CANADIAN ARTISTS ADVOCATING FOR OUR HORSES IN CANADA
The following are musicians, writers and artists that have come forward in one way or another to show their support and sympathy with the plight of our horses and we thank them with all our hearts.
MUSICIANS:
CHRIS CUMMINGS
Chris Cummings is a Canadian singer/songwriter who has released six studio albums, racked up multiple chart topping hits in Canadian country radio and had several number one videos on CMT. In addition he has multiple CCMA, RPM, ECMA, and Juno nominations as well as a Grammy nominated song recorded by American country group Alabama. Born in New Brunswick, Chris started performing publicly when he was five years old and had his first record contract signed when he was only seventeen. In 2010, he released his sixth album ‘Give Me Tonight.’
Besides his love of music, Chris has a deep affection for all animals and has donated his time to help raise funds for many animal related causes. Most recently Chris performed at Rocking Horse Ranch & Rehabilitation Centre in Baddeck, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia to help raise funds for the ranch that rescues and rehabilitates horses from all forms of abuse and neglect. From the event, enough funds were raised to save 4 horses from a kill pen. Instead of being shipped to slaughter the horses now live on 400 acres of beautiful farmland on Cape Breton Island!
Visit Chris' website at www.chriscummings.ca to learn more, hear music, see videos or purchase his CDs. His music is also available on iTunes and all online music retailers.
MARIE-LYNN HAMMOND
Marie-Lynn Hammond has been in the music business for four decades. In 1971, along with Bob Bossin, she formed the Canadian folk group, Stringband, performing across Canada and in the United States, Japan, Mexico, France, the UK, and the former Soviet Union. Although Stringband disbanded in 1986, the group celebrated its 30th anniversary on Stuart McLean's CBC radio show, The Vinyl Cafe. Ms. Hammond also established a parallel solo career, appearing at every major Canadian folk festival. Multi-talented, she has written or co-written five plays and hosted two national CBC radio shows; she is also a gifted non-fiction writer and editor.
She has loved horses all her life. Her CD Pegasus features three original horse songs, including one about our national horse, The Canadian. Ms. Hammond is currently working on an all-horse song CD, Hoof/Beats, slated for fall release. A working link to her song ‘Emily Flies’ about a disabled girl and the therapy horse she rides, who was rescued from a feedlot, can be found by clicking the blue box on her home page at the link below.
Ms. Hammond's music is available on iTunes and CDBaby as well as through her web site: http://www.marielynnhammond.com/index.htm
KIM BROWN
Kim Brown is a folk/contemporary singer/songwriter currently living in Ontario and has worked with Canadian musicians including Tanglefoot, Figgy Duff, Wendel Ferguson and Ken Greer. She has received album and video grants from Factor and Socan, and has had distribution through A & M Records. Kim is a dynamic performer who moves peoples’ souls when she takes the stage. Her distinctive voice is powerful and passionate.
You can reach Kim on myspace at: http://www.myspace.com/kimbrownsmusic
In 2010, Kim generously offered to donate her time to writing a song for the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition. The finished piece ‘Loyal’ can be heard on youtube at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCCw1EJIATU
Kim can be heard on CBC RADIO 3 at the link below: http://radio3.cbc.ca/#/bands/kim-brown
WRITERS:
JENNIFER MORRISON
Jennifer Morrison is a Canadian journalist who currently writes and handicaps for the Toronto Star newspaper. In May 2008, her article 'Battle to Save Horses from Slaughterhouse’ published in the Toronto Star brought awareness to the general public about the horrors some racehorses endure after their life at the racetrack. Go to the link below for the full article: http://www.thestar.com/Sports/HorseRacing/article/420982
Her chapters on Swamp Line and Lindros/Impropriety were included in the 2010 book "Second Chance Horses" which is a collection of true stories on the second careers of ex-racehorses.
The book is available from Jennifer's blog site and is also available at www.chapters.ca and www.amazon.ca
Jennifer can be reached on her blog at: http://www.horse-canada.com/?cat=53
KEITH McCALMONT
Keith McCalmont is a Canadian award-winning journalist and Sovereign award nominee who has been published in both Canadian and American racing publications (Down The Stretch, The Saratogian, Bloodhorse.Com and TROT Magazine to name a few).
He also can be found on his blog, Triple Dead Heat, where many of his experiences and thoughts about racing and rescuing ex racehorses from slaughter, can be read, including his 2008 interview with Alex Brown. http://www.tripledeadheat.ca/
His July 6, 2009 blog post ‘Boule d’Or – An Old Friend I Hope Will Make It To Old Friends’ detailing the life and times of an 8-year-old racehorse was followed by an update on July 15 titled ‘Boule d’Or – A New Beginning for an Old Friend’ – proving as he stated “Great things can happen when a community comes together.” To link to these articles, go to: http://www.tripledeadheat.ca/2009/07/boule-dor-new-beginning-for-old-friend.html
Mr. McCalmont is also a contributor to Down the Stretch magazine. You can visit it at: http://www.downthestretchnewspaper.com/aboutus.html
CYNTHIA D’ERRICO
Cynthia D'Errico is a former ESL teacher and business editor and currently lives in Quebec. Ground Manners is her first book and signed copies are available through her website below. It can also be ordered through www.barnesandnoble.com , www.chapters.ca , www.amazon.ca www.amazon.com and at local retailers in the Montreal area (see her web for details). http://www.groundmannersnovel.com/index.html
The controversy created when the US closed horse slaughter in 2007 created two opposing factions all over North America: those who promote the slaughter of horses for meat and believe that such slaughter should be re-instated in the US; and those who insist that horses are sport and companion animals, and have no place in the slaughter pipeline.
Ground Manners is a novel backlit by these widely different views of the horse in our culture and in a bold and unexpected move, author Cynthia D’Errico lets the horses tell their own stories throughout the book.
Ground Manners takes Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty up a notch and depicts the fate of horses in the 21st century. If you were moved by Sewell’s classic and enjoyed the subtle ironies in Babe and Charlotte’s Web, you will find Ground Manners an engaging read right up to its thrilling ending. Threaded throughout the novel is the history of a very special breed, le Canadien, Canada’s National Horse, as well as Québec’s pioneering efforts to preserve le Canadien as its heritage breed. Ms. D’Errico’s books were available at both horse shows in Ontario at the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition’s booth. She generously offered to donate a portion of the proceeds to rescue.
ARTISTS:
GAIL HENDRICKS
Gail Hendricks is an animal and equine portrait artist who works in pastels, water colours, oils, and recently has perfected her airbrushing techniques which she offers under Twisted Zister Custom Airbrushing out of her home in the City of Kawartha Lakes. In the past, Ms. Hendricks ran the Just Horses studio for several years in the Scugog area that offered strictly equine art spotlighting already established artists as well as up-and- coming artists. Although the studio location has been closed, Ms. Hendricks continues to paint and donate a portion of her proceeds to animal rescues.
In 2005 and 2006, Gail as Just Horses has sponsored the CSHA Triple Crown by donating Gift Certificates for portraiture services as part of the prizes awarded by each division. After the participants received these as consolation prizes and after realizing how awesome the completed artwork was, her portraits became much sought after and finally became a part of the Champion Grand Prize at the Royal Winter Fair. Gail has also donated Gift Certificates worth $500 each at York Equestrian Centre as prizes for the Dressage competition. Members of the 2003 Canadian Dressage Team are recipients of these portraits.
Gail was present at the Lindsay 'All About Horses' show May 28 – 29, 2011 at the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition booth where prints of 'Sacred Wisdom Keeper’ were on sale, a portion of which was donated to horse rescue.
Gail can be reached at: [email protected].