Big Horse Hitch unites communities en route to Calgary Stampede

Andrea Roberts
Times Intern

 

The largely anticipated Big Hitch arrived in Strathmore on July 3 after leaving Gleichen a day earlier, led by a team of 30 horses.
The group was hoping to break the North American record, which currently stands at 50 Percheron horses in a hitch.
However, the team was unable to get enough horses together after one of the men who was going to lend the hitch some of his horses passed away a few days before the event. This hasn’t deterred the Big Hitch group.
“We want to do it again next year,” said Neil Dimmock, the driver of the wagons. “There was a lot more interest in the event and we are proud of ourselves as well.”
Despite not being able to break the record, the team decided to show off some driving skills, such as going around an obstacle course and hooking up the horses to a crowd in the grandstands, which included representatives from the Calgary Stampeded Parade safety committee. The safety committee was there to test out the hitch to ensure it could be in the Calgary Stampede Parade on July 7.
The Big Hitch team was also informed that due to time limits, they would have to cut down the number of horses in the hitch to 20; it was four and a half times longer than what is allowed in the parade.
Despite these setbacks, Dimmock has enjoyed the challenge of driving the large team of horses. While unable to recreate Ralph ‘Slim’ Moorehouse’s 36-Percheron horse hitch, Dimmock was able to travel alongside Moorehouse’s own daughter Joan Riise.
“I am really happy to do it with him [Dimmock],” said Riise. “I am really proud of him trying to do something like this. I am happy to see what my dad actually used to do.”
Riise was born when her father was in his 50s and to be part of this journey made her feel closer to her dad and nature. While she said she has loved the journey, she was a little apprehensive about taking part in the parade as her two horses, Easter and Ruby, are not used to parades. She will be riding in front of Dimmock and the 20-horse hitch.
The Big Hitch left Strathmore on July 5 on its continued trek to the Calgary Stampede parade.