By Charlotte Morritt-Jacobs - (@morrittjacobs on Twitter)

Percheron horses Named at Bar U Ranch National Historic Site

Apr 9, 2016 | 9:50 AM

ALBERTA –“Poca” and “Terra” are the names given to two newly acquired Percheron horses at the Bar U Ranch National Historic Site.

Following a public contest launched in December 2015, that attracted national media attention, Parks Canada received 1,000 recommendations for the five and eight-year-old purebreds.

Jim Barbaro, a 71-year-old retired Calgary firefighter who lives in Sundre, Alberta, suggested the names mark the pioneering contributions of George Pocaterra, an Italian immigrant who fell in love with the foothills and mountains of southern Alberta.

Pocaterra arrived in Canada from Venice, Italy in 1903 with $3.75 in his pocket.

He worked as a ranch hand, trapper, hunter, explorer, coal prospector and operatic stage manager.

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After, Pocaterra established the Buffalo Head Ranch in the Highwood Valley, which became one of the first ‘dude’ ranches in Canada.

Through his friendship with the Stoney Nakoda First Nation, Pocaterra became one of the first Europeans to extensively explore the Kananaskis area.

Poca and Terra will perform historic duties, shuttling guests by wagon into the historic centre when the Bar U Ranch opens for visitors May 16th.

The Bar U Ranch National Historic Site was the largest Percheron breeder of its kind in the early part of the twentieth-century.

“These beautiful, yet powerful horses were crucial to the success of early farming and ranching efforts in the area and are linked to the Bar U and the importance of western culture in our history,” Travis Weber, Bar U Ranch Manager, said.