Horses, dogs, lights, mark festive season at Ex

A light and Christmas carol show at the Moose Jaw Exhibition arena drew two Saturday crowds of visitors. Visitors were entertained by two animal demonstrations as well as the lights flashing to Christmas carol tunes. The light show is in its second year. Glenn Tomyn, one of the organizers, said he didn’t know how many lights they had outlining three buildings — the Burrowing Owl Centre, the arena and the convention centre. A demonstration of fly ball and agility by dogs and their owners from the Moose Jaw Dog Club opened the afternoon show. Most of the dogs are still in early stages of training and did not always follow the course as set out. Two Gypsy horses from the Sunset Ridge Gypsy Ranch at Churchbridge near Yorkton and their riders performed tricks at each show. The Gypsy Vanner horses look like a cross between draft horses and Shetland ponies. The breed’s history goes back centuries to the Romany (Gypsy) people of Eastern Europe. The wandering Gypsy people needed strong horses to pull their vans as they moved from place to place. They needed gentle horses that could be handled and cared for by children. Quiet horses for stealthy movement were also a bonus. The Gypsy Vanner with DNA from Clydesdales, Dale Ponies, Friesian and Shires, fit the bill. Gypsy Vanners will be featured at a show on the Exhibition grounds on April 16. Proceeds from the silver collection went to the Salvation Army. The Army gave every child attending a teddy bear.