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In the CorralOctober - November 2005 The Greatest Show on Earth Moving!
On behalf of the "Original Horsepower" crew, thank you to everyone involved in the Historical Construction Equipment Association (HCEA) convention held Aug 5-7 at the Reynolds Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin. Topping the list is Bill Graham of Graham Brothers Construction and Alex Lewoniuk, as well as everyone at the HCEA and the Reynolds Alberta Museum. (I suspect that I may have been the only equipment operator that hugged Bill Graham from sheer enthusiasm.) A special thanks to the ladies in the heritage cook car for their fabulous lunches, all cooked on a wood stove. Donald Frantz, national director of the HCEA told me they had been waiting for over ten years to see the 16-horse hitch, 1909 Austin elevating grader work again, and he was thrilled with the smooth operation and safety conscious demonstration we staged over the three days. The other equipment we demonstrated included dump wagons, a Fresno, wheeled scrapers and a pan scraper. We built a road using antique equipment and pure, original horsepower - and were proud to do it. The crew included head teamster, Neil Dimmock, Zefrin LaRiviere, Andre LaFrance, Albert Zeisel, Greg Ruzicka, Anthony Behr, Dave, Geniene and their daughter, top hand Aleah Laing, Kim Dimmock and myself, Terri Mason. (More photos of the event will be published in an upcoming issue.) Neil Dimmock called and asked me on his behalf to especially thank the Original Horsepower crew for their exceptional work. Special thanks to our sponsors, Canadian Cowboy Country magazine, UFA, Aaron Martin Harness and Best Western Wayside Inn of Wetaskiwin. We all came away with a new appreciation for the roads across the West. Michelle Grant Creates Winning Centennial Coin Michelle Grant, an alumna of the Alberta College of Art, was recently honoured when her winning design was chosen for Alberta's Centennial coin. Her design, entitled "Big Sky" was selected as one of four finalists commemorating the province's centennial. Each artist created a design, which was then voted on by the public on the Royal Canadian Mint's (RCM) Web site. A native Calgarian, Michelle was raised with a natural love for Alberta's environment and surroundings. This love shows through her artistic works in a variety of mediums, and she has won awards in pencil, watercolour, and acrylic designs. She is intricately connected to the spirit, economy and beauty of Alberta, yet her excellence in art has been internationally recognized. Michelle is the recipient of several prestigious awards from the American Academy of Equine Art in Kentucky, and she has been published in various equestrian books. No stranger to the art of coin design, Michelle also designed the RCM's 2002 Calgary Stampede 50-cent collector coin. Go to www.mint.ca to order the limited edition coin, and visit Michelle's website to view her artwork at www.michellegrant.ca Canadian Cowboy Heading to Afghanistan
Sgt. Ken Lockie, section commander in Mountain Company of 3 Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) is in Kandahar City in Afghanistan. Cowboy Up
The ranch horse competition in Vernon, like the weather, was hot, hot, hot! Two days of competition between some of the best working cowboys in B.C., culminated in Nolan Eek being declared the winner of the working ranch horse competition. It was the cowboys' vote that secured Nolan's top spot. The infamous Riske Creek Ranch boys - Pat Jasper (who also cowboys on the Wineglass), Steve Roberts (of Roberts Ranch) and David Maurice (also of the Chilco Ranch) - won the ranch rodeo, the only team to have a clean sort of all ten head. There was one ride though, that caught my eye and exemplified the true spirit of the whole cowboy culture. David Maurice rode his horse, Peter, flawlessly in the competition. When he was swinging his loop onto the Douglas Lake Cattle Company steer he tipped his cowboy hat off, leaving it behind in the middle of the new arena. He caught the steer, showing the working cowboy judges, Marlene Wilson of Vernon, B.C. and Kyle Elliott of Maple Creek, SK, the nice way Peter set him up for the shot.
As the announcer, range manager Rob Dinwoodie cautioned David he only had one minute to load his horse, David turned and slowly rode Peter back to the centre of the arena, dismounted, put his hat back on and then rode to the trailer to load his horse. While David didn't get first place in the working ranch horse, he did win the admiration of all as he did the job right. He wouldn't leave his hat in the middle of the range and he won't leave it in the middle of the arena to beat some clock. And that folks, is cowboy pride. Horse Events Get a Farmfair International in Edmonton has stepped up its horse-related events for 2005. Events such as team penning and draft horse pulls have long been popular attractions during the November-based agricultural show and this year, organizers are adding another five horse-related competitions and events. One of the highlights will be the Invitational Heritage Ranch Rodeo, slated for the evenings of November 7 and 8. This rodeo pits ranch hands from the country's top ranches against each other in a test of their ranch skills. Another new feature element is the Curt Pate Demonstration November 11-13. Curt Pate is a world-renowned Montana horse trainer and clinician. A new Working Cow Horse Competition November 7-8 will allow horses and handlers to compete in an entertaining show of cattle handling. Another additional event is the International Horseshoeing Competition, which will be held November 12-13. Farriers from around the world will compete by forging difficult horseshoes and completing the shoeing in a test of speed and skill. The Quarter Horse Sale on Friday, November 11 will feature a new stallion parade before the sale, showcasing the skill level of the horses for sale. As well, the Bucking Horse Sale, a big hit in 2004, returns on the morning of Thursday, November 10. Top rough stock from ranches across Western Canada will be on the auction block, with aspiring rodeo cowboys on hand to highlight their bucking abilities in the ring. For more information and an updated schedule, visit farmfairinternational.com. Bull riders Aren't Crazy, but Bullfighters MIGHT be...
Rodeo photographer Ken Marcinkoski captured this shot at Maple Creek's Cowtown Pro Rodeo just before the wreck. Rodeo clown and bullfighter CrAsh Cooper had hitched a chariot to a bull. Not just any old bull, but rather one of Stan Weatherley's rodeo bulls. The hitch, which is attached to a swivel on the surcingle, allows the rig to turn and track the bull. CrAsh attempted this stunt a couple of years ago, again at Maple Creek. While the swivel allows the chariot to track very well, unfortunately it also allows the bull to turn around - and that's exactly what happened. The bull spun, spotted CrAsh in his chariot, charged - and kept on charging. There was CrAsh careening across the arena, backwards, as fast as the bull could run. The only thing that stopped it was the steel roughstock chutes which they hit at full speed. The chariot and hitch accordioned but CrAsh sustained, surprisingly, only minor injuries. It was a full two years before CrAsh attempted it again. This time he fixed the swivel so the bull couldn't turn completely around. Unfortunately, during one of the high-speed laps around the arena, the chariot wheel hooked a chute gate and CrAsh went sailing. Word on the street is CrAsh has officially retired the chariot, much to the relief of bull stock contractors everywhere. Welcome to Canadian Cowboy Country
Canadian Cowboy Country magazine is pleased to announce the addition of Lynn Johnson to our sales staff as district sales manager. Lynn hails from Rimbey, AB and comes to us with an extensive background in agriculture. Her eclectic background includes RCMP officer, feedlot and auction market rider and most recently, she was on the sales staff of Horses All. She has several different breeds of horses at her ranch and she travels throughout the province, mainly showing her appaloosa gelding Dandys TQ Bobby in breed shows, open shows and driving shows. Recently, she attended the Canadian National Appaloosa Horse Show in Regina, winning several Canadian titles. She is excited to be part of the Canadian Cowboy Country sales team. Condolences to Saskatchewan's Montgomery Family On behalf of the staff and readers of Canadian Cowboy Country magazine, we extend our sincere condolences to the many friends and family of Jessica Evans, daughter of Dale and Dawn Montgomery (Living Legends, June/July 2005) who passed away in July in a traffic accident. Funeral services were held July 25th in Weyburn, and a memorial service in Maple Creek on the 27th. Jessica is survived by her loving husband, Ken, her baby son, Liam, her parents and numerous family members. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Jessica may be made to the Liam Evans Trust Fund at any Royal Bank in Canada. Val Moker and Jesse Colt Win
Congratulations to Val Moker and Jesse Colt on their hardcover book Short Poems & Tall Cowboys, which was selected as a 2005 Will Rogers Medallion Award Winner. The Will Rogers Medallion Award is presented each year by the Academy of Western Artists, to the authors of those books that represent an Outstanding Achievement in the Publishing of Cowboy Poetry. Their book was commended for exemplifying excellent poetry, high production values and respect for the cowboy heritage. The Medallion Awards were presented during the AWA Convention at Richardson, Texas on July 11th, 2005. Greg Cassidy Canadian timed-event competitor and past Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) President Greg Cassidy announced his retirement from competition following the 2005 Calgary Stampede. Cassidy, of Donalda, Alberta, has been a member of the CPRA since 1978 and the PRCA since 1979. He served as the CPRA president from 1998-2004. Cassidy competed in steer wrestling and tie-down roping, winning the Calgary Stampede $50,000 bonus round in both events. He won the tie-down roping in 1984 and followed it up with the steer wrestling in 1990 and 2001. He won the Canadian steer wrestling title four times (1985, 1987-88 and 2000). In 2002, his horse, Willie, was voted CPRA Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year and in 2003, was the runner-up in the PRCA/AQHA's annual Horse of the Year awards. For now, Cassidy will be content watching his sons, Curtis and Cody, compete in the sport that has given him so much. |
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