Wynona Mulcaster

Builder (1994)

Horseback Riding

Nonie Mulcaster was born in Prince Albert in 1915. She owned her first horse when she was 13 years old, rode in the Prince Albert Horse Show in 1935 and moved to Saskatoon in 1942.

She became the instructor of the Saskatoon Pony Club in 1945 and one of the first good signs was getting the assistance of Clifford Sifton to build a pavilion for the club on the Exhibition grounds. She taught at the club every day until 1973 and it was a true labor of love, with no salary, reasonable costs for the owners and a strong co-operative spirit.

During a year in Europe, she rode at Portlock Vale and Fulmer School and came back to Saskatoon, convinced the club should use guest instructors. Notable horse people like Ann Wood, Christilot Hanson, Pat Salt, Pat Manning, Waldermar Suenig, Michael Herbert and Dietrich von Hopffgarten came to Saskatoon for clinics.

She influenced the careers of many riders. Valerie Johnson Matheson competed for Canada at the Pan-American Games in 1967. Cathy Wedge competed for Canada at the Pan-American Games in 1971, the Olympic Games in 1976 and was on the Canadian team, which won gold at the 1978 world championships. Gina Smith won a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympic Games and a gold medal at the 1991 Pan-American Games. Many of her pupils, some still in Saskatoon, have carried on as instructors.

Nonie enrolled in an Ernest Lindner art school at Emma Lake in 1932 because she wanted to draw a horse. She didn't paint a horse until 15 years later. She has become one of Canada's leading landscape painters.

** Deceased