Those who gathered for the Rick Smith Memorial Horse Show late last month share a common love of riding. Of that, there is no doubt.

Their common love of horses, however, runs much deeper than that.

"My husband made the mistake of buying me my first one when I was about 26," stated Katriina Ruotsalo. "I had taken a few lessons but not at any kind of significant barn or show barn."

Apparently, things escalated quickly from there.

She and her husband (Craig Fielding) are now the owners of Northern Legacy Horse Farm, a 320 acre facility located in Whitefish, along the shores of the Vermillion River.

And while she definitely loves to show, Ruotsalo often finds herself far more connected with the animals in a far less formal setting.

"I just love going out hacking in the bush with the horses, trail riding," she said. "I love giving the show horses a relaxed day, trail riding in the bush."

"I think it's really good for the horses to get out there mentally. They get to see different things that we don't normally see. And by going up and down hills, you're engaging different muscles."

Like all of the adults on hand for the Rick Smith Show, Ruotsalo enjoys a parental pride at various moments over the course if the weekend, albeit with the attachment being with the four-legged creatures.

"I love to watch my babies going in the ring for the first time ever - the babies being the horses I have been with from insemination to birth to ring," she explained.

"That's probably my proudest moment. That is probably when I get the goose bumps."

The owner of Cache Creek Stables to the east of Sudbury, Amanda McCartney enjoys the same emotion when daughter, Kadence, is out competing in the jumper ring - or pretty much any of the young riders under her watch.

To some degree, it's a life she has envisioned for quite some time now.

"When I was kid, I played barn," McCartney recalled with a smile. "I pretended all of the bedrooms in my parents' house were stalls and I would do turn ins and turn outs in the house - and now I am kind of doing that."

"I own my own farm, have a boarding facility, have thirty horses on the farm. It's busy."

It may well be busy, but McCartney wouldn't have it any other way.

"I love going to work every day; I love being with the horses," she said. "I go there in my pjs, bad hair day or whatever and nobody says a word. They don't care."

And while this show sees her focused largely on her role as a coach, McCartney has no trouble at all recalling what it was like to be in the shoes of her young athletes.

"I bought a beautiful big Grand Prix Jumper (Sloop / Ivy League) from my best friend and I really had fun showing him. I was scared because he was this big 17 2 hand warm blood."

"But we did the 0.9, then the metre. We went to champs every year. He was so much fun."

Following in those footsteps at Foothills Farm in late July were horses like Dark and Stormy, winner of the Northern Legacy Derby with rider Leah Blanchette aboard.

Caitlyn Baier captured first place in an equitation class that had some extra work offs in it. Katriina Ruotsalo had a chance to see many of her horses excel, notably Classical (champion of the low hunter class) and well as Dolche de leche (champion of the developmental hunter class).

Also showing extremely well over the course of the weekend were Captain Jack with Madison Geison (trillium jumper), iCandy with Holly Heikkila (metre jumper) and Gambler's Choice My Outkast, owned by Frances Brisbois and ridden by Janessa Dennison.