The Big Horse with the Little Name

There are some horses that I've had an instant connection with over the years.

Cub (pictured) was certainly one of them.

It was his size. It was his personality. And I guess it was also the fact that we did a lot of winning together.

Cub, to the best of my knowledge, was bred and raised by Harkness Farms in Ohio. But he eventually found his way to the famed Alberta Game Farm Belgian six horse hitch, which I managed, drove and showed.

The Alberta Game Farm Belgian six competed extensively across Canada in the late 1970's and 80's, promoting Al Oeming's famed Alberta Game Farm. Oeming was an ex-professional wrestler, wrestling promoter and zoologist. (Yes, quite the combo - and YES, quite the guy!)

In addition to managing the show hitch, I was also the assistant director of the Alberta Game Farm. That's right. My duties focused on the Belgians, but extended to polar bears, tigers, muskox, guerrillas, ostrich, etc. There were over 3,000 exotic wild animals across 1,500 acres, and it was open to the public year round.

As much as I loved dealing with bears and guerrillas (which was done very cautiously, I can assure you), taking the lines of that hitch was my passion. And Cub was my pride and joy. He was the foundation of that famed hitch. A massive wheel horse who stood 19 hands tall and weighed roughly 2400 lbs.

Winning was simply what he did. For three years straight our Alberta Game Farm six went undefeated across Canada, including annual trips to the 'biggie' - the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto.

Outside of the six, Cub and his partner Charlie were also frequent winners in heavy draft team classes. Even individually, he claimed grand champion gelding status at many of the same shows.

Cub's winning also translated to a bit of celebrity in the hitch's home base of Edmonton, Alberta. The community became very familiar with Cub, appearing at several special events and doing appearances on local tv stations.

Cub was indeed quite the guy. A true gentle GIANT - and a true champion.

I look at this picture and a flood of memories come back about that undefeated Alberta Game Farm hitch. Many horses over the years have made their mark on me, and I wish I was lucky enough to have a picture like this one to remember each of them by. But none greater than the BIG guy with a little name that we called Cub.