The River Valley Horse Show runs July 22 – 26 at the Whitemud Equine Learning Centre Show Grounds.

SPECTATORS
This is a free event and spectators are always welcome! The grass berms are an excellent place to watch the jumping and enjoy a picnic lunch. The competition begins at 8am and continues on until evening each day. Concessions onsite.

COMPETITORS
This is a Gold Level Competition. Competitors may call Patti King at 780-922-7000 for more information.
Please note: All competitors competing at a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum level competitions MUST possess a current Equine Canada Sport Licence level equal to or higher than the sanctioning level of the competition they are attending. EC Sport Licences are only available to purchase from Equine Canada
For an EC sport licence to be valid a provincial (AEF) membership must also be purchased. Without an AEF membership, even though a sport licence card may be issued by EC, the sport licence is not valid. There is an $80.00 fine, levied by EC, for competing without a valid sport licence.

Goal of Our Program:
To provide our students with the knowledge and skill to handle a horse safely on the ground and in the saddle

Overview of Our Program:
• Qualified instructors and teaching assistants who are experienced riders
• One instructor per 6 students in the barn and in the arena
• Indoor riding arena with viewing area
• Lesson horses provided
• Riding, horse handling and stable management instruction
• Beginner to Level VI (primarily English riding)
• Ages 6 and up

All riders must have the following equipment:
1. a helmet that is designed and approved for equine activities and which is equipped with a safety chin strap and attached safety harness (ASTM approved)
2. hard soled footwear with a heel sufficient in height to restrict the foot from passing though the stirrup


Whitemud has three types of recreational riding lessons:
• Junior Riders for children aged 6-7 years
• Learn To Ride for ages 8-13+
• Horsemanship – a progressive program for all ages.

Junior Rider
A nine-week program designed to give young riders between the ages of 6 and 8 an introduction to riding. Each lesson is divided into two parts: ½ hour is spent learning about horse care, grooming and tack. ½ hour is spent on the horse learning the basics of riding. The program runs in the fall and spring, Saturdays from 4-5 pm. Use of a riding helmet is included. Contact the office at 780-435-3597 for information.

Learn to Ride
A seven-week program designed to give new riders (ages 8+) an introduction to riding. Riders have one hour of riding or stable management per week. The Learn to Ride program runs on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, from November to March while the Little Bits program is on hiatus. The use of a riding helmet is included.

Horsemanship
The Horsemanship Program taught at Whitemud is modeled on the Equine Canada Rider Program. Whitemud students progress through levels as they develop skills and experience. Each rider receives regular progress reports highlighting areas of excellence and opportunities for improvement. The Horsemanship program runs in two 20-week semesters: the fall semester runs from September to January and the spring semester runs from February to June. The majority of students choose to ride for the full term (September – June).

Horsemanship classes are held on Monday, Thursday & Friday evenings or all day Saturday. There is a waiting list for this program. Riders coming from other stables are required to have an evaluation from a Whitemud instructor to determine the level.

The following is a basic description of the goals of each level:

Beginner/Advanced Beginner:
• Proper rider position
• 2-point walk
• Sitting at trot
• Trot to the back of the ride
• Introduction to barn, arena and horse safety
• Introduction to the horse and its body language

On Family Day, members of the Vanden Brink family, who lived in Keillor Cabin from 1951 - 58, came to visit the cabin and share their memories with us. They were generous enough to share family photos from the time. Check out the gallery.

Keillor Gallery 51-58