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Mun-w. The Federated Women's Institutes of Ontario Vol.61 No.2 Summer 1995 ’ HOME &COUNTRY Pan. C 39663601 es ilma and David Cleghom live at Thistle Ridge Farm. located on County Road 86. two miles north of Guelph. Wilma grew up in Oxford County: David was born and raised at Thistle Ridge. Wilma came to the Guelph area as a student nurse at the General Hospital. After marrying. she moved to the farm, where they raised her five children. Today. Wilma and David breed and show registered Clydesdale horses. They started out dairy farming, then branched out into beet". and eventually phased out the Holsteins. The photographs, trophies and ribbons that adorn the walls and shelves of their home. are testimony to the fact that they live and breathe Clydes- dale horses. “There's something about a horse that attracts people. said Wilma. "but mares and foals out in a field will stop traffic." People don't even have to know what breed of horse they‘re looking at. she added. The first Clydesdale horse they bought * Crystal - is still on the farm. Three of her numerous offspring - Fancy. Molly and Beth - won Grand Champion Mare or Reserve in 1994. the most success- ful showing season to date. The Cleghoms spend a great deal of time on the road from September through to November showing their horses - at the National Clydesdale Show in Milwaukee. Wisconsin, the InternaA tional Clydesdale Show in Detroit. Michigan. and the Ontario Regionals. They also like to show at low] fall fairs. Because most shows call for a class born in the same year. breeders try to have a foal born as early in the year as possible. It is to their advantage to have a foal born in January competing against a foal born later in the year. Wilma explained that they try to attend all the births. in the event of a problem. Three monitors are set up in their home so they know when the mares are birthing. As members of the Ontario Clydesdale Club and the Clydesdale Breeders of the United States. the Cleghoms have the opportunity to share their knowledge and learn from others. “As long as you h'iillli'l l' H -il [IV/I." ll l Wilma and David Cleghorn with prize-winning Clydesdale Masterpiece. have :1 Clydesdale horse in common to talk about." remarked Wilma. “there's no lack of a topic for conversation.“ Each April. they try to attend the annual meeting of the US breeders in Springfield, Illinois. This past spring they were presented with three All-American awards. Their involvement with Clydesdales has allowed Wilma and David to mix business with pleasure. They have developed many friendships in their travels to the United Kingdom and throughout North America. Holidays are planned around agricultural CXhllDl' lions - such as the Canadian National Exhibition. the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and the Milwaukee State Fair. At exhibi- tion time. the Cleghoms and their Clydesdales are never far apart; in fact. they even sleep within a stall's distance of one another! Continued on page 4 Inside: ACWW Conlarence . . . . Profile: Margaret Munro. Program Coordinator . . FWlO Match Board . . . . t . Cross Country Calendar . . . . For Your lnlurmation . . . i . . . . . . . 16