The Rescue of Belle and Sundance: A Miracle on Mount Renshaw

by Birgit Stutz

On December 15, 2008, two snowmobilers discovered a pair of stranded horses atop B.C.’s Mount Renshaw in the Canadian Rockies. Belle and Sundance were a sorry sight—they were emaciated, shivering and trapped in a small shelter they had made for themselves by tramping down the six-foot-deep snow. The next morning, a party of four from the nearby town of McBride was sent back up the mountain with a bale of hay, a handgun and a heartbreaking choice to make: either feed Belle and Sundance, or shoot them.

The four agreed: there was an undeniable glimmer in the eyes of Belle and Sundance, and the decision was made to feed them. But saving the two horses would require a lot more than hay. Weighing their options, many people in McBride decided they would dig, by hand, the three-foot-wide, six-foot-deep, kilometre-long tunnel that became Belle and Sundance’s route to freedom.

The Rescue of Belle and Sundance takes the reader into the heart of the struggle to save two horses. In this account, which quickly became a regional bestseller and a bookseller favourite, Stutz and Scanlan recreate the rescue that sent a message of hope and compassion around the world.

242 pages, Paperback

First published November 16, 2010

Reviews

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this in a lot of books that I purchased and was hesitant to read it as it’s not the type of book that I usually read. However I am so glad that I kept this book and read it. I had no idea that the story of belle and sundance had taken place so close to my home. I have travelled through McBride many times and was absolutely thrilled about this story. It is such a feel good story, very heart warming read. I was very moved reading this story and so devastated that the horses had to endure such neglect. I was worried that the story wouldn’t have such a happy ending but again I am so glad I picked this book up. This would be perfect to read around Christmas time to help get into the Christmas spirit, it is a quick read and so worthwhile.