Rescued Belle Leads McBride Pioneer Days Parade

Belle and Sundance Back to Health
By Melanie Huggett

In December, 2008, the Town of McBride, BC came together to dig a kilometre long trench through thick snow to rescue two starving horses trapped on the side of a mountain. Now the two horses, Belle and Sundance, are back at full health and doing well.

On the weekend of June 19, Belle said a final farewell to the town of McBride, leading the Pioneer Days Parade with Birgit Stutz aboard.

Before this spring, Stutz had not seen Belle in a year and a half, but had been in contact with both Belle’s and Sundance’s new owners. “Belle is on a ranch near Prince George, and Sundance is on a ranch near Kamloops,” said Stutz. “They are doing great.”

The horses’ near-death experience doesn’t seem to have done the pair any long-term damage, aside from their tails still being a bit too short. “Belle’s coat has grown back. She has some white hair from the frostbite she had, but it’s not that noticeable,” said Stutz, who estimates that Belle and Sundance had lost between a third and a half of their bodyweight before being rescued. Now, Belle weighs 1400 pounds and Sundance a massive 1600 pounds.

“Belle is very protective with food, which is normal for a horse that went through what she did,” said Stutz, “but she is very friendly with people. Almost too friendly!”

Belle received a month’s saddle training with Stutz before leading the parade, but was still very green, said Stutz. But laid-back Belle took it all in stride. “It went amazingly well,” said Stutz, who was one of Belle’s rescuers in 2008 and was asked last fall if she would train Belle for riding. “I was thrilled when the owner contacted me last fall asking if I would train her. Getting to work with Belle was really neat. I am thankful to the owner for giving me that opportunity and for giving me the opportunity to ride her in the parade,” she added.

Stutz is currently writing a book on Belle and Sundance’s rescue, which she expects will be out this November.
The man who abandoned Belle and Sundance in 2008, Frank Mackay, a lawyer from Alberta, pleaded guilty in BC Court in December, 2009 and was fined $1150, was prohibited from owning animals in BC for two years, and was ordered to pay the BC SPCA $5910.16 in restitution.

Photo courtesy of Birgit Stutz