#rexbellorum

Bello after the Blizzard

My horse Bello and I have been trying to make the most of the massive snowfall in the Ottawa Valley.

He seems to enjoy gambolling in the snow, far more than I enjoy shovelling it or dragging hay to him through it.

Rex Bellorum

My horse Bello is flourishing in the summer heat, while I melt.

“Bello” is the Spanish word for “handsome”, which I think is doubly appropriate for him: in addition to being (in my unashamedly biased opinion) a strikingly handsome horse, his sire was an Andalusian, a Spanish breed originally reared for the battlefield and mounted bull fighting.

Snow Fall

Being snowed-in has some advantages.

I took my horse Bello out for a late bareback ride, confident that if I came off, the deep snow would give me a soft landing.

Bello had plans of his own for the snow, and hurled himself into a drift for a roll, as we trotted along.

Merry Christmas from Bello and Friends

Bello and I had a lovely Christmas ride, while the fillies looked on impassively, pawing for their carrot-themed presents.

This has been another holiday season marked by the necessity to care for one another by staying physically apart from one another.  But I like to think we can find ways to bridge the distance, and enjoy other happy moments.

Victoria Day Long Weekend

Bello and I are having a lovely long weekend, gambolling about the farm.

The fillies keep bounding into our path, turning the fields into something of a protean obstacle course.

I am sure Queen Victoria would be amused.

Canadian Olympic Committee 2021 Session

I participated in the Canadian Olympic Committee's annual Session this weekend, and was elected by the Board to the COC Supporter Category, to 2024.

I retrieved Bello's old Team Canada horse blanket for the occasion.  It dates from my past tenure as a COC Member.

I believe passionately in the capacity of sport to bring people together across the divides that beset the human condition.  I am no less alert to the hard reality that the power of sport is too often co-opted for venal purposes.

I am honoured the COC has given me an opportunity to contribute to the cause of ethical sport in the Olympic movement.

Bello “Helping”

Bello has been "helping" me prepare to launch the University of Guelph's Equine Industry Symposium, by gnawing on my shoulders and blowing raspberries during video recordings.

The Symposium will bring together grassroots horsepeople and experts, on protecting horse welfare and economic viability through the pandemic.

Somewhere Under the Rainbow

My horse Bello and I dodged intermittent downpours, darting into his shelter whenever the skies opened up.

It was worth the scramble to see the vivid rainbows between showers.

Bello is still waiting for his pot of carrots, though.