Board of Directors

I have competed in the following areas:

Barrel Racing, Pole Bending, Western Pleasure, Hunter, Jumper, Dressage, Eventing in Alberta and BC

Other areas of equestrian involvement:

Regina Pony Club instructor, English judge (Hunter, Jumper, Hack), SHF Provincial Co-ordinator, English Coaching Program

I live on a farm 45 kms NE of Regina.  I currently have 2 horses (Thoroughbred Jumper and Dutch Warm Blood Hunter) and one pony (Mini).

Over 3 decades, working in senior positions within the Policy, Marketing, Communications, Project Management and Purchasing fields with a Crown Corporation, provincial and municipal governments, a publicly traded agri-business corporation, as well as other private and publicly traded companies.

My most recent work has been with ISC (Information Services Corporation) as a Consultant undertaking a review of the corporations existing Community Investment Program and other communications programs. Prior to this, I was Vice President of Business Development for a Winnipeg advertising agency exploring opportunities for the agency within the Saskatchewan marketplace. 

I worked with the Government of Saskatchewan as SaskEnergy’s Director of Corporate Affairs where I sat as an active member of the Executive Committee.  I worked in Executive Council executing the Communications Services Procurement Policy as established by Cabinet and undertook a full consultation process with internal/external stakeholders and the general public to develop policy recommendations to Cabinet. I have also been an Executive Assistant to a Cabinet Minister responsible for Justice and then Finance. A significant highlight was being part of the Viterra team that worked on the acquisition of Australia’s ABB Grain and to be in Australia for the acquisition vote.

From a volunteer perspective, I was President of the Edenwold Community Club leading many celebrations and fundraising events; and, President of Prairie Skies Musical Theatre Co. developing their business plan and coordinating grant applications and sponsorships.

Shirley grew up a few miles south of Saskatoon and started riding at the age of 5.  She joined the local 4-H club when she was 10 and Pony Club when she was 11.  She started jumping lessons in Pony Club and has never looked back.  Even though she has ridden some talented reining, cutting, and dressage horses over the years, jumping is still her passion.

As a junior Shirley competed twice at National Pony Club Rallies, winning Team Gold and Individual Silver in her last year of Pony Club.  She also represented Saskatchewan at the North American Junior Championships at Spruce Meadows, coming home with one 8^th place ribbon.

After a 23 year break from competing, to focus on family and taking kids and students to shows, Shirley got back into the show ring and has had many successes in the Hunters over the past many years.  Cheers, Strydor, Perry Mason, Grand Finale, and Lieben have all won classes and championships at many of the shows in Saskatchewan, and numerous SHF Heritage Circuit, SHF Prairie Cup Series, CWHBA, and Sask Hunter Jumper Association Year End Awards.

Shirley married into a family very involved in the equine industry.  Her husband Jay co-owns Austin’s Saddlery with his brother and is a Custom Western Saddle Maker.  Jay enjoys Team Roping and long pleasure rides.  Her daughters, Stephanie and Jennifer, competed in Heritage Circuit shows as juniors and are still very involved in riding, both Western and English disciplines.

Shirley is an NCCP Competition Coach (English) and is working towards attaining her Equestrian Canada Recorded 1 Steward status.

Shirley was on the SHF Board from 2008 to 2016 as VP of Recreation and Chair of the Heritage Circuit for 7 years. During this time she was also on the SHF committee that spear-headed the idea of an “Equine Expo” that was proposed to Prairieland Park. She has again been on the Board since 2018 and is currently the VP Finance and Co-Chair of the Competitions Committee (Heritage Circuit) and Chair of the Heritage Provincial Finals.

Shirley retired in 2019 after 34+ years working at SaskPower.

She enjoys being on the SHF Board because of her interest in advocating for horse Health and Welfare and is also passionate about competition and developing our young riders through the coaching program and competition circuits developed by the SHF and LTED.

I have been working as a Registered Psychiatric Nurse for the past 36 years, my current role is with the Saskatoon Tribal Council as the Mental Health Program Manager. I oversee the Mental Health and Addictions services for the 7 communities that the Tribal Council supports as well as urban services. I also work part-time at Kilburn Hall which is a youth correctional facility.

The love of horses is a passion I inherited from my mother who made sure at an early age we each had a horse to ride. I started out riding western with our local 4-H club, but upon visiting the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair and watching the jumping my interests took a permanent detour and I soon began taking lessons and then began competing in show jumping events.

In 1985 I started Tally Ho Stables on a small acreage south of Brandon Manitoba, In 1991 Cindy Klassen joined the Team and we purchased a farm just west of Brandon and built an indoor facility, and expanded our services. Tally Ho stable housed up to 75 horses, with 40 students, we raised warmbloods, coached, and competed across Canada and the northern US in Hunter and Jumper competitions. I was a director with the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba board for 22 years and was the Royal Manitoba overall chairman for 13 years and the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair light horse chairman for 8 years.

Tally Ho Stables was sold in 2012 and Cindy and I started Tally Ho Equestrian in 2021 which runs the Tally Ho Equestrian Development Series which hosts 5 grassroots competitions in Saskatoon. The vision behind this series was to offer an opportunity for those interested in competing to have an affordable safe place close to home to develop skills in the show ring. I am also a recorded Equine Canada course designer since 2000 and continue to work at competitions in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

I participated in both Beef and Light Horse 4-H many years ago. I belonged to the Pleasant Valley Multiple Club. This club was based out of a small town called McGee, which is located just west of Rosetown, SK.  I give the time spent in the 4-H program credit for launching me on my judging career and giving me the ability to speak to the public with confidence.

I have participated very successfully in Open English and Western Events over the years.  I have several CEF Championship Certificates and a Sterling Silver CEF Belt Buckle for my western endeavors. 

My gelding, Rising Son, was a very successful show hack in both the Open English world and in Arabian Competition.  He was also a Legion of Merit and Supreme Legion of Merit Competitor.  He was unusually large for his breed and a steady Eddy.   After the Open and Arabian Show world started to interest me, I moved on to riding and showing reining horses.   I bought my first reiner in the late eighties and have continued this path till present time.  I have had a successful reining career but with getting older I am looking to shifting to something different because what my mind says I want to do and what my body says it can do are two different things.

I also in the seventies started judging small shows and 4-H and enjoyed the job. I was having a very good show career at that point in time, so Lil Williamson took me under her wing to instruct me on the judging path.  She referenced me to the CEF, and I took their judges seminars, travelled around to get the shadow judging done and the rest is history.  I also at the time was a recorded steward.  

I was working with Al Trimble, at large fairs and shows he judged the English flat and Hunters/Jumpers and I did the Western and General Performance classes.  From this we along with SHF created the Provincial Judges Program.  The very first training seminar happened in Swift Current.  This was and is a very needed program for the Heritage Circuit/Prairie Cup and the Fair Circuit.  From this start up, other provinces did the same thing, I felt very privileged to go to the provinces and be the facilitator for the start up seminars and help get their program started. 

From this point I worked very close with the CEF/EC to create a General Performance judges program.  I sat on the EC rule book committee for many years and attended the EC convention/AGM to work with Gary Yaghdjian to present a judges seminar down East. I have since gone on to judging horses all over Canada, Bermuda and the Yukon. I spent many years teaching the judges training seminars for Equestrian Canada. I was part of the very first group of Western Coaches certified in Saskatchewan. The exam was held in Regina in the old barn 10 arena with Vern Sapergia and Don Rudco.  I was successfully certified at that point and went on to gain my Level II certificate at the time and become an Examiner for the CEF.     

I was also the first female to gain a National Reined Cowhorse Card in Canada.  I have since not renewed the card, have retired. I have always had an interest in the Angus Cattle breed and we raised Angus based cattle for a number of years.  Enjoyed going to Angus sales to purchase purebred heifers and bulls in order to improve our own herd.  I volunteered at Angus shows to help get the competitors into the ring (marshalled the show).

I support 4-H where I can and have also helped the University Stockmans Club with presentations on judging light horses. I believe that I bring a lot of experience to the board, with what and who I know and as chair of the officials committee I have expertise from the ground up. 

Kyla Murch was born in Saskatoon, Sk. The equestrian community has been a generational cornerstone of her family. She grew up riding with wonderful instruction at various local barns, undertaking numerous disciplines.

She graduated from Olds College with diplomas in Breeding and Production Management, and English Horsemanship and Instructing. Shortly afterward, she completed her Bachelor of Science, Registered Nurse and went into the field of Neuroscience Nursing.

Through the many chapters of her life, Kyla maintained her passion for equestrian coaching. She continued riding and showing, both in Saskatchewan and beyond. She has served on many volunteer boards and committees. Her passion for developing young horses and young riders remains, and she and her husband, Coleman, run two equestrian facilities outside of Saskatoon.