KALISPELL — We stopped by the Event at Rebecca Farm last week and talked with a family who has special ties to the event.
Catherine Bran has been a judge at Rebecca Farm for over 30 years and for the past six years her daughter Jan Gibbons has joined her. And to say those two we are having a blast together; well, that might be an understatement.
“We'd sit and giggle all day,” Gibbons said.
“I just have to keep her on track, most of the time,” Bran noted.
If you asked his mother-daughter duo what they find the most joy in this year, they will tell you it's watching over the obstacles.
“We are in charge of the carrot, all morning. The dinosaurs, for a period, and then the hot dog all afternoon. And we're taking good care of them,” Gibbons explained.
What they also discovered judging together, is that your horse might perform better, depending on your color scheme.
“We've discovered it is always the riders that matched that had trouble, you know, the saddle blanket matches the shirt,” Gibbons said.
Equestrian has been something that these two have bonded over since the beginning. So, agreeing to volunteer together was an easy yes.
I've always, I've always been involved with horses,” Gibbons said. “As a kid I had horses... As a mom, it always had horses, Kate always had horses and evented,” Gibbons recalled.
“With the Event at Rebecca Farm, we just decided to jump in and set a fence together,” Bran said. What keeps them coming back year after year is how great the event is.
The equestrian triathlon has almost 600 participants now. Rebecca Farm has also hosted the World Cup qualifiers and the North American Youth Championships.
“I love this event, this is so much fun,” Gibbons told MTN News. “It's a beautiful venue, beautiful area it's just gorgeous. Lovely people, beautifully organized event.”
“It is a beautiful venue. We've got amazing horses that come from all over the place and it's just so fun to come and watch and participate,” Bran added.
How many more years, will they be volunteering together? Well, they said they're in it for the long haul.
