JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

So how does a Canadian country music superstar go from centre stage at a sold-out concert at Montreal’s Bell Centre one day to riding the trails on horseback in St. Lazare the next?

The answer is an old friend who knows how to inspire a little awe for a Juno winner with a reputation of making sure everyone knows what does not impress her much.

Shania Twain, the best-selling female country music artist of all time, performed in Montreal on Wednesday, Oct. 25, a stop in her Queen of Me tour. But before the show, just after arriving in the city, she contacted Stéphan Daoust of the Écuries les Cèdres to inquire where she might be able to get in some riding time on her day off. Daoust suggested a visit to the Club Équestre Les Forestiers in St. Lazare.

According to Daoust, he and Twain have “known each other for a while” through equestrian groups.

Accompanied by a small group of friends and family, Twain made her way out to St. Lazare on Thursday, Oct. 26.

“She found the space to be really, really beautiful,” said Daoust. “The weather was perfect. The colours were almost perfect.”

Twain rode one of Daoust’s horses, a black mare named Nice. Twain, along with her group, and Daoust were joined by Claire Laplante, the director of trail maintenance for the Forestiers equestrian club. They rode the trails for two hours.

“She really enjoyed (the) trail,” Laplante said. “Everybody enjoyed it. It was beautiful with the colours.”

It was a good day for a ride too, Daoust added.

Laplante attested to Twain’s skill as a rider. The star frequently shares videos on social media of her riding and caring for horses, and has incorporated performances on horseback into some of her shows.

The group finished the ride with a trip up to the Sucrerie de la Montagne in Rigaud. There, they enjoyed a meal and viewed a demonstration on how maple syrup is made, which Twain was particularly interested in, Laplante added.

Amidst a busy tour with stops in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K., Twain appreciated having “a few hours to just relax with her friends” on a trail ride, Laplante said.

“We want to express our gratitude to Shania for visiting our little neck of the woods,” reads a post on the Forestiers club’s Facebook page.

Twain left St. Lazare and headed to Columbus, Ohio, for her next show on Friday, Oct. 27. Her tour wraps up in Vancouver on Nov. 14.

Cutline:

Shania Twain was accompanied on a tour of the trails in St. Lazare by Claire Laplante, the director of trail maintenance for the Forestiers equestrian club.

Credit:

Courtesy Claire Laplante