oh another one of my highlights this year is this painting my neighbour Kathy Grant did of my late Aussie Sidney

We normally head to Arizona for the winter but this year we had planned on staying home. We are not going to let the weather effect getting time in the saddle still got lots of riding in. 

Below is Ron with his granddaughter whom we found out is Horse crazy...

We ending the year with a New years eve ride with neighbours

Just after Christmas I got some really good news. For years I have been trying to find my late brother (Brad Allen) son Kyle. I had posted many times on places like Craigslist and kijijj never getting any replies. I keep seeing people post things on Facebook trying to find loved ones so I though well I will through it out there. With in 3 hours I found my nephew Kyle and his wife and found out I have a great niece and nephew. What a fabulous way to end my year 2015 has been fabulous looking even more forward to 2016. Looking forward to meeting my nephew and his family, getting lots of riding in and painting more pottery.....

My brother below on the right and his son Kyle on the left they look like brothers. 

Brad is forever young...

To my late brother Brad we found you son Kyle and you would have been a grandpa still miss you every day.