BARRHEAD – Shire horse breeders Leanne and David Bombay entered their majestic horses into Calgary Stampede Competitions and won on July 6.
“We are very proud and grateful! It was an amazing experience,” said Bombay.
Bombay's Shire horse Rhea Borealis Miracle, 3 years old, placed in four separate events.
Miracle is Grand Champion senior Shire mare and won first place senior Shire mare in halter.
They also won second place in the All-Breeds Riding Class.
Dressed as a cop and prisoner, Bombay and Miracle won third place in the costume event.
Bombay with her Shire horse Rhea Borealis Hopeful Zora won Reserve Grand Champion Shire mare and Reserve Grand Champion Junior Shire mare.
Zora also won first place ribbon in the yearling Shire filly class.
A colt sold from the Bombay Shire farm in 2023, Rhea Borealis Angus-Blair, now named Omen, won three ribbons at the Calgary Stampede.
Omen is owned by Jade Tory in Sherwood Park and won Reserve Grand Champion Shire stallion class.
Omen also won first place in the two-year-old Shire Stallion class as well as fourth place in the costume class.
The Bombays run a small Shire breeding farm, Borealis Acres, near Barrhead which they launched in 2020.
Shire horses are known for their gentle nature and how massive they are in size.
Stallions can stand between 5.7 to 6.3 feet at the shoulder, 17 to 19 hands high, with mayors reaching 16 to 18 hands high.
Leanne fell in love with the Shire breed when she was 16 years old when she owned her first Shire horse.
She works hard to raise awareness of the Shire horse breed and its dwindling numbers with only 3000 horses worldwide.
Taking her efforts to save this breed to heart, she has accepted and currently stands as director and secretary for the Canadian Shire Horse Association.
In April her efforts gained widespread attention on her Tiktok account at @rheabombay with one video viewed more than 100,000 times sharing the story of a colt named Bambi.
Bambi was born with some difficulties and has had an extraordinary survival journey.
Bombay says Shires are more than just work horses and they can compete in jumping, dressage, and western disciplines.
She hopes that with continued awareness, education, storytelling, and outreach, both online and in person, that her efforts can help shift the tide for these magnificent animals.
