Day: August 30, 2021

It can be said that breeding horses is not for the faint of heart. It takes a lot of time, energy, and perseverance to develop a foal into a competent athlete, let alone one that can shine in world class competition. Yet six Canadian breeding operations proved again this past summer that Canada is quite capable of breeding such horses. Eight Canadian-bred horses carried Canadian and American riders to 15 impressive American Quarter Horse Youth World Championship placings at the 2021 Built Ford Tough AQHYA World Championship Show hosted at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City, OK from July 28 to August 8. When asked what it was like to be considered a world class Quarter Horse breeder, Bill and Tracy Rinzema, breeders of two horses that between them racked up a world championship title, two top five placings, and four additional placings, said, “It’s quite exciting to know that these horses were products of our little operation in Keene, Ontario.” The pair reminisced about the accomplishments of each horse prior to their 2021 success and about the other great horses that have been produced by their program. Canada is AQHA’s largest international affiliate, boasting the most members and registered horses residing outside the United States. Though the Canadian Quarter Horse industry is small in comparison to our neighbours to the south, the knowledge, skills, and the quality horses that are bred in this country continues to improve year after year. On behalf of the Canadian Quarter Horse Association, its members and directors, and the association’s Breeders Committee, we congratulate each of these horses, their breeders, owners, and riders on their accomplishments and wish them continued success both in the show ring and in the breeding shed.