ALL THINGS MILLARVILLE RACING AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY 2011

THE 104TH ANNUAL PRIDDIS & MILLARVILLE FAIR

A local celebrity arrives in style . . . . . . Reggie the Rooster, decked out in pink to support Wild Pink Yonder's trail ride for breast cancer research awareness, arrives at the Stampede Stage at the 104th Annual Priddis & Millarville Fair. Reggie is eight feet tall, 400 lbs and was one of three prizes the winning ticket in the Reggie The Rooster Raffle could have claimed . . . . . and the winner did just that. The elderly matriarch of a local farm family was unaware her husband had bought her a ticket in the spectacular raffle and was thusly more than surprised when MRAS President John Dakers telephoned her from the stage and asked if she wanted the Rooster, a 1978 Chevy 3/4 ton farm truck running on five year old gasoline, or, lastly, a $2,500 donation made to Wild Pink Yonder for her by MRAS. After a family conference while hundreds waited with bated breath, she announced she was taking the Rooster. The raffle proceeds will benefit the Millarville Racing & Agricultural Society, specifically programming and infrastructure improvements.

Speaking of roosters . . . . . . this young lady showed up well-prepared for the Rooster Crowing competition 

. . . . which was an intense one . . . . . .

. . . . and drew a big audience

. . . . . as did the messy pie-eating contest with a blindfolded eater, a blindfolded feeder and a "caller" shouting out instructions that were hopefully helpful . . . 

Lots of fun at Kids World . . . . .

. . . . . where the Calgary Stampede Incredi-Pull drew some heavy efforts . . . .

. . . . . a mother gives instructions on duck baby's at the Petting Zoo . . . .

. . . . . while another young lass acted instinctively . . . . .

Nelly and Shelly, the incredible ice-cream making horses, drew a big crowd . . . . .

, , , , , and their efforst were later served up to the expectant crowd . . . .

. . . . . the entries in the Fair were incredible . . . .

 . . . . and one lucky pie sold for $220 in a live auction later in the day . . . .

Longtime Fair volunteer and perennial winner Patty Webb is always organized. . . . .

Fibre Arts . . . .

Time for judging sheep . . . .

. . . . . where this crowd scene and the stables could have been at the first Fair 104 years ago as well 

The dog look-a-like competition . . . .

. . . . . or the dressed-up horse competition . . . . .arrrrrghhhh!!!

. . . . one of the bunny-hopper's gets some attention . . . .

 . . . . while this one was blazing through the course . . . . .

. . . . . in the Working Farm Truck Competition, no degradation was spared, including this calm and observant Jack Russel ready to protect his master's pretty much worthless truck . . . .

. . . . . . some came fully equipped, including this one with an old gopher trap and some low-hanging beer . . . .

. . . . . while bribes were not only expected (this was the winning truck). . . . 

. . . . . but also accepted by celebrity judge Terry Grant of "Mantracker" fame

A young cowgirl was up early for one of the Western Horse competitions . . . . .

. . . . . as were these ladies . . . . .

. . . . . while the English Riding competitions were also fine . . . . .

Wild Pink Yonder's "On Track To Beat Breast Cancer" fundraising/awareness walk, led by Trail Ride Boss Jane Hurl (centre) and supported by Heartland actress Amber Marshall, was another highlight

The Show N' Shine winners on parade . . . .

. . . . . . and it all got a hearty hurray of approval from enthusiastic Fair Chairman Donna Kendall, no doubt cheered by another record crowd on a perfect weather day . . . .

15th Annual Millarville Rodeo

Getting ready . . . . . a young bull rider gets some help taping his glove as he pysches up for the ride to come

It started off lookin' pretty good in steer wrestling. . . . . .

. . . . . and still looked good . . . . .

. . . . before things started going a little sideways . . . .  

Lotsa help in the chute . . . .

Tied to the beast, grip set,ready for the pull . . . . 

. . . . and out of the chute . . . . its a long eight seconds 

The spectacle . . . .

Bull Rider with tools of the trade . . . . .

She lost her hat but this young miss in the Millarville and area Ladies Barrel Racing still glows from the thrill . . . .

The start of the charge . . . . she'll be rocketing into the infield for Ladies Barrel Racing . . . .

Tight turn . . . .

Bert Davis, the Coppertown Clown, and one of the Muttley Crew are fairly indistinguishable.

Hanging out at a small Alberta rodeo

The 106th Annual Millarville Races

Canada Day, July 1

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 . . . .

THE MILLARVILLE FARMERS' MARKET

A live opera performance might be a perk of showing up at the Millarville Farmers' Market

Fresh fruit and smiles . . . . .

Local artisans and their hand-made crafts . . . .   

The freshest produce . . . . .

Mid June

Okotoks Parade

Millarville Racing & Agricultural Society in the Okotoks Parade . . . . .

. . . . . with a comical proposition . . . . .

. . . . . to win an eight-foot tall rooster at the 104th Annual Priddis & Millarville Fair, August 20  . . . . 

. . . . . . which had a large crowd buzzing along the parade route buzzing . . . . .

Reggie the Rooster will be one of three prizes in a raffle, with the other choices for the winning ticket being a 1978 Chevy 3/4 ton Redneck Farm Truck fresh out of the field or a $2,500 donation to Wild Pink Yonder, championing breast cancer research. 

Last year's Millie The Massey Raffle, with a 1950 Massey Harris 44 tractor up for grabs, led to a public uproar when it was learned the Canadian Air Force was buying up tickets in hopes of winning the underdog relic and using it for target practice. Local heroine Capt Riel Erickson of Millarville, one of Canada's few female F-18 fighter pilots and a air to ground combat instructor in Cold Lake, had been leading the charge. Later, the Turner Valley Fire Department stepped in with hopes of winning Millie for immolation practice while the cast and crew of Heartland, CBC's internationally syndicated television show regularly filmed at the Racetrack, championed saving her.

  Millie was eventually donated by the winner back to MRAS and will appear as a set piece in an upcoming Heartland episode. 

The raffle eventually raised $10,000 for MRAS and the Alberta Farm Safety Centre

Tickets for the Raffle this year are $5 each with 2000 printed and are available at the MRAS office, at a Reggie table at the Millarville Farmers' Market. Aside from the potential donation to cancer research, the remaining proceeds will go to the benefit of programming and facility improvements at the MRAS. The winning ticket will be drawn on Fair day, August 20. 

Reggie, at the Farmers' Market, a very popular guy . . . .   

. . . . .very, very popular

The sales team

Early June

Diamond Days Parade

Willie Campbell leads his team pulling the MRAS entry in the Diamond Days Parade in Black Diamond

Lots of people to wave to, in spite of the cold weather

Warm smiles go a long way . . . .

Hort Club Sale

The Millarville Hort Club sale is a free for all that doesn't last for long

Millarville Hort Club sale

Late May 

An embattled road . . . . but mostly still there in the post-flood aftermath

Sandbags and pumps in the aftermath

Flood

Washing away . . . .

 . . . . . into the big muddy, Threepoint Creek, now a torrent . . . .

The night before, evacuating vehicles 

It would go a lot higher . . . . 

Late March

FARM TO TABLE LAUNCH

In February, the board of the Millarville Racing & Agricultural Society created an "MRAS Farm To Table Committee" charged with developing Farm to Table projects for the MRAS. A kick-off, fund-raising event at the Hall in late March included some expertly prepared food as well as guest speakers for Farm To Table and the launch of Hugo Bonjean's new book. 

Visiting chefs

The crowd enjoys the entertainment

 . . . . . while MRAS Events Manager and Threepoint Kitchem manager Krystal Meade loved the fare being served

. . . . . and a surprise guest singer with the Black Diamond Strings wowed the audience

. . . . . and MRAS First VP Hugo Bonjean helped publicize the event while launching his new book, A People's Power.

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