Heartland's extraordinary fans express love through art and touching stories

Heartland is a multi-generational drama about a tight-knit family on a horse ranch in Alberta who've gone through a tragic loss and now face life's challenges together. As such, it attracts a wide range of fans: from kids, teens and young adults to seniors and everything in between. 

People from around the world seem to connect and identify with these family storylines on such deeply emotional levels that it inspires them to share the love in interesting ways — whether through art and videos or life changing stories.

After putting out a call to the Heartland blog and social media asking fans to share those with us — plus anything else that proves they are the biggest fan — the response was amazing.

Robert Kane emailed right away, exclaiming: "It is the best show that has ever been on TV bar none! I have seen a lot in my short 76 years and I will say again, this is the best ever!"

From Minecratf recreations of the Heartland farm, baked goods and life changing stories to amazing art pieces and memorabilia collections, we selected a few of the many great email and social media responses.

Fans emailed their touching stories

For some fans, Heartland was life changing and has helped them in the toughest of times. 

Brooke Wymer is one of those fans.

 "I have dealt with a very tough kidney disease for years and am still struggling with it. Since the virus, I am considered high risk so I have not been able to go anywhere and Heartland has been helping me through all of this."

Brooke is such a big fan that she started taking lessons and riding horses because of the show. At some point she even leased a horse, named Alex, whom she still helps take care of and sometimes rides but doesn't lease anymore.

"[Alex] is very sweet and every time I go see her, she is always happy to see me. She just sees me and walks up and says hi to me all on her own." 

She says she owns all the Heartland DVDs, has participated in Heartland fan days and hopes to do more. "I really hope to get my wish granted to see the Heartland ranch. I have tried for three years."

We've also noticed and appreciate Brooke's wonderful comments on Heartland and CBC Television social media.

Marissa Schultz from Wisconsin is a horse owner and says she's started using the "Join up" method that Amy uses in the series and has built a bond with a horse that she couldn't connect with for the last 12 years. 

The method Marissa is referring to is one where Amy used body position and eye contact to send her horse, Spartan, away from her, and eventually invite him to approach her back.

She hosts a monthly Heartland night with her horse-loving girl friends who she got into the show and is in the middle of planning a trip to High River with them for one of her next birthdays.

Near the beginning of COVID-19 Marsha Orien says she had to be quarantined within her home. "I had a three-foot walk to go into the bathroom from my bedroom. For 19 days (I also was sick) my meals were left outside my door, my dishes went into a bowl also outside my room."

She added that with being sick and potentially exposed, it was necessary because her family members in her home are 98, 79 and 75 years old. "I did something that I have always wanted to do… I watched Heartland from start to finish. No complaints about my isolation, I loved every minute of Heartland."

...and responded on social media

Many fans tweeted back with wonderful craftsmanship — from cakes to art — and signed memorabilia.

Elodie Jubert has a great Heartland collection and has made an impressive Heartland ranch out of paper. 

Alexandra re-created a really cool version of it in Minecraft.

Legit fans buy hard copies,

...visit set locations.

Or get postcards of them from friends.

Even get signed scripts. That is next level fandom.

They also fan over beautiful family moments,

...paint for their loved ones' birthdays,

...but also for fun.

They go out of their way to be close to the show, attending fan extra days.

And taking pics with the cast.

What a way to represent Heartland through the art of baking. This cake looks yummy.

Watching 13 seasons 11 times is definitely worth a mention.

Heartland seems to hit home for many, whether in Texas or otherwise.

More emails from Heartland fans around the world came in

Donna Garsee from New Orleans, USA is thankful for the show and the wonderful cast. In her email to us, she wrote: "It is the best show I have ever had the privilege to watch. It has opened my interest in Canada." She is also planning a trip to Calgary to see the Canadian Rockies.

Karl Mason from the UK started watching Heartland four years ago, while recovering from a kidney transplant. "I have been watching it ever since. I can't stop watching it, as soon as I have watched the last season, I start watching it from the beginning." 

He is also someone who is on the COVID-19 high risk list and says:

Heartland is helping me get through this period of time as I am in self-isolation due to my kidney transplant.​​​- Karl Mason

The show has become like a second family for Jannet Brant from Tasmania, Australia, who says it has had a tremendous impact on her. "As someone from a very dysfunctional home and now middle-aged, every time I watch the show, I feel like I have found my real family. I believe this show has this effect on many people."

Jannet says she feels great affinity with Amy's character because she's also owned and healed horses all her life. 

I learnt the pain I suffered growing up gave me great compassion to work with damaged horses as I had a real connection with them.- Jannet Brant

The show has also gained new fans from Salem, West Virginia, USA recently. Margie Moss and her husband discovered Heartland while staying home during the COVID-19 quarantine. She says: "I think we had watched every movie on Netflix, Amazon, Showtime, HBO and any on cable. But, his idea and my idea of a good movie were not the same until Heartland!"

55-year-old Jillinda Falen emailed us her story: "A couple of years ago my husband got horses and every evening he was watching the show. I wondered why he was watching a show about a teenage girl with horses. He is 62. Then I started watching it ... and was hooked!"  

She became such a huge fan that she signed up to be an extra on the show for Labour Day weekend and got chosen. She flew over 1000 miles on her own, from Atlanta to Calgary. "I have never flown alone, let alone to another country on my own, or rented a car and driven in a foreign country. It was one of the best times of my life! Definitely a bucket list experience." 

Jillinda says she got to see High River, where Heartland is filmed, and meet the most wonderful fans from around the world. "The staff and actors were so kind and welcoming. I am smiling ear to ear right now just remembering!" 

We just couldn't ignore the amazing fan art on Instagram

We've combed through our Heartland Instagram and found some amazing works of art by dedicated fans who've tagged us.

Candice Domin drew the classic Amy and Spartan moment.

And so did Elza Fouché.

Nathaly Malaquias decided to recreate the same moment in an Instagram story.

Daughters are getting their moms into the series and it's great to see families bond over Heartland.

Even the horses are getting love from the fans.

There are a lot of Amy and Ty video and image compilations but Grandpa Jack and Lisa Stillman are not ignored by the fans either.

It's so satisfying to watch the creation process of a drawing. 

Some fans get Heartland birthday cakes.

And this Amber Marshall portrait, wow.

The artist even got to meet Amber.

Thank you Heartland fans for responding to our call and sending in your emails, comments and amazing works of art. 

You can watch or re-watch Heartland on CBC Gem.