A Visit With the Witch Doctor – Kathy Butkovic
This day and age, more and more horse people of all disciplines are becoming more aware of the positive benefits of having their horses worked on with massage, energy work and the likes. Years ago, if you had someone like this working on your horse, they were “Witch Doctors” and you were a nut for using them. Many old time cowboys just didn’t understand it, but some have come around and can willingly admit what a difference a visit with said Witch Doctor can make.
As I’ve mentioned before, I can read vibes on people pretty well, and when you get good vibes from someone, you’re drawn to them. I had been drawn to Kathy (in a non creeper way) for a year before I finally was able to book a session for ReevaJane. Not only did Reeva end up in a trance, I had full body tingles and was in my own little trance. I even forgot my saddle in Ponoka that night! I guess both Reeva and I are pretty sensitive to that stuff! The next few visits she had, Reeva had buckling knees, and I have ALWAYS have witnessed a difference with how she feels when Kathy is done.
Ok lemme take a step back.. Who is Kathy? Welp, for the Facebookers, look up ‘EquiSportsTherapy’, click ‘Like’. Ok. Kathy is one of the most outgoing, genuine, witty, fun, & honest people that I have the pleasure to be friends with. If you get the chance to be around her, you will see what I mean within minutes.
Kathy grew up showing horses and Portuguese Water Dogs, which her Mom breeds. (www.baywooddogs.com) I won’t date her by telling you what years she graduated college, but she first attended Olds College for Ag Business, and originally wanted to get into Rural Land Development. Thankfully, years later she attended the BC College of Equine Therapy which lead her to start her successful business of maintaining high end competition horses through accupressure, soft tissue release, muscle balancing, & applied kinesiology. She travels ALL OVER the place, and works on some phenomenal athletes! Seriously. Goldie the Jeep has taken her and Lucy her dog, over 240,000kms. Thats not including Whitey the Jeeps mileage coming in at 380,000km and before that was Spanky, who went for 420,000kms.
Kathy’s clientele list reads like the who’s who of rodeo. They are some of the top Canadian professionals and NFR finalists and champions whom use her servies while rodeo’ing in Canada. Fallon Taylor & BabyFlo, Sherry Cervi & Stingray, Tammy Fischer & Roundpen, Brook Robertson & Jewel (who are at CFR 41 this year), along with team ropers like Marty Lillico, Levi Simpson & Todd Gallais (Also at CFR 41 this year), and Steer Wrestler Matt Reeves horses. That is just a small sampling and doesn’t include the many Amateur, College & High Schopol Rodeo clientele who use her services. She also works with some of the top cutting horse trainers in Canada like Gerry Hansma, Loren Christianson & Brad Pedersen! We can’t forget the countless race horses, and Arabian show ponies as well. The list is long people!!!
“Success in equine competition is a combination of hard work, goal setting and having a great team. I’m happy to have added Kathy Butkovic of EquiSportsTherapy to my team while in Canada . My horses are happy to see her and always give their best after one of her sessions. I trust her recommendations and feedback within regards to addressing each horse as an individual. Through her recommendations and bodywork I have seen a positive change in my performance horses, some even becoming more confident and relaxed.” 4-Time World Champion Barrel Racer, Sherry Cervi
“I have used Katherine’s services for several years while in Canada. My horses thoroughly enjoy and benefit from her. She helps them stay at the top of their game and perform to the best of their ability during a very grueling summer schedule. Katherine has a great way with horses. They trust her and are at ease around her. This is extremely important to me, I know that if they can relax and trust her she can do a better job of evaluating and helping them. I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone.” Tammy Fischer – 6 time NFR Qualifier, 2009 $100,000 Calgary Stampede Champion
OK so that was my longest intro ever. I do my interviews via email, because my in-person interview skills are non-existent.. but coming along soon.. So I will now share with you some of my interview with Kathy
To the racetrack Jeeves! I can’t count how many time I have read that in the morning on your Facebook. How long have you worked with the racehorses now, and how did you get into it? Besides having a Father with the nickname ‘Bookie’ and my family previously owning Off Track Thoroughbreds I was introduced to the Alberta racetrack via an Arabian Horse client, Nan Harrison, who started babies for the race track. She took me in to meet her trainer friend Al Strumecki, a principled old cowboy who believes in a lot of alternative modalities and you probably would have never guessed that if you met Al, but he’s an amazing horsemen. The rest is kinda history, through Al I met his race track Veterinarian Dr. Chad Hewlett who now has a successful performance horse practice. For the majority of my years knowing Al, I have worked on his Thoroughbred race horses once a month throughout the racing season. Through being at the race track in Alberta I had what was called a ‘Para Vet’ licence which you needed Veterinary support to get, it no longer exists but my working relationship with great Veterinarians thankfully still does. My work and word of mouth referrals in Alberta graduated to the worldwide race track work I’ve done since. Still on my ‘Equine Bucket List’? The Dubai World Cup or race horses in Dubai just in general.
What keeps you motivated, cause you don’t have the normal 8-5 office type job? Horses are obviously my motivation and inspiration. I get to lay my hands on horses on a daily basis that that is pretty incredible as a job. Even more I’m motivated by helping people reach their goals that just happen to be equine related. I love people who have goals and are driven! I talk to my clients in the spring about what their goals are for the year and then we devise a maintenance plan for their horse based on their specific goals & needs. That’s why all the km’s on Goldie Jeep and Airmiles happen. There are horse shows, rodeos and horse races all on the same weekend and my clients expect me, and pay me to be there.
What does your yearly schedule look like? I have a pretty intense work schedule from April to November as the Canadian Finals Rodeo is generally my last big commitment. Every year is different. Though since we don’t compete in Canada in the winter, my winter schedule is very lax and I can go off & do some travelling. I usually joke that the more I work in the summer, the less I have to put pants on before noon in the winter! haha! I am very passionate about travelling, I have a love affair with the island of Barbados, it’s so beautiful and the people are friendly & wonderful. Bajans are very passionate about horse racing and it’s so different than North American racing. I’ve been more than a couple times and as well joke about wanting to be the ‘Canadian Ambassador to Fun in Barbados’. Going to Paris for the ‘Salon du Cheval’ was a large Bucket List item for me. Last year I did 2 weeks in Barbados and then 7 weeks in France. I spent a lot of time in a City where my sister lived at the time called ‘Pau’, learning about Horse Racing in France with some of the top trainers and veterinarians in the country. I still haven’t decided on this winters adventure yet…7 weeks in France will surely take the wind out of a girls travel budget, but I dont’t regret it one bit!
Quite the world traveller! What has been your favourite place you have had the pleasure of visiting? Nothing beats morning coffee watching horses gallop at Santa Anita in California with the San Gabriel Mountains as the back drop. Laying in bed, listening to the frogs at night in Barbados. And I have this top secret spot aka my Favourite Place on Earth in Canmore, Alberta. I jokingly say I go there to get ‘baptized by the Bow River & Rocky Mountains’. This summer during the 2014 Calgary Stampede on our day off, I took my friend/client Sherry Cervi to visit it and I bet she would agree. It’s stunning and it doesn’t matter if life is really good or really horrible at the time, if I go there and hang out, life just seems clearer.
Sounds like to me you have the best job ever! What is the best part of the job for you? The horses. Always the horses. But the people I meet are pretty extraordinary as well and I’m lucky to call and consider many of my clientele my friends & family.
I know you like to read a lot, what have been a few of your favourites you think we should be reading? ‘If You Have To Cry Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You’ by Kelly Cutrone. She also wrote a fab book called ‘Normal Gets You No Where’. She is no-nonsense and I would advise most any woman in business to consider reading both.
What about your favourite drink? Wait…alcoholic or non-alcoholic? haha My Starbucks go-to is a Tall Blonde Roast in a Grande Cup. Black coffee. I only need one cup but I *need* that cup to survive! Sometimes I branch out to a tall Soy Chai. Alcoholic beverage? Depends on the day and the clients I’m with!
* please note if you are with Kathy during the Kentucky derby you will be lead to believe that the Mint Julep (the official drink of the Kentucky Derby) is good.. I advise otherwise!*
You know so many cool people already, but if you could spend a day with anyone dead or alive who would it be? Hellooooo Oprah! We pretty much look like the same person with no eye makeup on. True story…we both need mascara and lashes. Jokes aside, she’s amazing.
Well, this has been one of my longer interviews, if you’re still with me, and reading this, THANK YOU! I just think so highly of Kathy and could talk about her for a lot longer. If you are at the CFR this year, and see a bubbly blonde, surrounded by barrel racers, crackin’ jokes with a whiskey in hand, its probably Kathy and you should say hi. If you don’t get the chance to meet her or have one of your fine equine athletes touched by her magical hands, then go follow her on Twitter (@equisportsthrpy), Instagram (@equisportsthrpy) and Facebook. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Cassie✿
