Paula Leweke spent years working to be able to afford horses. Now B次元官网网址渁 miracleB次元官网网址� has happened in her words: one of her animals has been named best bred Canadian horse for 2021.

The national award, presented to her by Equestrian Canada, comes after a long journey for both Leweke and Bella, the winning 10-year-old horse who went from clopping around Metchosin as a young filly to jumping under talented Canadian rider Alicia Gadban Lewis on the international stage.

B次元官网网址淚n the international, really expensive horse world, I am a nobody,B次元官网网址� Leweke said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 really, really fabulous and fantastic and a bit of a miracle, because these are the kinds of horses that top riders in Canada and the United States usually go to Europe to buy and pay $500,000 up to a million dollars each for them. The fact that this quality and level of an athletic horse was bred here B次元官网网址� it just shows that Canada has the capabilities of breeding top international horses.B次元官网网址�

LewekeB次元官网网址檚 love for horses was instilled early, growing up on a ranch in Mount Robson, off of Highway 16 north of Jasper National Park. Between pack trips over the Rocky Mountains and living on the ranch, she developed a good eye for horses.

She worked as a nurse and later taught nursing at several universities as well as Camosun College, and kept her eye on saving enough to be able to afford horses of her own. She started rescuing otherB次元官网网址檚 animals and then started breeding horses at her Robin Hill farm in Metchosin.

She knew early on that Bella B次元官网网址� who competes under the name Beneficial B次元官网网址� was a winner.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e known that she was very, very special from the time that she was born. She was incredibly athletic with a very strong hind end.B次元官网网址�

Bella was bred from a mare, Ivy, that competed nationally, but never reached the heights her offspring has since. Looking to give her prized filly a chance to run and grow stronger, Leweke sent her to a big open ranch in Kamloops when Bella was around two.

After some years there, the five-year-old Bella was ready to be trained into a serious competitor, but it was hard to find a buyer. Being a small town breeder, it took some convincing for people to take Leweke and Bella seriously.

Several Island riders Leweke approached werenB次元官网网址檛 interested, but eventually, Leweke reconnected with Alicia Gadban Lewis, who had purchased a horse from her when Gadban was 12. With their past connection, Leweke convinced the Delta-based equestrian that Bella truly was special.

Gadban Lewis trained her up and now theyB次元官网网址檙e travelling the world, recently winning the Canadian Show Jumping Championships in November.

B次元官网网址淚 worked hard to be able to pay for this and itB次元官网网址檚 a real honour to know that she was bred and born in Metchosin and now sheB次元官网网址檚 on the international stage,B次元官网网址� Leweke said.

There may be more winners coming down the pipeline. Ivy recently had another foal, a colt called Bobbie that Leweke has high hopes for in the future.

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