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The 106th Annual Millarville Races

Canada Day, July 1, 2011

A record crowd watches great thoroughbred racing action at the 106th Annual Millarville Races

The rough and tumble, no-holds-barred, mud-in-your-eye, Stock Horse Race, local ranchers, farmers and acreage owners in the kind of race that started it all in Millarville in 1905, all competing for bragging rights for another year and . . . . .

. . . . . having their name added to a storied trophy . . . .

. . . . while the kids had fun and spills . . . .

. . . . . on Canada Day. . . . .

. . . . and always more thoroughbred racing . . . . .

. . . . a quiet moment . . . .

. . . . leading into the paddock area . . . .

. . . . . where the cool crowd awaited their steeds . . . .

. . . . and a chance for kids from the city and towns to get up close to a horse

. . . . . while others searched the money pile for treasure . . . .

. . . . . and the grizzled veteran pondered his pari-mutuel choices . . . .

. . . . . before they were off once again . . . . .

A fist pump at the end of the Ladies Side Saddle Race which had started the day . . . .

. . . . . . and the pack horse race - which comes with a lot of packing an unpacking - came to a strange conclusion, with a few horses (including the guy on the left) deciding to leave the track altogether before rejoining the fray - after a lengthy search - to race to the finish line next to the slow poke (the guy on the right) . . . . . a fun finish to a fun day . . . .

Professionals at Work

Professionals at work . . . . .

. . . . . to save this situation

The 103rd Annual Priddis & Millarville Fair, 2010

An elegant lady rides an elegant side saddle at the 103rd Annual Priddis & Millarville Fair . . . .

. . . . . but that didn't mean everything about the Fair was elegant . . .

. . . . . as the pie-eating contest ended very inelegantly . . . .

Desperately late, she frantically rushed into the infield for the Dressed-Up Horse competition and . . . .

. . . . . had a second place ribbon at the end of the day . . . .

When the clouds started to clear, it was time for the parade . . . .

. . . . with plenty of waves to the crowd . . . .

. . . . where the local 4-H Canine club were showing off their charges . . .

. . . . and old tractors - some even painted - are the norm . . .

The petting zoo was hugely popular with young and old alike, the only place where a little helper would hand a goose to an even smaller patron . . .

The Pet Show was occasionally weirdly awesome . . .

. . . . with everyone eager for their turn

Kid's World had mother's rolling their kids through all the fun . . . .

. . . . with bounces at every turn . . .

. . . . and squirts emerging . . .

. . . . from the oddest places . . .

There was a trumpeter calling for a rally . . . .

One lifelong Fair exhibitor once described the county Fair as a place where young people learned not how to win, but rather how to lose with grace . . . . .

There was a big crowd for the Cow to Latte competition between a team from the television series Heartland and a team of local media.

Amber Marshall, lead actress of Heartland was gung-ho for milking a cow with Cow To Latte organizor Paul Rishaug providing support Ms. Marshall is well-used to animals having worked as a veterinary assistant in the past.

. . . . . while the cow's rear-end riveted the attention of this little girl . . . .

But it was the media team with Mike McLean, a ringer with a dairy cow, which ended up throttling Grandpa Jack (Shaun Johnston) and the Heartland team. Unexpectedly, Mr. Johnston admitted "I've milked many a cow in my day, just not in the last 20 years or so" who served as his team's runner while Mr. McLean, who served as the milker for the CHRB team, is a fifth generation rancher and manager of the Bar U Historic Ranch as well as a CHRB on-air personality.

. . . . but all's well that ends well . . . . the miniature cow trophy will look good shared between CHRB in High River and the Okotoks Western Wheel. Left to right, Micheal Wienberg, executive producer, Heartland, Mike McLean of CHRB Radio in High River, Shaun Johnson, Grandpa Jack on Heartland, John Barlow, editor of the Western Wheel, Amber Marshall, Amy on Heartland and Jody Seeley of Sun Country radio in High River.

Freshly sheared wool is set upon by these ladies, eager to turn it into product in only a few hours

Tongue hanging out in concentration, a young wrangler plots a precision swing, although oddly, considering his impending need for accuracy, spending much of his rope-swinging time looking directly into the eyes of the cameraman instead of at his target . . . . .

. . . . while others took the time to sit and simply take it all in . . .

. . . . and for hard-working volunteers like Candice Depass, organizor of "Kid's World," the start of the day was the beginning of the end of months of anxious preparation.

. . . . and no Fair is complete without an antique auto show . . . .

. . . . . or rooster winners . . .

. . . . or a quilt auction . . .

. . . . while the exhibition barn overflowed with crafts, produce, grasses, chickens, ducks . . . .

. . . . and always those coveted ribbons . . . . . . .

. . . . . but the question riveting everyone's attention through to the final moments of the Fair was finally answered with a bang as Fair Chairman Bill Powell and Millaville Racing & Agricultural Society President John Dakers join Paul Teskey (centre) in astonishment as they realize the now legendary Millie The Massey's astonishingly successful raffle has been won by . . . .

. . . . an ebullient Myrna McKay . . . . . or at least the name of the guy she wrote down on the ticket whom she has unlimited power over apparently. Myrna, acting as self-declared agent for the winner, quickly struck a deal donating Millie to "Heartland," where the 60 year-old rusting but still functional tractor will be used as a set prop for the internationally syndicated show, then donated back to the Fair. Several hundred people stayed until the end of the Fair to see the draw, an indication of Millie's appeal.

. . . . and Capt. Riel Erickson, who started the year as a local heroine (a Millarville native) but was a local villian by mid-summer, finally got her chance to take a ride on Millie although ultimately denied the opportunity to personally use the rusting tractor for target practice by F-18 Hornets and other NATO fighters at the Air Weapons Range at CFB Cold Lake.

. . . . and was back in the role of local heroine by the end of the day, filling in the gaps of her brief interlude on The Dark Side for local media Mike McLean and John Barlow. Capt. Erickson's gracious participation served as a catalyst in the Millie narrative, eventually bringing about a remarkable revival of a grand agricultural Fair more than a century old that had been cancelled amid much controversy in March only to be revived by a new MRAS Board and Fair Committee. The Fair ended up with a record number of entries, more than doubled normal attendance and probably established a record profit, a stunning reversal of fortunes spanning only a few months in duration. Millie the Massey served as the unlikely rallying point for the community and her raffle raised $10,000, half of which went to the Alberta Farm Safety Centre and half to the Racing Society/Fair but, beyond that, the publicity generated by Millie was priceless.

As such, few could deny the 2010 Priddis & Millarville Fair will be forever linked to Millie The Massey.

Calgary Exhibition and Stampede 2010

Cowboys hustle into the infield at the afternoon rodeo

. . . . and it was a hard afternoon for some

It's a topsy turvy world . . . .

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, gold medalists in Ice Dancing at the 2010 Winter Olympics, were part of the Rock N Roll skating exhibition free to the public at the Stampede.

Considering they were doing this three times a day, lots of enthusiasm . . . .

. . . . and their signature move in the Stampede requisite blue jeans

The show included many other performers, including former World Champion Elvis Stojko and this trio . . . .

. . . . and a live band

Lots of planning and anticipation . . . . . and like a lot of Carnival games, failure in the end . . .

. . . . but there were winners, including Rick's brother Kenn

Toooooo fast!!!

The thrill when it all ends

The Kid's Tractor Pull . . . .

. . . . and always fun to milk a plastic cow

Applauding a fine performance in the cutting exhibition

An age old spectacle endures under a threatening skyline

On the midway . . .

Millarville Races 2010

The Stock Horse Race of the 105th Annual Millarville Races on Canada Day, 2010.

Although it was an Everyman's Race . . . .

. . . . . it was the lone lady in the field who won and gathered the glory.

Pari-mutuals were also on the card

Hotly contested . . . .

It was a big crowd . . . .

. . . . . which spent a lot of money on betting

Some young ladies look up in awe to 2009 Calgary Stampede Queen Kerri Williamson

Checking out the horses in the paddock before the race on a windy but beautiful afternoon.

She's a strong contender . . . .

. . . . . and happy on Canada Day

Before the faceplants in the three-legged race

Captain Canada goes for glory

Hangin' out with a cool jockey at the paddock.

Dressed in various Canadian finery

Okotoks Dawgs Baseball 2010

Slipping back into first on a pickoff attempt.

A lefty fireballer . . .

Yurrrrrrr OUT!!!

A combative profile . . . .

A nasty collision at first base and a bum shoulder afterwards

Summer Landscapes

July, 2010 haying . . . . .

Late day

On the Farm . . . .

A summer morning

A summer evening

Okotoks Parade 2010

Chillin' out with some cool cats

Everybody's a comedian . . . . walking a hot dog

What's a parade without these guys?

More clowning around . . . .

These square dancers were representing an Aboriginal adoption group

Ing's Mine Ice Cave

Descending out of Ing's Mine ice cave to the valley floor below.

A little spelunking inside

At the entrance to the cave after riding a bicycle in on the road below. There are signs below warning of sour gas seeping from deposits into the air and there is a pungent odour. . . . .as well as a gas well.

Sled Dogging

Rick and Carol dogsledding, end of December, 2009, on Spray Lakes, near Canmore, Alberta. Magnet, the closest dog, has one brown eye and one blue eye. All were very enthusiastic and appeared to love their jobs.

Close-up. It was about minus 11 celcius but a chill wind on the outbound trip.

Jodie, our guide, straightens things out with the dogs and runs back to the sled. Rick is standing on the brake with an anchor tossed over the side, the only way to keep the dogs from taking off. They know only one speed and that's "get outta here!!" We'll be off again in a second to catch up with the group ahead . . . . . Jodie is a firefighter in Calgary but moonlights - sometimes literally for night sledding - doing this as well. We were out for two hours with Mad Dogs & Englishmen while the three sleds ahead were on an extended four hour trip. One of the gentlemen assisting this day, apparently for free, is a Supreme Court Justice in California who has a winter home in the area. Back in the 1990's, Rick and his father Bruce had bicycled from Miracle Lake back to Canmore along the seldom-used backcountry road on the right . . . . . in a not-so-much-fun thunderstorm if I remember right.

End Of Summer

We'll be remembering lazy days like this when the snow starts flying.

Self-portrait . . . it's hammock time.

Domesticity . . . Keeper and Abby luck out on some carrots from the garden.

Windy Fall day . . . . harvesting more carots while the crabapple blazes red

Abby and Keeper watch carefully for falling tomatoes

Lake Louise - February 2009

Children run across the frozen lake, under Victoria Glacier

Carol heading to the ice castle on a fine day . . . . . .

Winter . . . . . . beautiful but now lasting too long. It's always that way in February.

LATE SEPTEMBER, MT. INDEFATIGIBLE

The trail up Mt. Indefatigable . . . . . . larch pine turning gold

From Upper Kananaskis Lake in the valley to the north summit, through the mist and rain, a day without Abby and Keeper as this trail would have been too tough for the latter. As a postscript, the altitude gain from the lake below to where I'm standing for this picture is 3,000 feet. The last day of climbing to the Uhuru summit of Kilimanjaro was a 4,000 foot gain. Yet, somehow, this picture actually looks higher. The distance is about the same as well. I first started to feel altitude above the snowy patch in the valley and had to slow down a bit. This took about 2.5 hours from the lake to this point. The Indefatigble hike is a very popular one but the trail head or any reference to its location doesn't exist as the park service tries to discourage its use due to the unusually high incidence of bear contact . . . . . or so I read after I returned to the bottom.

A very unafraid friend, encountered on the way down

Different day, different place, walking through fall colours with Kenn

VISITING ELAINE

Bucky and Elaine, brother and sister from way, way, way back, on the farm near Big Valley

Smoking with Buddy, on the farm . . . .

George and Elaine . . . . the house is more than 100 years old, where George was born.

The stories she could tell . . . . . and does. Nearly blind now, she won't be able to see this picture. Who will describe it to her?

Elaine and Kenn, taking the sun, on the Red Deer River, near Big Valley

A MOMENT IN SASKATCHEWAN

Jack and Don . . . .

Jack rules the roost . . . . . . as Astrid Heeren in the 1968 Steve McQueen version of The Thomas Crown Affair plays on the TV

Okotoks Dawgs, Late July, 2009

In fine form . . . .

Rounding second and testing the arm of the outfielder . . . . . . this Dawg was miraculously safe on third.

Danger zone, the Dawg second baseman goes for a double play

This scene brings to mind Roger Kahn's fabled "Boys Of Summer," a baseball classic describing the Brooklyn Dodgers of the 1950's. This is an early days development league catering to college and university players starting their careers . . . . . .

. . . . . and those who paid $8 to see them, across two generations.

You can't outrun the ball . . . . . the Dawgs pitcher hucks to first base for an out.

Not good enough . . . .

The opposition . . . . towards the sunset

Playoffs a few days later . . . . . more heroes, more memories for these young players, most of whom will eventually fade away, never to be heard from again on a serious baseball stage, these being the highlight days, the salad days, of their young but still speculative careers . . . . . a timeless cycle more than a century old for the Grand Old Game and those who dream it and play it.

Jasper Banff, early September 2005

Some folks walking at the summit of Whistler at Jasper, Alberta

Flirting with danger . . . she's beyond the safety rail at Athabasca Falls

Horseback riders at Lake Louise Alberta . . . . . the trail goes to a far teahouse in the shadow of Victoria glacier, about another 2 miles of walking.

Further scenes from the home front and various postings