A 2nd violin with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra is living the dream this week at the Calgary Stampede.

Adriana Lebedovich suffered a finger injury, which made it impossible for her to perform during the Heavy Horse Show, which is her favourite gig every year.

However, the injury turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it allowed her to compete in the show with the Mark Messenger Memorial Hitch out of Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Lebedovich says while she was disappointed she couldn’t perform again this year, she was quite excited about this opportunity.

“We had talked about this for a while now, but it hadn’t materialized until this year,” said Lebedovich.

Lebedovich’s love for horses is as big as her passion for music.

The born and raised Calgarian, who has been playing the violin since she was three, also grew up around horses, spending many days doing trail rides.

President and CEO of the CPO, Paul Dornian, says Lebedovich’s love of horses is well known amongst the orchestra.

“If you see her on Facebook, she has got as much up there about her horses and her horse trips as she does about playing in the orchestra,” said Dornian.

She says putting the CPO and the Heavy Horse Show together makes for a powerful combination.

“To see all of these horses at the same time, it’s just this immense power in the ring, combined with this great force of classical music.”

Heavy Horse Show related events now encompass seven-days at the Calgary Stampede, which are highlighted by the World Six Horse Hitch Championships on Tuesday night.