After a visit to local horse breeders Duhaimes Belgians Tuesday, I felt like a kid again.
There were colts and fillies hanging close to their mothers, not too sure of a new person in their midst. In one pasture was a newly born colt, only hours old, too heavy to stand up on his own with ease. Emma Duhaime helped the approximately 300 pound baby up on his feet so he could feed. The largest foal to come from the smallest mare, the colt stood as high as an older colt in the other pasture.
I received the royal treatment of having the gates opened for me as we walked from pasture to pasture visiting the animals. Only by the grace of good timing did I catch Emma for a look at the horses, the equine breeders are especially busy this time of year.
Duhaimes recently travelled to Brandon, Man. to participate in the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair from March 29 - 31. Danica, Duhaimes home raised Belgian, entered in the three divisions of the NAERIC Draft Horse Classic program, Line Class, Pattern Cart Class and Hitch Cart Class winning first in all. She is the first horse in the competition history to win all three categories and was up against 13 other horses.
The prized filly owned by Albert, Emma and daughter Nichole Duhaime of Paynton, was purchased by a horse lover in Ontario shortly after the competition. Judges for the futurity were Mark Baire, New York, Dale Burger, Ohio and Cal Lipsett Jr., Ontario.
Emma exclaimed "I couldn't be happier, we have always been in the top ten but to win with our homebred filly is a dream come true!"
Paynton Fire Dept will be looking for volunteers for this May's roadside clean-up program. The group of volunteers has been awarded the government contract to clean the ditches from the east entrance of Paynton to the east entrance of Delmas. With a deadline of May 31, the dept. is looking for anyone who has time to help pitch in for a section of the project or to help cook supper for the litter gatherers.
Highways and Infrastructure has provided the bags, road sign and safety vests and the rest is up to the group. If you are interested in helping raise money for new equipment and paying off the new (to us) fire truck, please do what you feel comfortable with and pitch in. Call 895-4225 for more information or show up at the Paynton Fire Hall the morning of May 20 or 21, or both.
