Shadow Bay Belgians

On the south shore of Lake Chelan, on property homesteaded by his great-grandfather, Bub and Socco Watson enjoy not only the beauty of this glacier formed lake, but they enjoy "majesty in action" as owners of the Shadow Bay Belgians.

Though involved with horses much of his life, it wasn't until Bub was in high school that he started to become interested in draft dorses. In fact, the primary interest wasn't in the horses at all, but rather in the old wagons and farm equipment. Only after re-building an old Bob-sled from the late 1800's did he decide to learn more about the horses that would have pulled it.

From humble beginnings with a half-Percheron mare bought from Gary Goble (his high school basketball coach) would grow a love of the "Heavy Horse". Though increasingly looking at animals that possess a "show quality", the goal remains the same, namely to have horses that have a good disposition and ones with which the whole family could be involved. That involvement eventually involved operating a horse-drawn trolley in Chelan and the start of a small breeding program for Belgian Draft Horses. We're proud to say that with each passing year, the quality of breeding and confirmation of the Shadow Bay Belgians has improved, culminating with several Reserve, Grand and Supreme Grand Champion placements at area Draft Horse competitions.

As with the horses, the acquisition of equipment has also occured over time, often involving the process of building wagons and carts built from scratch (or using what few remains there were from vintage items that have been found). Though not the big and expensive hitch wagons that some of the other competitors have, we feel we can be in the ring and compete in style with the tack and equipment we have.

The human team involved at Shadow Bay has also grown. The family involvement has expanded to include Adam Lysiak and Doug Kollmeyer. They help with the horses during show time but have also re-built one of the show carts, keep the primary show wagon looking good and also recently finished re-builting our training wagon. As you can see, they've done a fantastic job. It adds a special appreciation when you know the craftsmanship was done by friends.

Though not as much of a hands on person with the horses, Socco oversees meals and coordinating the day to day requirements when we have special events at the barn or at shows/exhibitions. Her smile and laugh is contagious, and along with friend Gerry Kollmeyer, they do their part to keep the group in high spirits and having a good time.

Mandy Watson does multi-tasking like you've never seen at the show events. She's braiding tails, cleaning harness, wiping down the horses and leading the dances every chance she gets. Donny and Hayley Watson pitch in to help where they can and are developing more and more horse skills every day. Throw in the help of Vickie and Noel Tanner (Vickie is Bub's sister) and this truly is a family affair. Bo Watson (Bub's oldest son) was very active with the horses for many years and now helps out whenever his work allows. More recently Scott Housden, a class mate of Bub's has helped out. Ken Fromm is also always on call and he comes over quit often to drive horses and have fun. Throw in other family and friends who stop by to help (especially when it comes to show events) and we have quite a team. Fact is, we couldn't do it without each and every person who helps us out!

It has taken a lot of time, work and money to get to where we are at this time. Through the efforts and encouragement of many, the result has been remarkable. Many individual members of the Idaho Draft Horse and Mule Show served as instructors and mentors along the way, reaching out to the "new kids on the block" just as they continue to do today. Others kept an eye out for horses, tack and equipment that we may have need of or may have been interested in. Finally, Watson's Resort has taken a major sponsorship roll as well, helping with show and travel costs in exchange for advertising. It is the culmination of all these efforts that have resulted in Shadow Bay Belgians having good horses that put on quality performances at draft horses shows and at community events. Our thanks go out to each and every one of you!

Oh, and just one more thing that must be added: NO ONE HAS MORE FUN THAN SHADOW BAY BELGIANS!