Talk about pets – Michelle Mason has her fair share and then some!!!!! Her family – mom, Marilyn; dad, Ron and sister, Stephanie – own 4 barn cats – Arnold, Orange, Tiny and Look-a-Like; 3 house cats – Tiger, Zoe and Katie; a dog named Cassie; 3 quarter horses – Spud, Charlie and Coffee; 2 Thoroughbreds – Lady and Caroline and a DUCK – Feathers! I guess it is no surprise that the Masons recently moved from Toronto to a 10-acre horse farm in Brooklin, Ontario.

Michelle started showing when she was 12 years old at the Durham Saddle Club and the CNE. Her first show horses were American Saddlebreds and Arabians. She started showing on the Quarter Horse circuit approximately 3 years ago, after she sold her Arabian and decided to purchase a horse that she could just have fun with and do some trail riding. She attended her first Quarter Horse show when she was boarding at Thunder Ridge Farm and Janet Faas convinced her to try Quarter Horse showing. Some time later, Janet introduced Michelle to Dave Aitchison, who showed her the ropes of the Quarter Horse world.

Sonnys True Reward (Spud) is Michelle’s current show mount. He is an 8-year old gelding by Sonnys Courtney by Sonny Dee Bar. Spud and Michelle show in Novice Amateur events: Hunter under Saddle, Western Pleasure, Hunt Seat Equitation, Western Horsemanship, Trail and Showmanship and Amateur Hunter Hack. Her favourite event is Hunter under Saddle and the pair were the 2005 Area 3 Novice Youth Reserve Champions in Hunter under Saddle and the 2006 Area 3 Novice Amateur Reserve Champions in Hunter under Saddle. The pair were also the 2005 Teen Ranch 30th Anniversary High Point Novice Youth. This year she will be starting to show her new 2-year old WR Earl Grey Te (Coffee).

Michelle’s most memorable horse show moment was at Palgrave. It was about 30 degrees outside and she was showing in a Hunter under Saddle class. She was about to faint, because it was so hot in her wool coat and the class seemed to continue forever. Finally when the class was finished and she was called up to get her ribbon, the judge couldn’t resist saying to her, “Did I make you work HARD enough?” as he giggled. Michelle was beet red and about to fall off her horse out of exhaustion. She says there are many things she would like to forget in her show career, including riding on the wrong lead the whole way around the ring or hitting every pole in a trail class.

She is currently in her 3rd year at Ryerson University and she is striving to complete her Masters in Business Administration. Not surprisingly with 3 horses to ride and a barn to muck, as well as keeping up with her studies, Michelle doesn’t have much time for other activities. She exclaims, “Horses and school control my life!” Could be worse!!!??

Michelle would like to thank her parents, her sister, Janet Faas, Dave Aitchison and Lindy Grimbly for supporting and helping her achieve all of her accomplishments. Michelle says, “Watch out for my dad, Ron in 2007 in Select Amateur Showmanship, Novice Amateur Showmanship and maybe Trail with Spud.” I’m sure Michelle will be on the rail cheering him on!!!

Good luck to the Mason family at the Area 3 shows this show season!!!