Alberta's Bar U Ranch names new Percherons 'Poca' and 'Terra'

George Pocaterra has made quite a name for himself in Alberta's southern Kananaskis area.

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There's a Pocaterra Creek, a Pocaterra Ridge and a Mount Pocaterra all features named after the pioneering Italian immigrant, who came to Canada in 1903 and set up one of the country's first dude ranches two years later in Highwood Valley. He died in Calgary in 1972.

Now he's received a new equine honour: two Percherons acquired bythe Bar U Ranch National Historic Site will henceforth be known as Poca and Terra.

Parks Canada says it received more than 1,000 entries in a contest to name the black male horses. The winning suggestions came from Jim Barbaro, 71, a retired Calgary firefighter in Sundre, Alta.

Poca and Terra will shuttle visitors by wagon into the centre of the ranch when it opens for the 2016 season on May 16.

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