Feature Article August 5, 2004
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Bringing home the gold from Manitoba
You might say Elaine Steele and Fleetwood Shadow had a pretty good weekend at the National Trail riding competition at Sprucewood Provincial Park near Brandon, Manitoba.
Riding for the first time as part of the official Ontario entry in the Competitive Trail Riding division, Elaine Steele of Mountain Grove rode Fleetwood Shadow to a perfect score, riding 80 miles over two days within the prescribed time, with Fleetwod Shadow maintaining the same excellent condition throughout and after the ride as before the ride. A perfect score is almost unheard of, Elaines son Michael told the News.
Not only did the score lead to a gold medal in the heavyweight division, Steele and Fleetwood Shadow also were the overall individual gold medal winners among the 29 competitive riders. The two other riders on the three-member Ontario team finished 3rd and 4th in individual competition, as the Ontario team routed the competition on the way to a team gold medal.
Winning three gold medals at the National championships is a fitting cap to the season for Fleetwood Shadow. Elaine Steele had said earlier this summer that Fleetwood Shadow, now 16 years old, will probably go into semi-retirement after this season, and she is preparing another horse for competition. So this might be the final National Championships for Fleetwood Shadow, who won an individual bronze medal in leading his team to a team gold medal at the previous National Championships in 2002.
The victory was sweet for Elaine Steele and her husband Rick, who have been tireless advocates of trail riding in Eastern Ontario, and have established popular annual events from their base at Lost Creek Farms on the Bell Line road, located just north of Highway 7. Rick Steele was named as the manager of the Ontario team for these championships.
Rick and Elaine and Fleetwod Shadow are scheduled to arrive back home from Manitoba this Friday, August 6. They will be greeted by proud and happy family members and neighbours on their return
(below is a reprint of an article written about Elaine Steele and Fleetwod Shadow two weeks before the championships)
Elaine Steele and Fleetwood Shadow: Official Ontario representatives at lastTwo years ago Elaine Steele of Lost Creek Farms, and her 14-year-old horse Fleetwood Shadow, were named as alternates to the National Competitive Trail Riding championship which was held at Flesherton, Ontario. Two teams of three represented Ontario.
With Fleetwood Shadow ranked 7th, Elaine Steele decided to put a team together herself, and entered the open competition at the event.
Elaine Steele and Fleetwood Shadow finished third in the competition, beating all other Ontario riders, and their team of three riders won first prize for the entire event. Just this past Sunday, Steele and Fleetwood Shadow were in Flesherton again, but this time it was at the final pre-National event for Ontario riders. This time they were chosen as one of the three horse-rider combinations that will represent Ontario at the National championships, to be held on the August long weekend at Sprucewood Provincial Park near Brandon, Manitoba.
Elaine and her husband Rick had already decided to take Fleetwood Shadow to the Nationals even if he hadnt been selected to the team. They would have been riding again as an open entry, but Elaine Steeles smile at being officially named to the team reveals how happy she is about how it all worked out this time.
Well be leaving early Saturday morning, Rick Steele explains, and will hook up with riders from Alexandria and Kemptville. Well take three days to get there, giving him [Feetwood Shadow] three days to recover before the race. Trailering is hard for horses; they have to work hard to maintain their balance, and they are claustrophobic as well.
The horses condition is the major issue in competitive trail riding, where the goal is for the horse to be in the same condition at the end of two days of riding 40 miles a day as he is before taking a step.
A time allotment is specified for the course, and the horse and riders must arrive at the finish within five minutes of the allotted time. Then the horses condition; heart rate, body appearance, gums, joints, and other factors are graded. The horse that maintains the best condition throughout and after the event wins.
Fleetwood Shadow has been a successful horse over his seven-year career in spite of a naturally high pulse rate, which is a distinct disadvantage in competitive trail riding. At each vet stop, where the horses are evaluated and graded by a veterinarian, points are deducted according to how much over 40 the horses pulse rate is. Fleetwood Shadow has a pulse rate of 40 to begin with, so any increase throughout a race costs points.
Other horses have normal rates in the high or mid 20s, so they can race up 10 or 12 points without penalty, but Fleetwood Shadow cant go above at all. Fortunately, he almost never loses points in the other categories, his condition is that good, said Elaine Steele.
The Steeles go to races about every two weeks throughout the seven-month season, and Fleetwood Shadow gets a days rest from training for every ten miles of competitive riding he does.
He trains quite a bit in the spring, before the season starts, but during the season I normally just take him out to stretch and stay exercised, he doesnt need to train. Then in October his shoes come off and he relaxes and goes on vacation for five months, said Elaine Steele.
At 16, Fleetwood Shadow could be going into semi-retirement after this season, but not Elaine Steele, who has been training a younger horse, one of Fleetwood Shadows brothers, and she will begin riding him at more events next year to see if he can eventually replace Fleetwood Shadow.
He is in perfect condition right now, Steele says of Fleetwood Shadow, and we want him to stay that way. We dont want to wait until he gets injured or begins to have health problems; thats not what this sport is about.
In fact, according to Rick Steele, competitive trail riding, and its sister sport endurance riding, are more committed to horses well being than the more commercially popular equestrian sports such as show jumping and horse racing.
A competitive trail horse is tested by vets more in one season than show jumping horses are tested in their careers, and race horses are only really tested for doping. Yet there is basically no funding for the sport and no corporate sponsorship.
There has been lots of local support for the Steeles, however, for which they are tremendously grateful.
Although a request for funding from Central Frontenac Township was rejected, businesses in the area have come forward with support.
The local community has been particularly supportive of the two races that are put on each year at Lost Creek Farms, and the Steeles try to return the favour by shopping locally whenever possible. Rick Steele has been named as the manager of the Ontario team for the National championships, and he had the bright goldenrod team T-shirts embroidered by Upper Frontenac Graphics, a new business venture taken on by Dean & Valerie Wedden of the Sharbot Lake Stedmans store.
Elaine and Rick Steele have been living at their property on the Bell Line road for 19 years. Rick is originally from Arden and Elaine is from Plevna.
Their many friends and supporters from the area will be waiting to hear how Fleetwood Shadow does at the Nationals.
