I became Catalina's student a year before she passed in Langley. I was in my 50s, a novice rider and she showed me much patience and encouragement. I am now in my 60s, still riding, and never forgot what she taught me.

student

Her smile, her humor, her wisdom.

viuda

Yo nunca te dejaré.

spouse

Ray Hunt passed away on Thursday, March 12, 2009. He was THE person who most influenced Catalina and revived her enthusiasm for her calling in life. He was a master of feel, timing, and balance, and he was there for the horse. His way with horses made him and his students into better people.

I know his health suffered in his later years, and I am happy that he is finally free. I am OVERJOYED to think that he and Catalina might be connecting now. Maybe they are riding together, Caty on Serena, with Tippy and Tiger Lily running alongside.

I am sad, though, that we have lost him in this realm. From his website it looks as though he was planning a spring clinic. I feel the disappointment of those who had signed up.

Ray, I send you love and thanks for all you gave us.

Joy

Student

Catalina,
I still miss you dearly and feel so lost in the horse world with out you. I find your teachings within me when I work with horses still to this day. I will never forget how you change my world of horses. Your inspiration is still with me; I strive to learn all that I can about the horse as you always instilled in me. Miss you so much!
Hugs, Vanessa

La Mona

Sere la brisa fresca

que juega entre tus faldas

y un sol de medio dia.

El agua, la corriente,

la musica que cantas

cuando te vuelves mia.


Y te dare una noche

de cumbias y luceros

como es la noche mia.

La cascara de besos

de donde bebo a sorbos

tu amor y tu poesia.


Quiero que lleves en ti la vida mia.

Quiero que te llenes del amor de mi tierra.

Quiero que lleves en ti la vida mia.

Que tengo prendida del amor de mi tierra.



Martin Madera, "El amor de mi tierra"

Spouse

Tiger Lily has now joined Catalina, Serena, Tip, and all the others. She left her sick body yesterday. Finally at 7:30 this morning I knew she and Catalina were together--I could feel the incredible love.

Tiger and I became very close in the last six months while I nursed her. Lily, I miss you so much already. My beautiful, brilliant corder bollie. Dilly, don't ever forget--I love you with all my heart and soul, forever, no matter what happens. Dougies and Sweet Pea miss you, too.

friendy

Hey Joy... Still thinking of you all. Big kiss, Me

one with you

Babes, since I can't say what's in my heart—although you know it—I'll just record that the snow is falling gently and I've been hearing the eagles for days.

Te quiero más que ayer. Por siempre.

Montreal

I met Catalina in Montreal in the mid-1980s and for a while there were 3 of us who were roomates. It was in the freezing winter and the apartment had no heat other than a single plug-in portable heater. Funny the things you remember.

Catalina loved her riding and hated her day job. I only knew her for a few months. She seemed even at the time to be searching for her real life. She was very dissatisfied with things the way they were. Shortly after I left the scene I heard she met someone and went out west to do cattle roundup. I remember thinking 'good, sounds like she found what she was looking for'.

We had some good laughs in Montreal. I can still hear the sound of her voice and picture her face and her broad smile.

Lately I thought of her a few times, not sure why. No particular reason, she just kept popping into my mind so I thought "what the hell" and googled her and ended up here.
It is very sad - even though I can't say I knew her all that well, she would have still remembered me I'm sure if our paths had crossed again.

'Cat' certainly led a remarkable life, well off the beaten track and this news will haunt me for a long time.

My sincerest regrets to Joy, the rest of Catalina's family, and her many friends.

Novia del rio

Serena
April 12 1985--March 3 2006

Serena's spirit left her body this morning, and went to be with the spirit of her partner, Catalina.

Does Pac O Brandy was an appendix quarter horse mare born in Sonoita, Arizona, close to the Mexican border. She was a hard-to-handle mare sold six times before she met her life partner at age 10, the one who could help her to release her fears. She became a different horse with Catalina and grew into her life's purpose, which was to work with Catalina to "show the others how it's done."

Serena was a wise boss mare who was very serious and whose precision matched Catalina's. Her willingness made Catalina nearly speechless at times. She taught Catalina all she knew about a partnership of mutual respect.

Years ago, when Serena foundered and the veterinary advice was to put her down, Catalina listened to Serena and recognized her determination to heal. She conducted research on the internet and learned of Dr. Strasser. At that time there was one barefoot hoof care specialist in British Columbia, who came to the Lower Mainland, pulled off Serena's shoes, trimmed her, and helped her to heal herself and become sound. Catalina learned about the natural hoof and taught it to many others. Several of Catalina's students went on to become hoof care specialists themselves. We have Serena to thank for opening the door to all of that learning.

Serena stayed for two years after Catalina died—long enough to take care of her herd at Almaviva and make sure they (and we) would be alright. Then she left her equine herd to be with her leader.

Miss B, thank you for everything you have done for me, for Catalina, for the other horses, for all of us. Te quiero mucho.

"If you don't force, there's no resistance/
Their willing hearts will go the distance"
Mary Ann Kennedy

student, admirer

It's hard to believe that it has been 2 years since your earthly body left us. I still feel your spirit all around. I miss you and think of you often. I know that you'd be happy to know that Stoney is finally getting his round pen.

co-worker from many years ago

I just got the news very recently about Catalina's death. I was moved and honoured that Joy had given me a call. It has been interesting this past day or so to figure out where I had met Catalina and then it dawned on me that we worked together for a brief time at a video store in the very early nineties. I also have a wonderful memory of sitting in a backyard ( as it turns out it was the home of Catalina and Joy ) and there were a bunch of us sitting around and I was making some pretty serious jokes about being a father to [the child of] any one of the wonderful women that was sitting there. As it turns out I did become a father, and just being free and able to talk about our wishes and dreams and hopes that afternoon lives on as amemory for me.
Thank you for having this space to be able to write.

lover, spouse, and widow

Eighteen years ago today, I met Catalina in Montréal. I thought I'd commemorate this day by posting the biography of Catalina that appeared in the program of the Pacific Andalusian Show & Fiesta in July 2004.

Catalina Maria De La Cuesta Florez

by Joy Tataryn
spouse of Catalina De La Cuesta

Catalina De La Cuesta was a beloved riding and natural horsemanship teacher and clinician who taught for more than two decades in Québec, Ontario, B.C., Alberta, and Washington State. She was a part-time faculty member at Kwantlen University College at its Langley campus, where she taught equine psychology, communication, and training.

Catalina started riding at age six. At 14, she was a member of the Antioquia jumper team (her native province in Colombia), competing in national F.E.I.-level jumper shows. In 1982, she received her B.A. in Horsemanship (with a major in Schooling) from Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, Virginia. After graduation, Catalina trained in Ontario with Colonel Michael Gutowski, a WWII Polish cavalry officer who founded the Canadian Olympic equestrian team. Catalina trained in Québec with Captain A. Adam, a Pan-American Games dressage judge and member of the Polish Olympic equestrian team. Catalina also earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Guelph University.

After a 14-year career in the hunter/jumper, eventing, and dressage show worlds in three countries, Catalina worked as a ranch hand in B.C.’s Interior for approximately six years, and participated in numerous courses and clinics with natural horsemanship clinicians Dennis Reis, Ray Hunt, and Buck Brannaman.

Catalina combined the teachings from many disciplines with a profound understanding of equine psychology in order to help riders in all disciplines communicate with their horses more effectively. She most loved to help riders experiencing difficulties with control, or with particular responses from their horses. It was her firm belief that such riders could benefit from increased awareness of the nature of the horse.

Catalina was in awe of the Spanish horse. In 2002, she travelled to Fuengirola, Spain, to study doma vaquera with Miguel Angel Alconchel Muñoz, and began to offer doma vaquera lessons upon her return to Canada. She wrote:

The Spanish horse has a long history of thoughtfully carried out breeding that reflects the mental and physical attributes of a horse that is comfortable performing the movements of the alta escuela, as well as the requirements of the vaquero in the faenas de campo, the work in the fields. Horses used for doma vaquera need to be agile, responsive, powerful, and extremely level-headed. Because of the aggressive nature of the cattle, the horses used need to be highly collected at all times and co-operatively submissive to allow the rider to do the work that often puts both horse and rider dangerously in contact with the cattle. The physical and mental characteristics of the PRE (pura raza española) horses gives them a great advantage when it comes to being able to maintain a high degree of collection and submissiveness, in the face of danger, for long periods of time.

Catalina’s artist’s eye was drawn to this beauty. The Pacific Andalusian Show & Fiesta Perpetual Trophy is being modeled by Lois Hannah, a student of Catalina’s, after one of Cat’s drawings.

When Catalina died on December 27, 2003 at age 44, three months after her cancer diagnosis, she had 50 regular and semi-regular students in many disciplines, and dozens of former students. Her students’ love for their teacher was expressed in their generous care for her and her family during her illness and their eloquent words written in tribute to her at www.bailie.com/catalina.htm.

Babes

Happy Birthday to Serena, who turns 20 today! My beautiful little mare, I would like to post the words to Mary Ann Kennedy's song "Mares" in your honour:

Mares are different from the boys
They know it's their job to take care of their family
So many responsibilities
Oh, it's not easy to be a mare

Mares see things as they are
Never moving far from the herd that leans on them for their sensitivity
Oh, it's not easy to be a mare

Mares keep you honest, make you strong
They let you know when you're wrong
But they will forgive you
They teach humility
There's not a heart that's as big as a mare's

Mares will give you all they've got
Then they'll give you more
That's just what they're made of
They're tender and they're tough
I'll never get enough of mares

Mary Ann's wonderful CD, "The Trail Less Travelled" (http://www.maryannkennedy.com/), is available through CD Baby (http://cdbaby.com/cd/maryannkennedy). We played two of her songs at Catalina's memorial service because Caty loved them so.

Joy

compañera

Coleen, thank you for sharing your dream of Catalina. Everyone, thank you for your beautiful words added to this site. Please feel free to continue posting your thoughts and memories of Catalina here. I want you to know that I did not instigate this website; it is the generous gift of our friend Rahel Bailie, who created the site and wrote the very first post the day after Catalina's transformation, thus giving us all a place to record our love for her and our grief when it was so fresh and raw and in urgent need of expression.
With gratitude to all,
Joy

student

I dreamed of you last night, Catalina. And the thing that struck me most and I find myself crying about now is that you were not wearing a hat. I don't know why that makes me so sad, maybe because I thought about calling you in the Fall before you left and didn't. Diana sent me an email after your memorial service, she thought I knew. I didn't.

In my dream last night, I was shuffling a deck of round cards - how hard is that! - and trying to remember the pattern to lay them out, as if in a tarot reading. And there you were, sitting across from me, without your hat. I mean, how many times have I seen you without your hat? Maybe once? You gave me the name of a man, which I cannot remember now, who would be a good resource to help a friend of mine with her horse. It was not a recognizable natural horsemanship practitioner, his name was not familiar to me but it was a simple name, the kind that the first name has the same amount of characters as the last name. I don't know now what it was but I remember thinking that I "have to remember". I don't.

Joy, I took 4 courses with Catalina at Kwantlen, 2 psychology courses and the ground work and the riding classes.

In August of 2001, I decided, for my 40th birthday I needed to mark the occasion with a momentous event. I signed up for the Ray Hunt clinic at the Gang Ranch. It was a very bold move on my part - I had bought my horse, Reba, the previous fall, sight unseen, which I wouldn't recommend to anyone! - but has worked out all right for me, afterall.

I was very much, and by all accounts, a beginner. I was prepared to go to the clinic by myself but was greatly relieved when Erika said she would like to go and then Diana decided to bring her horse, Matthew, too. I towed him and Reba, in a borrowed trailer to Clinton. I had never trailered a horse that far before in my life, let alone 2!

Catalina and Stefani were going as well, and we decided to all travel together. The trip up was an adventure, to say the least! On the gravel road leading into the Gang Ranch, I don't know how far it was, 60 km-ish? Too long in any event; with one flat tire on Diana's part and one wrong turn on my part, we both ended up at the ranch after 4:30 AM on the Saturday morning. Diana was towing a camper/trailer and I was towing the horse trailer.

Erika and I ended up going up a logging road, straight up by the way, for over 12 km. By the time my trip meter went past 11 km, I knew were were 'doing it wrong' because the last road sign I saw said "Gang Ranch 8 km". Erika and I spent about 20 minutes trying to turn the horse trailer around in an area not totally conducive to that kind of manuever at approximately 3:30 am. This road, in case you have never been to the Gang Ranch and taken a wrong turn, is rather remarkable in its "completeness" of the darkness.

The Gang Ranch Clinic, for me was more of a "life lesson" and a discovering of the human condition than a "horse lesson". And on reflecting back to the time, I marvel at Reba and her generosity towards me.

Anyway, to make a long story very short, without Catalina to encourage me to "find my power" and the support from the other women I was travelling with, I would not be the person I am today. Reba will be turning 19 on the 16th of April, this year. And while she can be a "Freight Train" sometimes, I know I make a difference in her life, as she makes a difference in mine and we owe a debt of gratitude to Catalina for that.

Catalina called her "Nancy" when Reba and Serena were together - the old hens watching over the young'ns - she thought Reba was a good horse for me, I was not convinced. She was so stiff when I got her and after our Gang Ranch adventure, I signed up for Catalina's Horsemanship class.

Thank you Catalina for your help and support. Thank you Joy for facilitating this spot for memories. I am glad I was able to share a little, even though I could not do it right away. I met a man yesterday who reminded me a little of Catalina. Maybe that is why I dreamt of her.

I hope you are doing well Joy. I thank you for sharing Catalina's time with me and the others who have contributed to this site. I think the contents of this site would make a great book - The Catalina Collective - kind of catchy, don't you think?

Take Care,

Coleen

spouse

I have deleted the entry that Diana referred to, below.

ok... who is this Sandeep person just below my entry? I will email this person and get him off this trail. I suggest we all do the same... Catalina would have a giggle if we harrass the hell out of this guy! xoxoxoxo, Me

Student and Friend

Catalina you were my inspiration when I was trying so hard to find someone to help me understand my horses as you know Alan especially because everyone told me sell him but you came out and shook your head and smiled and you said there is nothing wrong with him and thankyou so very much the short time we had with you is priceless .It has helped us everyday when I spend time with my little herd of five it has just started to snow it always reminds me of you Catalina so with thoughts of you I hope and pray you are rideing every horse maybe you can get to drive little Tempo as I am sure he is with you Mr Mighty as you called him. rest easy Cat we all miss you and carry you in our hearts forever.