Canadian Registry of the Tennessee Walking News

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By Windi Scott

We are looking forward to our Annual General Meeting this year which will be held via Zoom on May 16. Our membership is Canada-wide, so we are finding this format works best. Any member from any province has the opportunity to attend. Notices will be sent to all current members three weeks before, in late April. Watch for it! Hope to see you there.

For members living in western Canada, the Horse Expo in Red Deer at the end of April is a convenient place to visit and catch up on the year’s events. We are excited to be having a booth there once again, which we will share with the Alberta Walking Horse Association. This is our first exhibit since before the pandemic. We have exhibited at horse expositions and trade shows in Alberta and BC for many years, so we are happy to be returning.

Our theme for this year is “CRTWH - More Than A Registry.” This is because we offer so many ways to enjoy and document our experiences with our Canadian Tennessee Walkers. Our programs are popular and more and more people are discovering them.

Kelowna Riding Club News

Meet the Trainer - Leahona Rowland

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The Kelowna Riding Club is lucky to have accomplished rider, trainer, and competitor Leahona Rowland working out of its facility.

When asked what she loves about eventing, Leahona shared, “I enjoy the cross-country the most and the freedom and pure fun that comes with it. I also really love our eventing community. They are such a positive and encouraging group of really good people that I am proud to be part of.”

Leahona began riding at the age of eight when she moved from the Kootenays to Kelowna. Her first eventing coach was Lynda Ramsay, who continues to be a big supporter of eventing and the local horse community today. A move to California allowed her the opportunity to be a working student for a number of trainers including Yves Sauvignon, Penny Rowland and Peter Gray. She worked her way up to competing at Young Riders and brought a number of horses up to the Advanced level.

She continued to invest in her riding and career by moving to the U.K., where she lived for eight years. She was the head rider for William Fox-Pitt, which remains one of the things she’s most proud of.

Back on U.S. soil, she trained with David O’Connor, Scott Keach and show jumper Beth Underhill. She moved back to the Okanagan five years ago and serves as Alberta’s High Performance Consultant/Coach and Young Rider’s Coach. Leahona travels extensively for clinics in Alberta and BC throughout the season.

Leahona will be hosting two clinics this year at the Kelowna Riding Club, one in April and the other in August. Her clinics are a great outing for any horse and rider combination, and participants can always count on a great combination of cross country jumps, fun courses, and seasonal decorations.

The clinic begins with course work the first day, followed by more technical cross country questions on the second. Regardless of eventing experience, this clinic is a great opportunity for confidence building and fun. Leahona’s approach to riding is patience and taking your time and it

Our booth display from 2008 (with BC residents Bill Roy & Ralph Livingston). A more recent booth display from 2017 with Debra Blower, Fran Kerik and Karla Hansen.

By Ashton Wiklund

shines through in the results of her riders.

Her clinics fill up fast and last year’s was extended to four days to accommodate all riders. If you’d like to learn more, please check out Leahona Rowland Eventing on Facebook or email Nila at nilajandersen@ gmail.com for a clinic entry form.