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THE CANADIAN STATESMAN ♦ DECEMBER 7,2005 ♦ PAGE 7 durhamreglon.com A CLARINGTON community A weekly in-depth look at the communities that shape Clarington Breeders answer call of the wild BY JULIE CASHIN-OSTER Special to The Statesman. ORONO -- There is splendour in the .,r. northeastern comer of Clarington -- it's t t » known as Kendal Hills. Many call the hills home and many visit to take pleasure pleasure in their beauty. For 17 years Tim and Frances Tufts have owned and operated Kendal Hills Kennels and Game Farm where they •J«j, breed world-renowned champion English *ji (i, setters, care for (other's) dogs, run a successful successful game farm and, since 2003, breed horses. The Tufts' purchased the property in 1988 from the Willis Family, whose main focus was on hunting and dog training. The Tufts' have put more emphasis , on dog training and breeding. » The Tufts' English setters are known around the world. wfif- "English setters that we breed have four ev times won - in the last 10 years - the Grand National Grouse Futurity Breeders _.... Stake." Mr. Tufts is the only Canadian to [■ - ; have won and one of three Canadians to !• '. .• win open championships since its start in the 1800s. . . When the Tufts first bought the property, property, along with breeding game dogs, they ran a very successful game farm. "For the first 10 years we had thy largest quail hatchery in Ontario," said Mr. Tufts. They also raise pheasants and partridges. They still run the hunt club but on a lesser scale. They explain that the last seven years have been tough. The industry industry is not as popular, their interest is now in dogs and horses. The kennel has become an important part of Kendal Hills. Being a small ken-, nel, the Tufts can provide a higher quality of service. They give the dogs personal attention - walks, a lot of handling and TLC. ... "We always had horses, " said Trances Tufts, "During the mid 1990s we became interested in the Canadian Horse, the oldest oldest breed in North America - at the time it was an endangered species." ,« ijk • « V- rv/ ■ L'Cl* ! The Tufts started looking for horses and in 2000 bought their first horse from a farm near Sudbury. In 2003 their first foal was born. ' Breeding Canadian Horses has become a passion for the Tufts. "They are off the endangered species list -- but still at risk," said Mr. Tufts. "There are 7,000 animals in the world -- 4,000 of which are breeding animals." The Tufts have gone "far field," as Mrs. Tufts puts it, to find breeders. "Between here and Roseneath there are four breeders breeders - that breed terrific, excellent animals. animals. "We started competing - showing horses horses and driving (carriages). Tim drives two (horses) and I drive one," said Mrs. ; Tufts. She made the cover of Canadian Horse Breeders Association, a national newsletter for Canadian Horse breeders. Their horses have also appeared in Horse Illustrated, an American magazine. . The horses are also used for logging. Mr. Tufts explained that the practice is becoming more popular - more in demand. "You can be more selective of what you are cutting.and you don't have to build skid roads. It is more ecological." ecological." Logging with horses on Kendal Hills., Farm has a bit of history. "All the pilings pilings for Toronto Harbour, all White Pine 8-feet long and a minimum of 10 inches on diameter at the, top, were cut from this farm," he said. "This was done in between the two world wars - they were cut and brought out by horses. The trees were loaded on flat bed trucks and it took three days to run them into Toronto. "Couple of years ago we started Country Country Vacations - which is a work in prog- • ress," she said. "We mainly get people who have horses and dogs. They love to bring their dogs and they can ride or drive (horses) on,the trails." ,. Mrs; Tufts'adds that it is>goodrplacerto stop if transporting horses - you can stop take a rest and run the horses. : ■ ' Originally built in 1863 the farmhouse • was-known then as the Best homestead. A.J. Groen photos / Metroland Durham Region Media Group ORONO -- Tim and Frances Tufts relax with a pair of English setters in a dog comfort room which is part of the kennel. The Thfts own and operate Kendal Hills Kennels where they breed, board and train dogs. ■n ' T- I! 1. " , ." . . . =g » . - ■ -- -• SSafii-i ... - - j . ms 1 f : -, «*;**,, ; r S»*, v^.,. ■ - a +- t0 .'jgf' ' 4g^... /. ■ - k ■ • , ù \ " :#* ' . . ' v VV:-'. : - - Rji,,,. ; /- !, ■ij&rrijj 1 'v*~\ k -.V , ■ 's *> ■» . ■ . . .fe. V"»-- V 1 The property was farmed until the late 1940s when Ralph Parker, who was the CEO of International Nickel, purchased it. He owned the Tufts' farm, the farm to the west and what is now Kendal . Hills Stud Farm. At this time the farmhouse at Kendal Hills was home to Mr. Parker's game- keeper and dog trainer Bodo Winterheld bufr- iwho in. il 949 started à hunt; club after '^buying the property : from Mr. 'Parker. ' Kendal Hills has been a kennel and game bird operation since 1949. . - The house is not without its own history. history. Prior to becoming a Hunt Club in 1949, a quarter of the house was actually a'barn full of livestock, with hired help living above. A breeze-way separated the two. In the early 40s it was closed in and became the house that is there now. When Bodo Winterheld started the hunt club in 1949 he used boards - milled at Tyrone Mills, to panel the inside walls. Mrs. Winterheld used bee's wax to finish - the panelling, by hand. •■■■ 'The Tufts' are very active in their community. community. Sitting on numerous boards and committees including Mrs. Tufts on the Lakeridge Health hospital board and Mr. Tufts on the Durham Central Fair board. They support rural living and participate in the issues associated with it. "Country is a decorating style -- but rural is a culture culture and heritage," said Mrs. Tufts. If you would like to get in touch with the Tufts or would like more information information on Kendal Hills Kennel and Game Farm, Canadian Horses or Country Vacations Vacations you can visit www.kendalhills.ca, ■e-mail Tufts@kendalhills.ca, or call them at 905-983-5465. They are located at 8075 Maynard Road, Orono. Frances and Tim Tufts walk with a pair of Canadian colts. Canadians are the national horse of Canada. 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