HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1993-06-30, Page 13Barrel racing and polebending
Andrew Geiger and Final Cheque
heeling for World Championships
By Adrian Harte
T -A Editor
ZURICH - It's 'off to Texas for Andrew Geiger and his horse Final
Cheque. The pair will be among 1,700 competing in the annual Ameri-
can Junior Quarter. Horse Association World Championships in Forth
Worth from August 7-14.
The AJQHA championships are an invitational event for top North
American quarter horse competitors aged 19 and under.
Geiger will be competing as a member of the Ontario Quarter Horse
Youth team. He and Final Cheque qualified to enter the world champion-
ships by earning the required points at American Quarter Horse Associa-
tion shows in ttte*ast year.
The pair came.npwith a first place finish in polebending and a -third -in
barrel racingin September 1991 in Quebec City when they competed
with the Ontario team on_the Heritage C'tacsic Show circuit. Last fall,
Geiger and Final Cheque won the youth polebending class at the All
American Quarter Horse Congress in Ohio, and placed seventh in youth
barrels in a class of over 100 entries.
"I figure there will be a minimum of 140 in every class," predicts An-
drew's father John for the Texas world championships.
Nevertheless, Final Cheque is expected to-do well.. since much of Me
competition encountered in Ontario at Midwestern -Ontario Horseman's
Society shows and at the Toronto meets he frequents can be considered
top -class.
Geiger and Final Cheque finished in the top 10 in the Ontario Barrel
Racing Association last year.
The pair race nearly every weekend, either at local events or further
afield, and Geiger rides "Chequer" an hour a day. Practising on barrels or
poles isn't really necessary since "he knows the events", says Geiger of
his seven-year old former race horse.
At 16 hands tall, Final Cheque is large for his class.
"He's just about the biggest you should barrel race," said Geiger, but not-
-.ed his horse can consistently run the polebending courses in a little over 20
seconds, making him very competitive indeed.
His dad credits the horse and rider's succuss to "just plain hard work".
'He also says sponsorship helps pay the avby:for-a'very expensive sport.
Sponsors for his trip to the World Championship include Connie's Tack
Shop, Bayfield Garage, the Varna Feed Mill, Via lbols and Trailers, Apa-
loosa Xing, Murray Manson Supply, Jamco Trailers, Chequer's former
owner Bill McCracken, the South Huron Vet Clinic, Bent Andersen, Ken
McLellan Announcing, and Maple Lodge Furniture Refinishing.
"It's going to be very expensive and those sponsors have been very good
-to help out," said Geiger, adding it is sometimes hard to get financial sup-
port for an event so far from home.
Gieiger.a+ys
shape he's
barrel here,
knows what
his horse Final Chque is in just about the best
ever been in. Although he paces him around a
he says the horse has a competitve spirit and
is expected of him on race day.
Andrew Geiger, a Goderich District Collegiate Institute stu-
dent, will be taking his horse Final Cheque to Texas in August
to compete in the World Championships for youth barrel rac-
ing and polebending.
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What started out in
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On the shores of Lake Hu-
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The head hondho of the camp is Don 'Boom' Gravett who
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"It was called 'Boom's Kin Camp'. The Kinsmen helped me
sponsor it. It was in Exeter for three years," said Gravett from
his office in Hanover. "It was part of the *Wound program
when we had it there."
He said the Kinsmen Club in Exeter was very helpful and
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elaborate as His now.
In 1993, Boom's Camp offers a wide range of activities
from swimming to organized pillow fights. But there are
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While the summer months offer kids a chance to go to a
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phasis on competitiveness.
"I figure they get all the skills they need at school. It's not a
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From August 8 - 14, campers live in cabins and there is a
rec hall, swimming pool, mess'hall,craft hall and a chapel al-
though religion is not stressed.
Boom's Camp is very.popular for those who live in this area
and he says they come fram Exeter, Grand Bendand Lucan.
"It's a lot of work but it's fun," he says of the reason he
keeps running the camp year -after -year.
Gravett started the camp in Exeter when he was the recrea-
tion director here after a stint as the sports editor of the
Times -Advocate.
His knowledge of sports comes horly as she Sudbury na-
tive played junior hockey in nearby Waterloo. Once he gradu-
ated from that level of hockey he continued -to play in Exeter.
"We had six or seven ex -Waterloo Junior 'B' Siskins.playing
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Anyone wishing mote information about 'Boom's Recrea-
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'Gravett at 364-3304 or 3644597.
...
After one year in the National Hockey League, Toronto Ma-
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General Manager CliffFFletcher has taken a strong stand on
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.Belix the -Cat has .aaitelLi pr„ ;, tuun-
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The recent NHL protected like ar ire ild `'Exeter's Dave
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That's a tough decision because Potvin is a goalie the Leafs
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From the sidelines: Anyone who doesn't think sports is a
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Example, Carlton Fisk of the Chicago White Sox set a record
for most games .caught in professional baseball. He's 45
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player.
They use you and then when you get old, get rid of you.
Fisk however, should be greatful for several reasons including
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Despite giving several good years to the Sox, I doubt if he'll
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