B.C. Mountain Trail

Hanging H Mountain Trail and Ranch show is ready to go...by request we are adding a little tack sale in the barn. Bring any new or used items that you want to part with, make sure it is tagged with your name, and we can all buy each others stuff. We have saddles, shirts, headstalls, a horse trailer and miscellaneous ...
Also, we will be adding the 'Famous Wine Glass Challenge' on Saturday Afternoon. I'm not sure exactly how it will go, but take a leap of faith and sign up (saddled up and mounted)...I'm sure the prize will be shareable, lol... See you all soon

Ranch patterns for May 29, 2026 Hanging H

REMINDER...ENTRIES ARE DUE BY MONDAY

Spring is finally here! I'm ready to go. This is the first of 5 shows for B.C. Mountain Trail, and the first of 3 shows in the Hanging H Series. There is a ton of money and prizes to be won. Online registration and forms can be found at: https://www.dhughesquarterhorses.com/mt-show-registration

The numbers you ordered are here...please e-transfer $20 to me at [email protected]. I'll keep them for you until the first show in May...thanks

Happy New Year Everyone
I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you.
We’ve been working on our plans for BCMT for 2026, and I’d like to keep everyone in the loop…
I’m thrilled to announce that we (Nancy, Jodie, Cat and myself) had the opportunity to sit down with Sandy from HCBC and collaborate on the rules for Mountain Trail. There were many changes made to ours and theirs, so we will have the opportunity to sanction under HCBC and benefit from what they have to offer. The rules are updated and, on my website, www.dhughesquarterhorses.com. Thanks, Cat Armitage, for your hard work. FOLKS, PLEASE READ THEM. This brings us to the workings of the club.
Due to changes in our website hosting, the design program we used is no longer available. To continue, we would have to re-build the website completely. Due to the yearly cost of maintaining the website domain and hosting package we have decided to drop it. We will have a page with all relevant information on Debbie’s website at www.dhughesquarterhorses.com/bcmt . We will also use a ‘newsletter’ format and personal email to get our information out to you, as well as revising and updating the BCMT Face Book page. Due to this change, we will not be charging the $25 fee we discussed at the AGM
It was informative to have the AGM and get input from you all. Changes were made in our class lists, deleting ‘Just off the Trail’ and combining Mares/Geldings in hand, and revising the dress code for starters. We also changed the number of wins to move up out of Novice classes. All voted on and passed. We have 11 classes now.
I’d like to take the opportunity to thank Kim and Hannah for ordering and assembling the prizes for 2025. They did a great job. With so many other shows, offering buckles etc., it’s very hard to get sponsorship (as everyone’s asking) and buy prizes within our budget. I’m hoping with a few changes made to our show fees, this will make it much easier, as we can each contribute in small amounts, throughout the season, instead of seeking larger donations. We have raised our stalls to $30 per night. Our arena fee will be $30 this year, due to the rising cost of lumber and maintenance. We felt, by raising the riders fee to $20 per day, along with a growing ‘Silent Auction’ we will have the funds to purchase year end awards, without worry. Any other donations we get will add to the BCMT Championships in some way.
Thankyou for all your support in everything we do, and here’s to another year of fun, memories and tough competition
From the team
Debbie, Colleen, Donna,

I had an idea! I asked Judy G for help! ... at which point Katie G took the reins. If you need anything, ask Judy or myself and we'll get katie right to work. Please ride along with us as we celebrate another wonderful year of Mountain Trail.
B.C. Mountain Trail 2024: A Year In Review
With the 2024 B. C. Mountain Trail season finished and the 2025 season just around the corner,
it is a wonderful time to reminisce, laugh, and possibly cry over the memories created last year while
looking forward to the upcoming season.
May 18 &19, 2024
The first show of the Buckle Series started at Circle Creek Equestrian Centre. People reunited
and told tales of what they had been up to since the end of last season. There was added excitement
with the addition of the Saddle High Point, generously sponsored by all three producers, Hanging H, Circle Creek and Shumway Equestrian Centre. Colleen had
been hard at work and introduced two new obstacles to the course. There was a three log combination
allowing for step ups, step overs, and side passes along with three innocent looking stumps which were
arranged into a deceivingly simple clover leaf pattern. An old favourite, the squish box, also made a
return appearance. It was harder to tell who was happier; the horses or the competitors. Saturday was
spent exploring the front part of the course, while Sunday directed horses and riders to the back part of
the course.
June 15 &16, 2024
The second show, in Chilliwack at Hanging H Arena, arrived on a very wet and rainy weekend.
Tents and tarps were a common sight among the trailers and campers. Our fearless judges braved the
weather with plastic bags covering their clipboards and scoresheets. Riders donned slickers, gum boots,
and a smile while horses demonstrated their extraordinary athletic abilities on the somewhat muddy
course. Debbie’s latest obstacle, a beautifully built raised bridge with a variety of paths over, under, and
around it, did not disappoint. The consistent rain made the dirt trail under the bridge especially
challenging when the dirt turned to mud, which got deeper and deeper as more horses went over it. By
the end of the show, the mud was so deep and thick it was up to the horses’ hocks which resulted in
almost losing the final horse and rider to the muck.
July 13 &14, 2024
Walk on the Wild Side was the theme of the course for the third show at Shumway Lake
Equestrian Centre located in Kamloops. It was a blistering hot weekend with temperatures reaching over
35 degrees. Our intrepid judges found refuge under sun hats and sunglasses, while most likely dreaming
of rain from Chilliwack. Fortunately, the course was designed and built around the lake, creating one of
the most natural and versatile obstacles in the circuit. Each map incorporated the body of water in some
fashion. Many competitors navigated over floating logs, others stepped down into the lake, while some
dragged an inflated orca through the water. Other water obstacles were also featured in the small and
technical course, including the water-filled coffin and the only working waterfall in the circuit. After the
end of each day, horses and riders cooled off by going for a much needed and well-deserved swim.
August 10th 11, 2024
The last show before Championship Weekend was back at Hanging H Arena in Chilliwack. The
hustle and bustle started days prior to the actual show as the course became the location for numerous
photoshoots. Instead of models in high heels and the latest avant-garde fashions, competitors showed
up in their best western duds while their horses sported polished tack and gleaming coats for a
photoshoot fundraiser. On show days, as promised, the course was dry with not a drop of rain in sight.
Debbie continued to delight competitors by channeling her creativity into new, unique obstacles including a giant, inflatable cactus with spraying water and violin playing scarecrows that operated on
motion sensors. The patterns featured tricky back-ups through and around obstacles, which was a
common theme this year. Other obstacles were elevated in difficulty in preparation for Finals, such as
ground tying in a ditch and sending horses into the pond and stepping up onto a tire.
September 7 & 8
Championship Weekend was held at Circle Creek Equestrian Centre in Kamloops. The air buzzed
with nerves and excitement, especially with a new judge who came all the way up from Oregon. The
weather was perfect and the horse and rider combinations were on point. The patterns were technical
and challenging, and definitely elevated in difficulty. Colleen’s final new obstacles of the season were a
log-rock combination built on a hill, allowing for tight maneuvers and quick changes in direction along
with a tricky log puzzle. Saturday night concluded with our Season Leader Awards ceremony and of
course, announcing the winner of the Saddle High Point which was Bill Yake and Player. Delicious food,
good conversations, and a suspicious amount of wine was had before the silent auction which was
followed by a not-so silent auction for the remaining 6 keys of The Trunk. Showdown Sunday was both
exhilarating, as horses and riders navigated the difficult course, and also humbling for some, who were
reminded to brush up on their rope dragging skills. As always, the championship buckles and prizes were
awarded afterwards, and everyone celebrated a year of fun, growth, teamwork, and learning.
Thank you to our sponsors, producers, judges, competitors, and volunteers for making the 2024
season an enjoyable and amazing time!
As for 2025, anticipate more technical patterns with obstacles requiring multiple maneuvers
highlighting horsemanship and partnership. Expect the unexpected and as always, show your horse to
the best of their ability...
Brilliantly remembered and written by Katie Gibbard

Looking like another great year...horses, people, potlucks, visiting and of course 'competition'

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