Chuckwagon Role Model Big River’s Curtis Morin
Music, Poetry & Good Times: 2018 Events
2: ur e RT Yo rs PA ing t Ho t ar ea St t Gr x Ne
Helmer Creek Ranch Grizzlies & Longhorns
Spring Calving Time Ranchers Speak on What Works for Them
Summer of Wildfires
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HELMER CREEK RANCH From grass-fattened beef and timed-event cattle to sheep and horses, the Thiessens livestock is as varied as their interests Photo by Stephanie Jager
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 | VOLUME 21, NO. 5
On the Cover This unique aerial view shows a rancher on horseback checking his cows and calves. For another unique view, read the inaugural article in our new ranching series, What Works For Us. Photo courtesy Cynthia Baldauf/iStock
FEATURES 20 TRAILBLAZERS
Jerry Ambler Alberta rodeo competitor Jerry Ambler revolutionized the rodeo sport of bronc riding
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Wildfire The summer of 2018 will be known as the summer of the wildfires. We touch on some of the devastation and rebuilding COWBOY WAY
Starting Your Next Great Horse — Part 2 of 6 Renowned horse trainer, J.P. Forget, with Part Two of his six-part series on starting a young horse
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RANCHER’S SPECIAL
What Works For Us An interview with three diverse ranchers on their preparations for a stress-free calving season
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Let’s Do Something — Western Events We bring you a sampling of events across the Canadian West
cowboycountrymagazine.com
DEPARTMENTS 6 My Point of View 9 In the Corral 13 Western Art Review/Porch Reads 14 Spirit of the West 16 Wheel to Wheel 18 Reflections 35 Pro Rodeo Canada Insider 47 Clownin’ Around 54 Cowboy Poetry 5
Winter Count Winter Counts are essentially pictorial calendars drawn onto buffalo hides by Native Americans in North America. Most winter counts have a single pictograph symbolizing each year, based on the most memorable event. I believe that on many hides, 2017 would be represented by flames. Writer Jim Green and I teamed up to give you a glimpse of the highs and lows of the fires, but the magazine would have been the size of the New York phone book if we wrote about every community and area affected. The stories that have arisen from the ashes range from triumph to tragedy. The rebuilding, restocking and regrowth will go on for years. You know how I’m always saying that everything in the West is connected? In this issue, we decided to ask a few ranchers — whose diverse operations range from high altitude to purebred — what works on your place for spring calving. One of the ranchers I interviewed sure seemed familiar to me, and after chatting for (quite) a while, I discovered he was the same guy I had watched roping bulls at the PBR Global Cup in Edmonton. For all the fans that were in Rogers Place for the Global Cup; remember “the guy” on that fabulous grey? Well, let me introduce you to Blade Young and his family ranching over by Tyvan, Sask. See what I mean? Everything in the West is connected… Freelance writer Cat Nantel wrote about a cowboy whose name you’ve heard many, many times: the late Jerry Ambler. I’ve known his name for years but never knew his story. Speaking of knowing someone’s story, Neal Reid, who wrote about the WNFR for us as it was happening with blog posts on our website (cowboycountrymagazine.com),
“My boys” (as I like to call them in a motherly way) Jason Resch (left), me and Jeff Resch took a break from signing autographs at Cowboy Country's booth at CFR. The brothers were the first twin pick up men at the Finals.
plus the WNFR wrap up in this issue, was chosen as the PRCA Media of the Year. Congratulations, Neal! J.P. Forget, another favourite cowboy of mine, is back with Part Two of Starting Your Next Great Horse. This six-part series is essential reading for those starting out training a horse, those who already know it all, and everyone in-between. Always remember; the less you know, the more you think you know. The more you know, the more you realize how much you don’t know. Or in the immortal words of baseball great, Mickey Mantle, “It’s unbelievable how much you don’t know about a game you’ve been playing all your life.” So get in the game and enjoy the ride, somewhere in the heart of Canadian Cowboy Country.
— Terri Mason, Editor
Subscriber Tip Your mailing label on the magazine will tell you when your subscription expires. Right above your name is an issue date, which is the final issue of your subscription.
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XXX XXXXXX JUN/JUL’18 JOE SMITH RR 1 EDMONTON, AB T6B 2L5
@CowboyCntryMag
PHOTO BY JEANETTE PETRIKO
Winter Count
MY POINT OF VIEW
February/March 2018 Vol. 21, No. 5 Editor Terri Mason terri@cowboycountrymagazine.com Copy Editor Matthew Stepanic matthew@cowboycountrymagazine.com Art Director Adam Still adam@cowboycountrymagazine.com Graphic Designers Zuzana Benesova, zuzana@cowboycountrymagazine.com Gina Tsang, ads@cowboycountrymagazine.com Publisher Rob Tanner rob@cowboycountrymagazine.com Sales Manager Kristine Wickheim kristine@cowboycountrymagazine.com Traffic Coordinator Cheryl Lindquist traffic@cowboycountrymagazine.com Subscription/Circulation Marie Tanner frontdesk@tanneryoung.com Accounting Administrator Catherine Staszkiewicz admin@tanneryoung.com Customer Relations Manager Marie Tanner marie@tanneryoung.com Columnists Tim Ellis, Hugh McLennan, Billy Melville, Bryn Thiessen Contributors Doris Bircham, Blaine Brost, Dianne Finstad, Jim Green, Jess Parsonage, Neal Reid, Blade Young Contributing Artists/Photographers Mike Copeman, Phil Doyle, Carol Easton, Devere Helfrich, Dan Hubbell, Stephanie Jager, Andy Kirschenman, Tara McKenzie, Daryl Visscher Tanner Young Publishing Group #1, 9301–50 Street, Edmonton AB T6B 2L5 Tel: 780-465-3362 Fax 780-448-0424 Toll Free: 1-800-943-7336 Website: cowboycountrymagazine.com E-mail: askus @ cowboycountrymagazine.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS: Call Marie at 1-800-943-7336 1 Year: $21.43 + tax | 2 Years: $35.71 + tax | 3 Years: $46.45 + tax Canadian Cowboy Country magazine is published six times per year by Tanner Young Publishing Group PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40070720 ISSN 1701-1132 Please return undeliverable addresses to: Canadian Cowboy Country magazine #1, 9301–50 Street, Edmonton AB T6B 2L5 FREELANCE POLICY Canadian Cowboy Country welcomes freelance contributions, but will not be held responsible for unsolicited text or photographs. Direct all freelance enquiries to: freelance@cowboycountrymagazine.com PRIVACY POLICY At Tanner Young Publishing Group, we value your privacy. For our complete privacy policy go to tanneryoung.com/ privacy.html or call us at 1-800-943-7336 Canadian Cowboy Country makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes, but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions. This magazine is a proud member of the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association, and Magazines Canada, abiding by the standards of the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors. Visit albertamagazines.com
FSC logo “This project is funded [in part] by the Government of Canada.” «Ce projet est financé [en partie] par le gouvernement du Canada.»
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CONTRIBUTORS
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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1 Dianne Finstad One Hell of a Ride!, page 42 Dianne Finstad is a multi-award-winning broadcaster, writer and journalist with over 30 years of getting the story. Ranchraised near Manyberries, Alta., she lives near Red Deer, Alta.
2 Jim Green Kenow Wildfire Recovery, page 26 Jim Green is a poet, writer, broadcaster and entertainer. He grew up a little bit in Pincher Creek, Alta., spent 45 years in the NWT and now he's back — writing about home.
3 Neal Reid Canadians in Vegas, page 40 The Las Vegas-based 2017 PRCA Media Award winner for Excellence in Print Journalism, Neal Reid spent five years as editor of the ProRodeo Sports News and covered his 14th consecutive Wrangler NFR this year.
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Hit the Jackpot You really hit the jackpot with your December/January issue of Canadian Cowboy. The Wardens are a tremendously entertaining group and Brad Bischoff emceed two of our trail rides last summer. He loved it so much (and the riders loved him and his music so much) that he is booked with us again this coming summer! I had the pleasure of meeting Carol and Jim Hern at the Canada West Marketplace convention in Victoria last November. Their operation is a fine example of diversification in the ever uncertain world of cattle ranching. Now I need to go and visit them next summer!
Always a fan of Wilf Carter, I enjoyed this great history story as well. A note to your readers; Wilf was “discovered” by a CPR talent scout on our trail ride in 1932. You can read about it in our 2014 TRCR Bulletin, on our website. Thanks for a great issue! — Dr. Stuart R. Watkins President, Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies trailridevacations.com P.S. Going to Rwanda in March; will take this Cowboy copy with me for one of those photoshoots!
Remembering Wilf I was so pleased to read the article on Wilf Carter. It brought back so many memories that it made me cry. As a kid we lived west of Carstairs, Alta., (my dad received 200 acres after WWI) and in the 1940s about five of us, including two neighbour kids went to the small Sunnyslope country school. Wilf Carter would always stop his big Cadillac and give all of us kids a ride to school. His wife was always with him and we’d all pile in and away we’d go.
It got so we’d dawdle along, just hoping Wilf would come along in his car, and he always did. One time he even gave us a ride on a tractor he’d taken in to get fixed. He was a wonderful, wonderful man and so kind to us kids. I’m 84 now and my memory isn’t what it used to be, but I’ll never forget Wilf Carter… — Mrs. Betty [Bosomworth] Larsen Russell, Man. Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
PHOTO COURTESY THE WARDENS/RAY SCHMIDT; COURTESY OF CALGARY STAMPEDE ARCHIVES
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IN THE CORRAL NEWS, VIEWS & HAPPENINGS FROM ACROSS THE CANADIAN WEST
PHOTO COURTESY CALGARY STAMPEDE
2018 Stampede Royalty Congratulations to 2018 Calgary Stampede Royalty! The 2018 Calgary Stampede Queen Lindsay Lockwood is completing her Bachelor of Arts with an honours specialization in psychology, with a goal to attend medical school in the future. 2018 Calgary Stampede Princess Jaden Holle is working towards a Bachelor of Education through the Metis Teacher Education Program delivered by the University of Saskatchewan, and 2018 Calgary Stampede Princess Jessica Wilson, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in biology from St. Mary’s University. Throughout their reign, the Royalty will make more than 400 appearances as ambassadors of the Calgary Stampede, promoting western heritage and values in Calgary and around the world. For more, visit calgarystampede.com From left: Princess Jaden Holle, Queen Lindsay Lockwood and Princess Jessica Wilson
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IN THE CORRAL
2017 Canadian Cowboys Champions The 2017 Canadian Cowboys Champions, from left: Ladies Barrel Racing, Valerie Gillespie; Bull Riding, Callum Miller; Bareback, Clayton Bunney; Tie Down Roping, Layne Smith; Junior Steer Riding, Blake Smith; Saddle Bronc Riding and All Around Champion, Adam Gilchrist; Steer Wrestling, Trace Nickolson; Team Roping Heeler, Scott McLeod; Team Roping Header, Tee McLeod; Junior Girls Barrels, Sydney Windjack.
Congratulations to the 2017 CCA Champions crowned in October in Swift Current, Sask., after a gruelling five-performance finals. The CCA Finals, which features rodeo action, plus a booming trade show and cabaret, returns to the Credit Union Iplex from October 17-20, 2018.
A&W Shells Out $5 Million producers and consumers in Canada, while also helping to sustainably produce food for a growing world population,” the university said in a statement. According to A&W chairman emeritus Jefferson Mooney, the chain’s “investment is an investment in the future of Canadian food and best practices to make that food.” U of S president Peter Stoicheff said the LFCE has become a reality in part due to support from strategic partners. Other major contributions include $10 million from the federal and provincial government, $4.47 million from the federal government, $10 million from the U of S, and $1 million from the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association.
2017 Miss Rodeo Canada Brittney Chomistek
Queen of the Rodeo Congratulations to 20-year-old Brittney Chomistek of Medicine Hat, who was crowned Miss Rodeo Canada 2018 in the CFR arena during the height of the CFR competition. Brittney is the fourth generation raised on the family land northeast of Medicine Hat. This third year, Bachelor of Elementary Education student has a goal of teaching grade one in a rural school. Brittney volunteers as a head coach for a junior high boys' basketball team and is the Youth Ambassador and spokesperson for the southeast Alberta United Way. To book Miss Rodeo Canada for an appearance, visit missrodeocanada.ca.
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A&W investing in the future of Canadian food
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
PHOTOS COURTESY CCA/MIKE COPEMAN, MRC COMMITTEE, DAVE WILLMAN/ADOBE STOCK
A&W, the prominent Canadian fastfood chain, has donated $5 million for research into beef and forage at the University of Saskatchewan. The donation from A&W to the University of Saskatchewan’s Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence will be used to fund the construction of the $3-million Livestock and Food Building at the LFCE site near Clavet, create a million-dollar community outreach and engagement program, and establish a million-dollar visiting fellowship in One Health research. The building near Clavet is expected to be completed in the spring of 2018. The centre will focus on research and training “to meet the needs of both livestock
FANTASTIC FARMFAIR
It was another stellar year for Edmonton’s iconic agricultural showcase, Farmfair. Attendance was up and as promised, here are the results from a few of our favourite events. Mark your calendar for next year’s Farmfair being held November 7-11, 2018, at Northlands.
Canadian National Team Roping Futurity
2017 Heritage Ranch Rodeo Champions went to the combined crew of the Mesabi Ranch and the Anchor P; Mike Sears, Derek Sears, Remington Holowath and Cody Sawley
The team roping futurity attracted some of the top ropers and their mounts. For the Headers, Tel Flewelling riding his horse, Pepinics Duallin Cat took first place with 594 pts; second went to Katie Waterson on Playboys Hot, owned by Waterson and 2016 World Champion Heeler Jeremy Buhler with 590.5 pts and in third was Dawson Graham on his horse, Chex Your Gun with 590 pts. On the other end, the Heeling was won by Kash Bonnett on his horse Pistol with 588 pts; second went to Rhen Richard on his horse, Giocci with 585.5 pts and Shad Field rode Remedy, owned by Rhen Richard to a third-place victory with 584 pts.
Heritage Ranch Rodeo The ever-increasing popularity of the Heritage Ranch Rodeo was evident by the packed house for each of the three matinee perfs. There were some hard-won victories in the dirt, but out of it all, congratulations to the first place winners, earned by the combined cowboys from the Mesabi Ranch and the Anchor P with 44 pts; second place went to Meadow Springs Ranch with 39 pts and third place went to the Rocking Chair Ranch with 38 pts. The event’s Top Bronc Rider was Dustin Sippola riding for Jenkins Lazy U Ranch, and the Working Cowhorse Award was won by Clint Swales from Roseburn Ranch.
PHOTO COURTESY NORTHLANDS/SJ ORIGINALS
Champion heeling horse
Hes Wright Smart, high selling horse of the Bloodstock Sale
Bloodstock Sale Twenty head of quality horses were on offer at the Bloodstock Sale, with the average sale price reaching $4,631.25. The high selling horse was Hes Wright Smart, commissioned by Draggin S Horses, who sold for $18,000.
cowboycountrymagazine.com
Champion heading horse
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IN THE CORRAL Memphis,
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nnessee –
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is Canadian Cowboy?
Te
Where in the World –
STOCKING THE HERD
Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee
Sawyer Rhoda Jean Bertram
Sawyer Bertram Congratulations to Canadian Cowboys Assoc. (CCA) Vice President Brady Bertram and his wife Jimmie Jean (JJ) on the birth of their daughter, Sawyer Rhoda Jean, born November 20. She weighed 6 lbs 14 oz. Brady is the 2015 and 2016 CCA Bareback Champion and JJ is an accomplished barrel racer. The couple ranch
Graceland is a mansion on a 13.8-acre (5.6 ha) estate in Memphis, Tennessee, that was owned by the King of Rock ‘n Roll, the late Elvis Presley. Located at 3764 Elvis Presley Boulevard, Elvis' daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, inherited the estate in 1993 when she turned 25. The 17,552 sq.ft. mansion serves as a museum and was opened to the public on June 7, 1982. The site was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on Nov 7, 1991, and declared a National Historic Landmark on March 27, 2006. Graceland is second only to the White House as the most-visited house in America with over 650,000 visitors a year, including Marg Perrin of Maple Creek, Sask.
near Piapot, Sask.
Marg Perrin poses in fron t of the gates of Graceland
The Awards Keep on Coming Congratulations to multi-award-winning, multi-Hall of Fame inductee Gary Rempel from Fort Shaw, Montana. Rempel, who was born and raised in Saskatchewan is perhaps the most decorated pick up man in rodeo history. Gary was named 2017 Pick Up Man of the Year at the Gold Standard Awards Banquet hosted by the PRCA in Las Vegas during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
Merritt Ranch Rodeo Teams from 14 working ranches in B.C. rode into Merritt, B.C., in August for the annual Nicola Valley ranch rodeo and first annual Norman Lindley Memorial saddle bronc competition. The all-day event began with a ranch horse competition, won by Morgan Saranchuk of the Blue Goose Cattle Company out of the Cariboo-Chilcotin with a score of 142.5 points. Curt Martindale from the Douglas Lake Ranch Portland Division was voted the Top Hand by his fellow competitors, while the Tough Luck Award went to Robin Coutlee from the Coldstream Ranch outside Vernon. This year’s overall team title went to the Douglas Lake Ranch North Division, (formerly Alkali Lake Ranch) with cowboys Joe Roberson, Mark Elliott, Ryder Wasilow and Kayo Toews, followed by the Sippola Ranch in second, and the River Ranch in third. The saddle bronc event, held in honour of the late Norman Lindley, was won by Nicola Ranch cowboy, Charles Joyal.
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Gary Rempel, newly-crowned Pick Up Man of the Year
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
PHOTO COURTESY JJ BERTRAM; PHOTO COURTESY MARG PERRIN; PHOTO BY CANDICE CAMILLE; PHOTO BY MOLLY MORROW
The Blue Goose Ranch cowboys competing in the branding event at the annual Merritt Ranch Rodeo
WESTERN ART REVIEW | MATTHEW STEPANIC PORCH READS
Hard-Working History
Bruno Canadien, Hustle & Bustle/Downriver House, 2016. Mixed media on panel. 274.3 x 243.8 cm. Collection of the artist.
Resurgence
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WINNIPEG ART GALLERY; PHOTO COURTESY COTEAU BOOKS
Through April 22 Collecting work that focuses on political insurgency and cultural resurgence in order to push Enter a summer oasis til February 19 at the Into the boundaries on our idea of Canada, the the Garden exhibition in Insurgence/Resurgence exhibition brings the Kiwanis Gallery, which together 29 emerging and established has been taken over by 51 garden-themed artworks, Indigenous artists, including Joi T. Arcand, such as birds, gazebos Amy Malbeuf, Duane Linklater and Kent and silk plants! Monkman. With a wide range of media— reddeerartscouncil.ca from tufting and tattooing to photography and beading—the art here focuses on topics of gender, language revitalization, interconnected kinships and material culture. Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Man. wag.ca
Established by Parks Canada in 1981, the land of Grasslands National Park had a long journey from open prairie to protected grassland. From the Cree, Sioux, Blackfoot and Gros Ventre who used the land before to the ranchers who dealt with the perilous physical and social conditions for the past 125 years, Thelma Poirier’s The Grasslanders celebrates the stories of the people who knew this land first. Alongside over 100 historical photographs of the people, landscape, and art, Poirier stitches together over two decades of interviews as she shares the lives of the families and communities who engaged with this wild landscape and how the land shifted under their influence. A tribute to the ranchers’ abilities and willpower to overcome any challenge— and a special part of Canada’s 150th anniversary—this book expertly captures the history of this remarkable land in a cherished keepsake.
UPCOMING GALLERY SHOWS Standing Split Through April 1 Two Rivers Gallery Whistler, B.C. At this wood installation, artist David Jacob Harder saws and sections a single fir tree to investigate the relationship between the forest and the city. tworiversgallery.ca
Like ships in the night Through May 6 Walter Phillips Gallery Banff, Alta. Caroline Monnet’s sculptures and video works intertwine to critique colonial, industrial, and economic interchange between Canada and Europe. banffcentre.ca
cowboycountrymagazine.com
Into the Depth Through February 28 Art Gallery of Swift Current Swift Current, Sask. The pastel paintings of Alix Gowan illustrate a very Canadian experience of nature, reflecting on human vulnerability in natural spaces. artgalleryofswiftcurrent.org
The Grasslanders: Ranch stories from Grasslands National Park by Thelma Poirier, Paperback, 218 pages, $39.95. Visit pc.gc.ca to learn more about buying a copy of this book through Parks Canada.
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SPIRIT OF THE WEST | HUGH MCLENNAN Hugh with Buddy and Devanee Cardinal at the 2017 Mane Event in Red Deer, Alta
T
he Canadian West is full of special people blessed with gifts of horsemanship and Buddy and Devanee Cardinal are a fine example. Devanee’s family homesteaded the family ranch in the spectacular Robson Valley of the Rocky Mountains in the early ’60s. Buddy grew up in Edmonton and he was 23 years old the first time he sat on a horse — quite different from Devanee’s world. “It was a shock when I started school to discover that not everyone’s grandma could rope,” she laughs. After completing a psychology degree she returned to her roots with horses and cattle. Buddy first laid eyes on Devanee at a Mount Robson trail ride. Buddy was 14
travelling through, booked a tent site and the campground manager suggested he go on a trail ride. He was not keen on the idea. Devanee was the trail guide and when Buddy saw this striking cowgirl looking so good in the saddle he decided to go, and made sure he rode right next to the guide. In spite of being totally green Devanee says he was a natural and a very quick study. Starting colts, developing
Cattle rancher and horse trainer Hugh McLennan and his wife, Billie, run their cattle in the beautiful rangeland outside of Kamloops, B.C. Hugh is the host of the multi-award-winning weekly radio program, Spirit of the West, heard across Canada and the U.S.
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
PHOTO BY BILLIE MCLENNAN
Horses, Cattle & Kids on the Northern Range
young horses, learning to rope and doctor cattle are all elements of ranch work Buddy mastered quickly. In the early days of their friendship, he accepted Devanee’s invitation to ride out to the backcountry and gather a large herd of horses to bring to the home ranch. He didn’t let on that he hadn’t ridden very much. After nine hours in the saddle on a big, stout ranch horse. Buddy gingerly climbed off. “I could barely stand up. My legs were so stiff and sore but with Devanee watching I just put my arms around that big bay and said, ‘I love this horse so much.’” After meeting with Canada’s top-rated Parelli Natural Horsemanship instructor Don Halliday, the Cardinals completed all the courses and became certified instructors. “Early on,” Devanee explained, “Our goal was that whatever we do, we want to do it together and on horseback. Now our three kids are involved in every aspect of our operation and that’s a real blessing.” When I asked for a story of something that didn’t quite go as planned Devanee came up with an incident from this spring’s branding. “I’d been on the road for a couple of weeks and my students had really fed my gelding a rich diet. The day after I got home was branding day. I decided to ride him but I knew he’d be pretty fresh. I warmed him up, but obviously not enough and about half an hour into the branding he didn’t want to go into the herd so I spurred him in the belly. Well, he went straight up in the air and I hit the dirt and heard all the kids say, ‘Mom, are you O.K.?’ I cracked a couple of ribs, but I finished out the day without letting on how much it hurt.” You can find out a lot more about this great ranching couple at cardinalranch.com c
Kamloops Cowboy Festival --- March 15th - 18th, 2018 This will be the 22nd Anniversary!! presented by
The BC Cowboy Heritage Society
www.bcchs.com
Featuring the Best in Cowboy Poetry Western Music
Check our web site for special accommodation rates at the Coast Kamloops Hotel
1-888-763-2221 cowboycountrymagazine.com
A Cowboy Trade Show with quality exhibitors displaying western products
The Art of the West Show and Sale proudly sponsored by Canadian Cowboy Country ~ flatwork ~ sculptures ~ photography Traveling from Alberta or Saskatchewan? Take a motor coach & don't worry about the driving. See our web site for details!
a full Festival weekend pass is only $80
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WHEEL TO WHEEL | BILLY MELVILLE
The Power of Positivity
B
eing a role model can be a blessing and a curse to some people. It can be difficult to stay positive when you know that your every move is being watched.
This is where having a positive attitude becomes invaluable. No matter what your level of success, you can be happy if you stay positive. In professional chuckwagon racing, driver Curtis Morin has not only grasped the concept of positivity — he has embraced it. Growing up on the Big River First Nation in Saskatchewan, Morin watched his father, Bruce Morin, race chuckwagons for years. Ultimately Bruce retired from competition to concentrate on his job as Chief of the Big River First Nation. As the oldest of four kids, Morin longed to be like his father — successful both on and off the racetrack. After getting his start as an outrider, Morin eventually moved up into the wagon box as a driver, and that’s when he realized that he was more than just a chuckwagon driver. He became aware
that many young people on the Big River First Nation, as well as many First Nations youth throughout Saskatchewan, were looking up to him. Like his father, Morin was becoming a role model. Being a role model is something that Morin takes very seriously. He surrounded himself with positive people and became very conscious of everything that he and everyone associated with him is doing. “I try to make positive life choices,” says Morin, “and I try to encourage First Nations youth to be like me and make similar positive life choices.” Two years ago, when Morin made the move from the Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association (CPCA) up to the World Professional Chuckwagon Association (WPCA), the first year was a learning curve. The next year his goal
Billy Melville is an author, noted historian and chuckwagon colour commentator on Rural Radio (SiriusXM Ch 147) and CBC Sports. He is the grandson of legendary chuckwagon driver, Orville Strandquist.
PHOTO BY CAROL EASTON
Curtis Morin
was to get an invitation to compete at the Calgary Stampede GMC Rangeland Derby — or at least get the opportunity to drive “Chuckwagon 101” — the demonstration race at the Calgary Stampede. He didn’t get the call in September to race at the Derby, but in late October he was selected to drive the demo race. He couldn’t have been happier. “Getting the call to do Chuckwagon 101 confirms that I’m going in the right direction,” he says. Soon after, Morin made another positive life choice when he married his girlfriend, Shalean. Like Morin, Shalean loves horses and racing. “You can race all season but if you don’t have someone to share it with, it doesn’t mean too much,” he says. It’s obvious when you speak to Morin that his attitude is second to none. “My goal has always been to portray a positive image and be a safe and marketable chuckwagon driver,” he says. Life is good for Morin, and he is certainly positive about that. c
Curtis Morin racing his chuckwagon outfit at 2017 Guy Weadick Days in High River, Alta.
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
World Professional Chuckwagon Association
The Spirit of the West radio program
Celebrating 25 Years
Tentative 2018 Schedule Grande Prairie Stompede May 30–Jun 3 Grande Prairie, Alta. Saskatoon Prairieland Park Jun 7–10 Saskatoon, Sask. Medicine Hat Ex & Stampede Jun 14–17 Medicine Hat, Alta. Guy Weadick Days Jun 21–24 High River, Alta. Ponoka Stampede Jun 27–Jul 2 Ponoka, Alta.
www.Hugh-McLennan.com
250-573-5731
(WPCA/CPCA) Calgary Stampede Jul 6–15 Calgary, Alta. Bonnyville Chuckwagon Jul 26–29 Bonnyville, Alta. WPCA Championship Strathmore Stampede Aug 3–6 Strathmore, Alta. Battle of the North Aug 8–12 Dawson Creek, B.C. Battle of the Rockies Aug 16–19 Rocky Mountain House, Alta. Dates are subject to change. For up-to-date information, including the dates for the exciting 2018 tarp auctions, visit wpca.com
Specializing in Rodeo, Ranch & Humourous Fine Artworks! Now Showing At Our New Gallery In Senlac, Saskatchewan Open Sundays from 1 - 5 pm
Follow Ash Cooper Art and Ranch Gallery cowboycountrymagazine.com
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PHOTO COURTESY OLEG GERASYMENKO/ADOBE STOCK
REFLECTIONS | BRYN THIESSEN
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
If You Put Lipstick on a Pig, It’s Still Lipstick These words were uttered in the parking lot on the evening of July 15. The occasion was unique so let me take you back down the trail that led me to it. A few months earlier I’d been contacted by a friend of mine concerning an upcoming wedding. The couple was from Alberta and wanted John (the guy from behind the straw curtain) to perform the ceremony. He agreed but lacked the credentials to fill out the necessary right to tax form (government marriage licence), so he asked me. I agreed but had another wedding booked for the day so said I would do the vows the night before. Seeing the wedding was in the ghost town of Rowley, I agreed to drive out on Friday night and perform their vows, thus covering the legal part of their nuptials. All was good until I started travelling east. I’d made it about 10 miles past Hwy 22 when I heard that explosive sound followed by a rumbling, signalling an expulsion of air. (If you’ve travelled with Ben Crane you’ve heard it but for different reasons.) I had a flat tire. By the time I got it changed with the help of a neighbour I was running even later than usual. So I phoned up the couple asking if we could meet in Olds and do the vows. They agreed and I suggested meeting at the auction mart and going from there, thinking the couple would probably like a more scenic setting. They arrived shortly after I did and after some conversation, I said, “There’s a park just down the street. We could go there and do your vows.’’ The bride’s reply
was, “Why? This is perfect.” So I performed the ceremony there in the parking lot with a symphony of cattle lowing for a musical interlude. The quote above was uttered to explain it to those who didn’t understand. It wasn’t the venue that was valued, it was the vows. The lipstick may not increase the value of the pig, (although somewhere out on the internet there’s a picture of the wedding party beneath the Olds Auction Mart sign, which is free advertising for them) but it doesn’t diminish the value of the lipstick. If we trot over to today, we're well into the new year. If you’re like most of us your resolutions have turned into revolutions — they’ve turned over and over in your intentions, sometimes leaving your actions in suspension. Don’t quit. If you’re not farther down the road, at least you’re looking in the right direction, and your “pig” is a little prettier. If we ride over to our spiritual pastures and combine the teaching of Matthew 7:6 “don’t cast your pearls before swine” (speaks of discernment, not judgement) and Romans 5:8 “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” I get this thought: Christ came knowing not all would accept him, but he came anyway. I’m sure some of the angels saw it as casting pearls before swine, or at best lipstick on a pig. I see it as the lipstick on the pig can do more than make it prettier, it can make it right. What about you? c
Bryn Thiessen is a rancher, poet, cowboy and preacher at Cowboy Trail Church in Cochrane. Bryn and his wife Bonny market grass-fattened beef from their Helmer Creek Ranch southwest of Sundre, Alta.
cowboycountrymagazine.com
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TRAILBLAZERS
PEOPLE WHO SHAPED THE WEST
Jerry Ambler Rodeo Legend Set the Standard By CAT NANTEL
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Born in 1911 in Minburn, Alta., Ambler’s father raised horses and supplied rodeo bucking stock. By nine years old, Ambler was already training horses. For a school assignment, the children were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up and Ambler wrote that he would someday like to be a “professional bucking horse rider like the great Pete Knight.” Against his father’s orders, he entered the Birch Lake Rodeo in 1927 and according to the November 1948 issue of Hoofs and Horns, won the saddle bronc day money against experienced cowboys. His father had supplied the stock for the show and Ambler drew a horse that had bucked him off three times before. That win set the stage for Ambler’s life. Ambler’s career took place during an important period in rodeo; a time when rules and regulations began to take root and it became possible for cowboys to make rodeo a career and not just a sideline. Joel Bernstein, author of Wild Ride: The History and Lore of the Rodeo writes: “After the war, rodeo grew at an unbroken pace (…) Towns that had not had rodeos before the war were trying to become part of the growing tradition. Purses were increasing, making it even more attractive for young cowboys and cowgirls to make rodeo more than a hobby (…) Rodeo had spread its wings so that Canada and Australia were also part of what was becoming one of the most exciting and fastestgrowing sports around.”
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A slightly-built man, Jerry rode with a style that was pure balance. By 1932, Ambler had journeyed to New York where he won day money at Madison Square Gardens and second at Boston Gardens. By the time he had won the Calgary Stampede Canadian Champion Saddle Bronc title in 1937, cowboys were trying to introduce some structure into the sport. The 1936 strike during which contestants walked out of the Boston Garden Rodeo positioned them to create the Cowboys Turtle Association (CTA) in 1939. The group, of which Ambler was a card-carrying member #286, sought to improve cowboy earnings and equality in judging. In 1945, the CTA changed their name to the Rodeo Cowboys Association, then in 1975 to Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association.
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL COWBOY HALL OF FAME/DEVERE HELFRICH
odeo cowboy Jerry Ambler is the man credited with revolutionizing saddle bronc riding, taking the competition from a showdown of brute strength to a display of balance and grace.
PHOTOS COURTESY CALGARY STAMPEDE ARCHIVES
During the 1940s and 1950s, rodeo experienced tremendous growth. It was a good time to be a part of rodeo, especially for great riders like Ambler who had become the Calgary Stampede World Champion Steer Riding winner in 1941, 1942 and 1943 and the Calgary Stampede World Saddle Bronc winner in 1941 and 1946. Ambler had earned the reputation as one of the smoothest saddle bronc riders around. According to Dayton O. Hyde, author of The Pastures of Beyond: An Old Cowboy Looks Back at the Old West, Ambler was a balance rider who “rode loose instead of gripping the swells of the saddle with his knees. It took balance, not strength.” Jerry’s greatest achievement came in 1946 when he was declared the RCA Worlds Champion Saddle Bronc Rider with a 3,000-point lead over his nearest rival. The mood of the public saw cowboys as the last of the Old West, and North America saw corporate sponsors, magazines, newspapers, television and movie production companies embracing rodeo. The February 1959 issue of Hoofs and Horns wrote of Ambler as the man to emulate, saying: “Like Ambler, [talented balance riders] ride completely by balance in the middle of every split-second of the ride and trying to get the feel of the horse in order to time his movements and action with their own motions.” Along with his success on the rodeo circuit, Ambler was also featured in movies such as The Boy from Indiana (1950), Fort Defiance (1951) and Bronco Buster (1952) — he even appeared in an ad for Camel Cigarettes despite never having been a smoker. Sadly, a car accident claimed the life of Ambler in 1958. Upon his death, the February 1959 issue of Hoofs and Horns wrote of Ambler: “Besides being
cowboycountrymagazine.com
OPPOSITE PAGE Jerry Ambler at a rodeo in Mollala, Ore., in 1946. Such was Ambler's fame that Crockett sold "Jerry Ambler" style bronc riding spurs. TOP Ambler riding a high-flying saddle bronc at the 1942 Calgary Stampede
a balance rider, Jerry was one of the smartest riders of his day. His balance and his brains formed a combination that bested many boys who rode by sheer power alone. He mastered every type of bucking, ducking, spinning, kicking horse. He was a rider who outthought and outguessed the cleverest horses on the circuit.” He was inducted into the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1988 and immortalized in an Ian Tyson song in 2002. Jerry Ambler is buried in Monticello, Utah. c
BOTTOM Ambler riding a saddle bronc at the 1947 Calgary Stampede. Note the log announcer's stand in the background.
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RANCHING IN THE WEST
Grizzlies & Longhorns Alberta’s Helmer Creek Ranch By TERRI MASON
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ryn and Bonny Thiessen’s life on Helmer Creek Ranch is adding another interesting chapter to this historic, roughand-ready outfit. The ranch, located at the far end of a long, rough trail, is in a part of the West country of Alberta that sees the constant see-saw between predators and ranching. It’s roughly located southwest of Sundre and unless you know where you’re going, you’ll never find it. 22
The Helmer Creek outfit has had a few owners since the turn of the previous century, and it grew from a small holding to more than enough for one man to keep fenced—even with the Red Deer on one side. In the late 1800s the meadows were hayed by Harry Graham (original rancher of the Bar 75, a ranch across the river) so the history of its usage is over 100 years and, like the majority of old land holdings in the West, it has retained the name of its previous owner. Bryn’s parents, Clancy and Elsie Thiessen, are downstream on what’s known as Gamble Flats. “This parcel was a gift to Reverend Gamble from the Canadian
government in 1908. It was given to him for his part in getting the Lord’s Day enacted,” said Bryn. “That was his payment.” Later, the land beside Gamble’s was purchased by the ranch’s namesake. “Helmers (the ranch founders) were in here in ’32,” explains Bryn. “They built the cabin in ’34 but they said the first couple of winters they were in a tent,” explained Bryn. The Helmer family, Wilf, (who was a friend of Charlie Russell) his wife Rita and son Albert started off as big game outfitters, then took out survey parties before settling in to raising horses, and had about 750 head scattered in the unfenced hills.
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
From left, Aaron Cunningham, Jesse Cunningham, Orin and Bryn Thiessen, and Carson Richardson roping against last summer’s hazy and smokedarkened sky RIGHT: Bryn and Bonny Thiessen BOTTOM RIGHT: A small portion of Bryn and Bonny’s commercial cattle drift through the meadow.
“If they came across a horse that wasn’t branded they assumed it was theirs and branded it,” says Bryn. “I don’t think Wilf ever stole a horse intentionally; he just branded what he caught. He supplied a lot of bucking horses to Calgary, Water Valley and beyond. When they sold out they sold a lot of their horses to Orman Coleman range delivery, them and their progeny, so that’s what Orman used for his horse catching permit for the rest of his days.” In 1956, Clancy first rode into Helmers to see about purchasing some horses. Sixteen years later he bought the Helmer home place and later the Gamble Flats, plus they rent some land. Bryn bought in cowboycountrymagazine.com
with his dad when he was in his early 20s. “I always knew I’d work with livestock and people—I just didn’t know in what order.” Bryn has always raised a diverse herd of commercial cattle. “With the ongoing predation, I like horns on our cattle, they stand a better chance,” he says. “We never ran purebred cattle. We started off with a British herd, then the exotics came in in the ’70s and we had a lot of cross-bred cattle. Tried a little bit of everything—except Chianina— we drew the line at that. “I’ve always tried some different crosses. I like a black base and a Hereford base. I like Hereford cattle and I like to pick on Hereford breeders because they just can’t
laugh at themselves. I like black cattle and I like horned cattle. My newest venture is a Highland-Hereford-Longhorn cross. Basically, I’m a Beef Booster without genetic testing.” Bryn’s heart is in the classic cowboy critter —Longhorns. “About 20 years ago I bought Bonny a Longhorn cow for our first anniversary,” he explains. “Then I bought some heifers that had Longhorn cross calves, and liked ‘em. When you have Longhorns, people phone you and say, ‘I hear you buy Longhorns’ and that’s how I got into the breed. “You can always break even on a Longhorn,” he continued. “The calf will 23
RANCHING IN THE WEST
The big white protector dog, virtually indistinguishable from the flock, is pretty much all that stands between the predators and the sheep. The dog stays with the sheep 24 hours a day.
“I’ve never done just one thing. I’ve always been a rancher but that’s never been my entire focus.”
usually bring what you paid for the cow; they’ve got longevity and hardiness—plus they’re fun. There are a few different markets for Longhorn; we sell a little freezer beef, rent out some wild cow milking cows, some timed event cattle sometimes. We don’t market our beef but my idea is to keep it affordable. I’m a little cheaper than most. “I’ve always said I don’t raise cattle for the market; I raise them for me, which isn’t the best way to make money. But I’ve never tried to make money and I’ve been very successful.” Bryn is widely recognized as a cowboy poet and cowboy preacher who isn’t afraid to
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poke fun of folks, with politicians being one of his favourite targets. “I had always dabbled in poetry for myself, and when I heard about the gathering in Pincher Creek I went. That’s where people discovered me I guess, so that was a nice supplement to ranching cause it’s a chicken-or-feathers lifestyle, but I never set out to be a poet.” Another supplement is day riding and now, he’s a lease rider back West. “I’ve never done just one thing. I’ve always been a rancher but that’s never been my entire focus.” Another piece of the pie is that Bryn is a well-respected and funny preacher, who also “marries and buries” folks.
Then there is his horse herd, which boasts the country’s most diverse arrays of bloodlines. “I’ve run my own Quarter Horse studs for about 40 years,” said Bryn. That grulla stud Dad had was a Hancock/Poco Bueno I got off Walter Buelow. I’ve got colts that go back to him. I had a Jet Smooth son I owned with a guy and have a bunch of his descendants; I had a Tivio San Pep/Hotrodder Disco stud I ran for a few years; I’ve got a King Fritz/Peppy San I’m running now; a Playgun-cross coming up maybe and I’ve still got some grade horses that go back to a wildie stud I had. Bonny asked me; ‘why do you have so many different types of horses?’ Because there are different kinds of people, I said.” Helmer Creek horses have also made a name for themselves in diverse fields. “I’ve had some make pretty good calf horses, and team roping horses (one was LRA heading horse of the year)—one of the Milan boys was hazing on a horse that came out of here, and there’s been at least one saddle bronc. Ol’ Jet Smooth he raised some broncs,” he said. “At least one or two made jumpers—there’s a big paint horse down at Spruce Meadows— he’s not jumping in the big competitions but he’s jumping down there; some pretty good ranch horses, some dude horses and a few got a free trip to France… Just a little bit of everything but I’ve enjoyed them all.” The greatest challenge to ranching for the Thiessen’s is their location. “It wasn’t until the ’90s that we could drive in and out year-round. It was just too wet, so you had to move stuff in the winter,” explains Bryn. Another challenge is the predation. It’s an ongoing reality of cougar, grizzly and wolf kills. Live-trapped grizzlies are so common in their yard that the horses ignore them. Bonny, who married Bryn in 1998, is a talented rope ‘n ride cowgirl in her own right, plus she has sheep and raises and trains border collie dogs. She sells grass-fattened lamb but this year her losses were pretty high due to cougar kills. The couple are happy and as independent as two highly in-demand folks with a passel of livestock can be. “The best part of being a rancher is that you are your own boss within reason and you get to work within Creation with some pretty amazing creatures and people. And you can work with the government, or you can work against them, or you can work around them—it’s up to you.” c Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
Hundreds of communities in B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan were seriously compromised. Everyone was hit hard, especially the ranchers who in many cases lost their herd and the grazing lands for years to come. In history books and winter count hides, 2017 will go down as the Year of the Wildfires.
Cariboo Blaze
PHOTO BY DARYL VISSCHER
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Firefighters near the village of Kleena Kleene in the Cariboo
B.C. STATS By TERRI MASON
he ramifications of the 2017 B.C. wildfire the Thompson plateau, directly southeast of the season have had an enormous impact Cariboo Fire Centre’s jurisdiction. on British Columbia’s cattle industry. Cox, who owns and operates a ranch with her The effects have been “massive” across multiple husband, has approximately 1,200 head of cattle. fronts, says Cordy Cox, president of the Cariboo Their ranch sits on nearly 500,000 acres of Crown Cattlemen’s Association. rangeland, in Kleena Kleene, west of Williams Lake. “People have not only lost homes and buildCox was evacuated in early July and was able to get ings, but there are also dead or injured cattle and all of their cattle out of the wildfire’s path before it the long-term health effects to some cattle. The destroyed most of their rangeland. ranchers have lost miles and miles of fences; their While the burnt grass should be back by next summer and fall pastures that sustain the cattle season, a lot of the infrastructure — including until they sell them in the fences and corrals — will fall are burned up and gone. take a lot longer. WILDFIRE FUNDRAISER Some have lost their hay The B.C. government In the Williams Lake area, the fundcrops, their bales — it goes committed $6.2 million to raising season of local charities on and on.” support the replacement was sidelined during the fires so the Cox added that some of of livestock fencing and Williams Lake Stampede committee the lingering effects won’t Crown range infrastructure staged a Wildfire fundraiser in late be felt for months or even destroyed by wildfires. September. years. Cattle that have In September, Canadian The fundraiser swiftly grew into smoke inhalation damage Minister of Agriculture a weekend-long event that hosted have to be sold at a discount, Lawrence MacAulay everything from cookie sales to charity food drives, plus numerous raffles and many more will be announced that farmers and and draws (one featured two tickets euthanized. ranchers impacted by the anywhere WestJet flies), plus many Most of the fires were wildfires would be provided bands that had played the Stampede in either the Cariboo Fire $20 million in aid by variover the years donated their skills to Centre, which is made ous levels of government. the effort. And yes, there was a pack of up largely of the Fraser To read a review on the very excited Girl Guides who were over plateau in the Interior. wildfire response from the the moon when they sold out all their Dozens of fires were in community perspective, visit cookies in record time. The event netthe Kamloops Fire Centre TatlaCommunities.ca. ted over $50,000 which was donated area, which stretches across to 17 local charities. cowboycountrymagazine.com
➽ The B.C. cattle industry is made up of approximately 545,000 head of cattle; five per cent of the national cow herd. ➽ B.C. has approximately 4,086 ranches; operators lost approximately one million acres to the 2017 wildfires. ➽ Estimates place between 25,000 to 30,000 cattle affected by the evacuation orders and fires. In B.C., the wildfires of 2017 are notable for three reasons; first, for the largest total area burnt in a fire season in recorded history: 1,215,452 hectares (3,003,450 acres); second, for the largest number of total evacuees in a fire season (over 39,000) and third, for the largest single fire in the province’s history: the Nazko Complex Fire at over 432,000 hectares (1,067,495 acres).
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By TERRI MASON
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n mid-September, a “perfect storm” of high winds, drought conditions, and the military exploding ordinance on CFB Suffield, Alta. without sufficient fire controls all contributed to a violent wildfire that burned an estimated 36,500 hectares and killed at least 160 head of cattle. The fire also wiped out about 4,200 hectares on the Remount community pasture, part of the rural municipality known as Special Areas. The pasture, which contained endangered native grassland, could take anywhere from three to seven years to recover. The pasture provided grazing for more than 900 head of cattle and untold numbers of wildlife. The military’s own investigation into the fire, a board of inquiry, was ordered by the 3rd Canadian Division commander, Brigadier General Trevor Cadieu. The extensive investigation, done by a third party, required that people testify under oath. CFB Suffield base commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Onieu personally apologized to people affected by the fire, and he knows the compensation process is not happening quickly enough. Nearby residents have been pushing for a fire guard to be built around some sections of the base’s perimeter. Onieu said that while it is a priority for him, it’s “very unlikely” the fireguard will be in place by 2018 as they have to treat the area as a mine field to ensure the area does not contain unexploded ammunition, such as bombs, grenades, mortar rounds or artillery shells. “If it wasn’t a live fire range, we could simply just plow the ground from time to time,” he said. Then in mid-October, a raging grass fire spurred the evacuation of Hilda and Schuler northeast of Medicine Hat, Alta. The fire, pushed by hurricane-force winds reaching over 130 km/h, rapidly burned east into Saskatchewan, forcing the evacuation of the towns of Liebenthal, Leader and Burstall. The Burstall wildfire also claimed the life of 34-year-old Alberta rancher James Hargrave, a volunteer firefighter who died in a single-vehicle rollover during the firefighting operation. Also in mid-October in a wildfire started by arcing power lines after a tree was knocked down by the winds near Tompkins, Sask., a half hour east of Maple Creek, a father and son, 25-year-old Evan Wedrick, and his father, 43-year-old Ron Wedrick from the Tompkins area were seriously injured fighting the wildfire, and were evacuated to the burn unit in Calgary in critical condition. The number of cattle left dead in the wake of wildfires across southwest Saskatchewan was roughly 750, either killed outright or had to be euthanized after being caught in the fires. Many wild animals, such as deer and antelope, also needed to be euthanized by conservation officers. The toll on the communities and the ranchers are massive and will be felt for many years, but they will rebuild. Various levels of government are slowly announcing programs to aid those affected by the wildfires, but there`s not a program in the world that will ease the pain and suffering of the Hargrave and Wedrick families caused by the wildfires of 2017. 26
By JIM GREEN
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he raw savagery wreaked upon southern Alberta ranchers by the Kenow Mountain fire last September wasn’t the real story. “I know it sounds crazy,” Jennifer Jenkins said, referring to the massive support she got from friends, neighbours and absolute strangers following the conflagration, (but) “that was more overwhelming than the fire.” “I thank God for my neighbours because those guys put the time in.” Jenkins’ ranch is at Parkview, right across the road from Waterton Lakes National Park. The fire hit her hard. She lost three primary residences, a small cabin, two barns, a large cattle shelter and her workshop. All but two fields for wintering the 200-head cow herd were burned. “As bad as it was,” she said, “I think we were tremendously lucky; everybody got out.” And not one animal was lost. Even the barn cats made it. A work bee was organized for the Jenkins and Wellman ranches September 23 and over 300 folks pitched in to lend a hand setting things right. They drove in from nearby farms and ranches, Twin Butte, Waterton, Pincher Creek, Lethbridge, Clarseholm, Airdrie, Milk River and British Columbia. “What they’ve done for me is give me hope for the future,” said Jenkins. “When you’ve neighbours like this,” Cal Wellman said, ’it makes things a lot easier.” Wellman’s land abuts the Park. Fire took his barn, corral, truck, tractor, fences, 250 tons of winter feed and his saddle. By some miracle his house was spared. “This is just absolutely amazing,” he said. “These people have come out to support us. They’re building fences all back up today. It’s going to be an awful difference in just two days. I’m astounded at how many people showed up.” In fact, another 150 more volunteers were there the following day. Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
PHOTO BY ANDY KIRSCHENMAN
A Perfect Storm
Kenow Wildfire Recovery
Jenkins’ ranch horses grazing on a narrow strip of unburned grass
PHOTOS COURTESY JEN JENKINS; JIM GREEN
“Ranchers go through a lot of tough weather times, and you do what you gotta do, that’s all there is to it,” said Wellman. Donna Cromarty rescues needful horses, saving them from the slaughterhouse and giving them shelter on her place near Twin Butte until she can find them a more permanent home. When the fire threatened, Donna had 14 horses on the place and only two horse trailers. She called her friend Donny at the Blue Ridge Hutterite Colony and he told her not to worry. “We’ll take care of your horses for you,” Donny said. And the next thing she knew, her yard was full of horse trailers from the Blue Ridge, Riverside and Granum
“We were living in heaven on earth,” he said after the fire swept through. “Right now it looks like hell.” “We were very fortunate in that our entire horse herd (90 to 100 head) actually came through unscathed, even though we’re still not sure how, but they did.” Including four stallions locked in the barn that went up in flames. “At the end of the day, all the people were okay and it won’t slow us down a bit. We’re going to rebuild, and carry on with our Colt Starting Challenge and Sale in Fort Macleod.” “There’s only one option and that’s to rebuild, so you might as well get focused on it and get working on it, right?" said Garner. At a benefit concert AN OLD BUFFALO TRICK for the Kenow Wildfire Parks Canada, bless their hearts, decided to save our buffalo Fund organized by the from the Kenow Mountain wildfire. They rounded them up, Twin Butte General loaded them into trucks, and wheeled them all off to Grasslands Store, singer Corb National Park. Lund explained his Well, pert’ near all of them. One old bull declined the invitasense of community: tion so they left him, gravely fearing a crispy critter in the offing. “If I owned a backhoe It was all over in seconds for the bull. With the onset of yon raging I’d help that way, or if I inferno the old fellow shuffled into a lake, which the fire immewas a plumber I’d help diately overswooshed. The bull emerged from the water and that way,” he said. “As trundled off in search of any unburned fodder that might be about. a musician this is how you pitch in.” “When something Hutterite Colonies. Her friends were saved. happens in my backyard and someone asks When Cromarty asked if she could at me to help. I’m happy to do it,” said Lund. least pay for their fuel, one man told her to One of Jennifer Jenkins’ neighbours conforget it. “This is what we do,” he said. firmed the sentiment. “If anyone needs help “What a beautiful bunch of people,” said everyone joins together, no matter what it Cromarty. is,” said Curtis Webster. “If someone needs a Jim Garner’s Rocking Heart Ranch, hand, they just jump together to give them east of the Park on the other side of the a hand.” c Waterton River, had the house, barn and riding arena burned to the ground. cowboycountrymagazine.com
Rebuilding began with the help of hundreds of volunteers
KENOW WILDFIRE TIMELINE Aug 20 Lightning zaps Kenow Mountain, B.C. Sep 7 Parks issues Mandatory Evacuation Order Sep 11–12 Fire explodes over Akamina Pass to Waterton, burns Crandell Mountain, across badlands and buffalo paddock, swoops to the MD of Pincher Creek and Cardston County. Wildfire clocked at 100 metres (328 feet) a minute; travels 26 kms in four hours. Sep 13 Wind shifts Sep 14 Begins to rain. Fire dies after burning 38,000 ha. (93,900 acres) Sep 21 Area is blanketed with 20 cm (8 inches) snow Sep 23 Hundreds of volunteers descend on ranches to begin rebuilding
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COWBOY WAY
PART 2 OF SIX
HORSE TRAINING
Starting Your Next Great Horse Part 2: Building Trust Now that our filly has made it her decision to trust her environment and her handler, she is ready for the next step in developing her full potential under saddle — suppleness and moving the limbs. A horse’s ability to move her limbs freely and respond in an athletic manner is directly related to the amount of suppleness in her body. A horse that is stiff and braces against the hand and leg aids cannot respond in a fluid manner to the commands a rider gives her. But a supple horse is limber and able to respond in an athletic and timely fashion. It is because of this fact that our next exercise is an essential part of my colt starting program. The goal of this exercise is to have the filly move her front quarters and hindquarters around freely while her body is bent and while she maintains a loose lead rope. 28
DIAGRAM: To lay a foundation for ultimate suppleness, hold the lead rope short with your elbow close to your ribs. Face the rear of the filly and walk toward her hip. In response to pressure from the halter on her head the filly will bend and move around you. As she moves, continue to walk toward her hip until she steps laterally with all four limbs in a fluid, free manner from a light contact of the lead rope.
Here we are not speaking of bending only the neck of the horse but actually developing the ability for the horse to bend her ribcage and back in response to the tug on the halter. This is important, as a horse which bends in the neck only is not sufficiently supple to perform to the best of her ability.
Simple tools such as a rope halter and an ordinary lead rope are all you need to execute this exercise. To perform this exercise, stand by the filly’s shoulder, facing her rear. Bend your arm at the elbow and hold the rope in your hand which is the closest to the shoulder/ ribcage of the horse. With the lead rope adjusted at such a length as to let you walk to about the middle of her ribcage, walk towards the filly’s hip. The filly will pull on Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
DIAGRAM COURTESY J.P. FORGET; PHOTOS COURTESY J.P. FORGET/TARA MCKENZIE
By J.P. FORGET
LEFT PAGE: In the early stages of developing suppleness: the filly is bent and keeps the lead rope loose as I walk towards her hip, but her neck is still elevated and her front legs are stuck in place RIGHT PAGE: The filly demonstrates a low neck, lateral flexion through the rib-cage, and an elevated back — longitudinal flexion, as she steps deep under and across her belly with the right hind leg
the rope as you walk towards her hip. When you feel her pull, tug on the rope. Do not pull steady against her resistance, but rather give bumps on the rope until you feel her release the pull and bend and move her feet to the pressure from the halter. Your goal, as you walk towards the filly’s hip, is to have her maintain a loose lead rope while she moves her front and hind feet in response to the halter. At first the filly will resist the movement and pull on the lead rope. This is a normal response. You need to carry on walking towards her hip and bump the lead rope until she moves just a few steps, at which point you will stop and reward her by releasing the pressure on the rope. In time, the filly will bend her ribcage and move her feet in a continuous motion as you walk towards her hip. At this point it is time to change sides and repeat the exercise on the opposite side you just worked. As you change and work the opposite side, remember that all horses are born cowboycountrymagazine.com
with the propensity to bend easily on one side and seemingly stiffer or more resistant on the opposite side. Hence, while working on suppleness you will notice that your filly
“A horse which is stiff and braces against the hand and leg aids cannot respond in a fluid manner to the commands a rider gives her. But a supple horse is limber and able to respond in an athletic and timely fashion.” seems to bend easier to the left, or perhaps to the right. This does not change what we are doing to develop her suppleness. We simply need to be aware of the fact that
she finds it easier to bend on the one side. This reality of a horse being stiffer on one side than the other will affect everything we do with the horse in the future; from lead departures, to turning a cow or a barrel, to rollbacks, to flying lead changes, etc. Therefore, by developing her suppleness at this early stage of training, our filly will find it easier later on to work through all the maneuvers, even on her stiffer, perhaps less coordinated side. As the filly becomes suppler, she will move her feet more readily and willingly, and she will actually keep the lead rope loose as you walk into her hip. You will also notice that as her suppleness increases, her neck lowers and her back rounds up as she steps. These are characteristics of a supple horse: the filly not only bends the ribcage laterally but also longitudinally. This lateral flexion, as well as longitudinal flexion of the ribcage, is both critical to maximizing performance under saddle. These are the flexions necessary for a horse to work with 29
COWBOY WAY TOP: The filly has lowered her neck, bent her ribcage, steps with her right hind leg, and keeps the lead rope loose as I step towards her right hip BOTTOM: Every time I give a horse a break during training, I take the opportunity to rub her between the eyes and let her know that she is safe when near me
30
PHOTOS COURTESY J.P. FORGET/TARA MCKENZIE
his weight shifted over his hocks and shoulders balanced and responsive. Keep up the exercise on a daily basis until you feel absolutely no resistance on the lead rope as you walk into the filly’s hip. Since this is a demanding exercise, give the filly lots of breaks and rest periods. Use the rest periods to further develop trust and rapport. By working on suppleness in this relaxed fashion, with only a halter and lead rope, this filly will be much better prepared and much more able to give to the rider’s legs and hands once under saddle. More importantly, by having the physical ability to bend laterally and longitudinally before she ever has a saddle and headstall placed on her, the filly will never learn to brace and run into the aids, but rather to give to pressure from the very first ride. Next lesson: Response and Respect. c
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
BUYER’S GUIDE
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31
RANCHER’S SPECIAL
What Works For Us Ranchers and Calving Time
I
By TERRI MASON
contacted a few select ranchers to speak to them about calving, and to ask; what do they do on their place to make this exciting part of the year go as smoothly as possible? Every ranch is different and while no one can tell another person how to ranch, they can say what works for them. From calving times to moving newborns, this is a fascinating compilation of hard-earned experience, and I extend my thanks to the ranchers that shared their know-how of what works on their place.
INDEPENDENCE BLADE YOUNG
Becky and Blade Young and their children, Davis, Josie and Grady
Young’s Land & Cattle Becky, Blade, Davis, Josie and Grady Young Tyvan, Sask.
32
Commercial herd Elevation: 607 m (1,990 ft) Average annual precipitation: 12 inches Target calving time: first part of May
On our outfit, calving season isn’t even a season anymore, and by that I mean our cattle aren’t checked any more often than they are at any other time of year. One of the reasons is because of labour shortage, it’s difficult to attract workers to this area, and the other reason is our climate. We simply have never had facilities to battle the weather during calving. Because of this, our herd has evolved into superior mothers and are better left alone when calving. They calve unassisted, they mother unassisted, they clean unassisted, we don’t milk any tits, they calve 100 per cent on their own. If you’re riding along and come across a new calf or a cow that’s calving, you just keep riding because the cow is doing what she’s supposed to do. We breed our heifers to a smaller bull — a black Angus/Longhorn cross — and keep them closer to home so we can keep a little closer eye on them, but they seem to be carrying on their mother’s instinct as last year we calved a couple of hundred head of them Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
PHOTO COURTESY BECKY YOUNG
As we built our outfit up, our cattle herd has always exceeded our facilities, so our cows had to become independent and develop their natural instincts for being good mothers and calving unassisted.
and never had to help one. Keep in mind these heifers are generic daughters of cows that have always calved on their own. If we have a twin or an orphaned calf we don’t graft calves onto cows anymore. The reason why is because our cattle are used to seeing us in trucks or on horseback, and the only time they’ve seen a person on foot it usually involved inoculations, so you can imagine the wreck trying to bring one range cow into the barn on foot. So we just bring the calf home and Irene raises him. Irene is our milk cow — she doesn’t kick and she doesn’t hunt us — and she raised five calves last year.
Our biggest threat is weather and this is why we’ve gone to a later calving time. We move the cows to a stock piled spring grass pasture in late April or early May and if there’s still snow on the ground we’ll take over a liner load of hay – but the best supplement in the world for cows calving is fresh spring grass. Predation isn’t too much of a problem; one year we had 14 confirmed predator kills so we are much more proactive on predator management now, but compare that to a late snow storm that can kill 60 calves and the possible health issues that would follow weeks after, it’s not much of a problem.
We are more than happy with our calving numbers and could never go back to fighting Mother Nature in this climate. Calve on grass and allow their natural instinct to flourish — that’s what works for us.” ➽ The Young’s sell their calves on T.E.A.M. in big lots for fall delivery and their open cows and heifers in the fall. They cull open cows in July after calving and cull open cows again in November after preg testing.
Jess, Olivia, Tanya and Houston Parsonage
HIGH ALTITUDE PHOTO BY MICKY KUSLER
JESS PARSONAGE
We treat our heifers differently than our mature cows who we already know are all good mothers. With our heifers, we inoculate them for scours (Scourguard) when we preg check in early October. Then we also give them another booster shot around the end of cowboycountrymagazine.com
February. Towards the end of March, we’ll bring the heifers in closer to a small field and then sort off about 40 at a time and move them into the well-bedded calving pen behind the barn. They have free-choice hay and loose mineral supplements to keep them in top shape. Because the pen is so close I can just look over the fence to check them, and if a heifer has calved in the morning, they are mothered up and everything’s fine, we tag the calf with a matching ear tag and move them out of the calving pen, down a short
Little Big Ranch Jess, Tanya, Olivia and Houston Parsonage Maple Creek, Sask. (Cypress Hills) Black Angus herd Elevation: 1,463 m (4,800 ft) Average annual precipitation: 20 inches Target calving time: end of April
33
RANCHER’S SPECIAL alleyway and into a small field — it’s only about a quarter-section. This gives the heifers room to spread out and eliminates a lot of calf mix-ups. With our cows, as calving time nears we bring the cows down to a pasture that’s about a 1,000 feet lower; it’s a little warmer and a lot less wind. We don’t inoculate the cows for scours as they aren’t in close quarters; they calve out in a big field. After they calve they get moved to a two-section pasture. We also don’t put ear tags on their calves — there’s no need to as they’re all proven mothers.
There’s lots of shelter in these fields I’m talking about — lots of deep coulees, brush and trees so they can get out of the wind. But with both the cows and heifers we calve out later to avoid the deep cold and snow which can kill a newborn calf pretty fast. This is going to sound funny coming from a horse breeder and trainer, but one thing I’ve learned is that it’s easier to move a brand-new calf with a quad than it is with a horse. A quad scares them and they’ll spook away from it, but a horse doesn’t frighten them so they’re just as liable to run under its belly, and that can lend some
excitement when you’re on a colt. But other than the first move when they’re only a few hours old, we do all our cattle work on horseback. But for this year we did something new: we synchronised the heifers for AI so they might all be calving on the same day.” ➽ The Parsonages of the Little Big Ranch breed and cull for ease of calving, high, tight bags and good mothering instincts. They sell open heifers in the spring and bred heifers in the fall.
THE LONG WALK BLAINE BROST
Right now (December) our purebred Herefords are out on swath grazing and our commercial herd are out on sorghum. We’ll bring the purebreds home about the middle of January and start feeding them green feed and hay. We hand-feed all of our bulls.
34
Brost Land & Cattle Co. Ltd. Blaine, Shannon, Nicona and Erica Brost / Glenn and Shirley Brost Irvine, Alta.
Purebred Polled and Horned Hereford herd / Commercial herd Elevation: 763 m (2,500 feet) Average annual precipitation: 10–12 inches Target calving time: Purebred Herefords Feb 20 – May 1 Commercial herd April 1 – June 1
the herd, if it’s cold I can drive through in my heated truck and check them but otherwise I’ll use the side-by-side. We’ve got a 12' x 24' calving shed in the top field that I can put pairs in, but if it’s too cold then I’ll bring the pair down and warm them up in the barn. With the commercial herd we move them to their calving field about March 25. They start calving in April. Hopefully the weather is nice for them. Predation isn’t a problem for us at all. We’ve never had an issue with coyotes. We
also don’t have an issue with cattle having bad temperaments; our girls can go out and check the herd in the middle of the night and I don’t have to worry.” ➽ Multi-award-winning Brost Land & Cattle Co. exhibits their purebred Herefords at shows such as Agribition. They will host their annual Hereford sale on the ranch November 30, 2018. c
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
COURTESY BLAINE BROST
The purebreds have about a half to three-quarter mile walk to water, so as they come in I’ll start sorting off cows that I know are early calvers and the heifers and bring them down to the yard so I can keep an eye on them. The rest of the purebreds stay out in the pasture. One thing about that long walk to water — it keeps them fit and that sure helps with calving. We’ve got a trap field (a smaller space so they can check during the night) so when we get started calving if it gets really cold — under -12 �C or less — I can bring a cold calf into the barn and warm it up. I use a calf sled that I pull with a 50-foot rope behind my side-by-side. That long rope keeps the sled far enough back from the machine so the majority of the cows will follow their calf with no problem. All of our cows calve outside and I prefer that because it seems like as soon as you start bringing cows into a barn they take forever to calve. A few years ago I put up calving cameras in the corral for the early calvers and the heifers; I can check on them periodically through the night without disturbing them and keep an eye on things. With the rest of
Pro Rodeo
PHOTO COURTESY CPRA/MIKE COPEMAN
CANADA
INSIDER
ONE HELL OF A RIDE For 44 years Northlands hosted the Canadian Finals Rodeo. Thank you, it's been one hell of a ride...
RODEOCANADA.COM cowboycountrymagazine.com
CANADIAN COWBOY COUNTRY FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 35
ZEKE THURSTON
2 0 1 7 C F R AV E R A G E C H A M P I O N S A D D L E B R O N C R I D E R
C I N C H J E A N S . C O M 36
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
C.P.R.A.
2018 Canadian Professional Rodeo Association Schedule FEBRUARY
PHOTOS COURTESY CPRA
Exciting Times These are exciting times in Canadian professional rodeo. We are thrilled to announce that the new home of the Canadian Finals Rodeo is Red Deer, Alta. Congratulations to Westerner Park and the Red Deer and District Chamber of Commerce for their tremendous work in putting together a thorough and very impressive proposal. We appreciate the efforts of all those who expressed interest and we are excited and looking forward to CFR 45. At a spectacular final edition of the CFR at our long-time home in Edmonton’s Northlands Coliseum, we crowned a terrific group of champions. On behalf of the CPRA Board of Directors, management and staff, I extend congratulations to all of our 2017 Champions — both two-legged and four-legged — and special thanks to everyone who contributed to 44 years of Canadian rodeo history. All of us, as Canadians, are proud of the nine competitors who represented our country at the 2017 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Congratulations as well to Canadian stock contractors who between them took 50 horses and bulls to the Thomas & Mack Arena in Las Vegas — with particular mention of C5 Rodeo and Virgil. Virgil was named 2017 top Canadian, CFR and World Bareback Horse and tied for top Bareback Horse of the WNFR. As always, as we look back on a successful 2017, we can’t thank enough our sponsors, our rodeo committees and their volunteers and our fans. All of you are valued more than you know and we look forward to having you as part of our 2018 season. We kicked off our 2018 event roster with another successful Canadian Western Agribition Pro Rodeo in late November. And we look forward to the two CPRA bull ridings, the Rebel Energy event in Red Deer and the Chad Besplug Invitational in Claresholm that will usher in the spring season. Finally, I wish everyone a happy and successful 2018. Safe travels, good health and we’ll see all of you on the rodeo trail. — Terry Cooke, President, CPRA
cowboycountrymagazine.com
Red Deer, AB *........................................ Feb 17 Claresholm, AB *................................... Feb 24
APRIL Medicine Hat, AB.................................. Apr 6–8 Olds, AB *................................................. Apr 13 Tofield, AB *............................................ Apr 14 Camrose, AB........................................... Apr 27–29 Coleman, AB........................................... Apr 27–29
MAY Drayton Valley, AB............................... May 4–6 Stavely, AB.............................................. May 10–12 Falkland, BC............................................ May 19–21 Grande Prairie, AB................................ May 30–Jun 3 Leduc, AB................................................. May 31–Jun 3
JUNE Wildwood, AB *..................................... Jun 2–3 Hand Hills, AB........................................ Jun 2–3 Rocky Mountain House, AB............. Jun 7–10 Brooks, AB.............................................. Jun 8–9 Lea Park, AB........................................... Jun 8–10 Innisfail, AB............................................. Jun 15–17 Okotoks, AB * (team roping)............ Jun 16 Wainwright, AB ProTour................... Jun 21–24 High River, AB........................................ Jun 22–24 Sundre, AB.............................................. Jun 22–24 Ponoka, AB ProTour........................... Jun 26–Jul 2 Airdrie, AB............................................... Jun 27–Jul 1 Williams Lake, BC ProTour.............. Jun 28–Jul 1 * – Special Event ProTour – Tour Rodeo Dates are subject to change. Please visit rodeocanada.com for up-to-date information, up-to-the-minute rodeo results and draws.
37
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
REVs
1
C.P.R.A.
The Short Round CHAMPION RETIRES Tanner Girletz, the 2006 Canadian Champion bull rider, retired at the 2017 CFR, and 16,000 rodeo fans gave him a standing ovation. The Cereal, Alta., bull rider had a pretty good year. He won the Grass Roots Final, and earned nearly $30,000 at the Canadian Finals Rodeo, winning two rounds and splitting a round 2/3. In all, Girletz ended the year with over $62,000 in earnings and ironically, an invite to the Calgary Stampede — which begged the question, will he ride at Calgary? “When I looked up and saw all those people cheering for me, it was the most humbling experience that I’ve had in my life,” said Girletz. “So to be able to call ‘er quits on that note helped make my decision that I’m done. To see that — the people applauding what I’ve put this much work into was appreciated more than anyone will ever know.” He may be officially finished with rodeo, but rodeo isn’t finished with him. He recently accepted the rough stock coordinator position at Olds College, where
Tanner Girletz waves to 16,000 fans as he walked out of Northlands arena for the last time
2018 MRC Brittney Chomistek and 1976 MRC “Sis” Thacker (Shelly Bjarnason)
CANADIAN HONOURED IN VEGAS he organizes stock and the staff needed to run a safe practice. He also puts on a bull riding school; this year it’s at the Pawnee Agriplex at Maskwacis, (formerly known as Hobbema) on February 9–11. To register, call Houston Stewart at 403-896-7604. And, as if that’s not enough, Girletz is now working some young horses to enjoy team roping.
PHOTOS COURTESY CPRA/MIKE COPEMAN; INNISFAIL PROVINCE
YOUNG & FAST Congratulations to Miss Taylor Manning who, on her nine-yearold gelding, Matlock, set the fastest time of the Canadian Finals Rodeo. The 13-year-old crossed the line at a blazing 14.432 seconds in the third round. In an interview with Dianne Finstad, the Grade Eight student had a suggestion for the rodeo organizers. “They should start the rodeo with the barrel racing, because this late in the rodeo it was past my bedtime.”
cowboycountrymagazine.com
By TERRI MASON
Taylor Manning on her way to setting the fastest time of the CFR
Shelly (“Sis” Thacker) Bjarnason of Innisfail, Alta., was honoured for her contributions to rodeo in a special ceremony at the 2017 World of Rodeo Reunion and Gold Card Gathering during the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. The event honoured 50 women who have made important contributions to all areas of rodeo and the horse industry. Bjarnason, 63, is known as a barrel racer, a Calgary Stampede princess and 1976 Miss Rodeo Canada. “I am so honoured. It is so humbling. I just can’t put into words how much I appreciate it,” she said. “I could name 50 women in Central Alberta that I think are every bit or more deserving than I am.” Throughout the years she won a championship saddle with the Alberta Barrel Racing Association and placed at several pro rodeos in Canada. In addition, Bjarnason and a couple of friends began a drill team, something she was committed to for 17 years, participating in hundreds of grand entries. Bjarnason said success in her rodeo career comes down to the people around her. “You have to have a lot of supportive people behind you,” said Bjarnason, noting family and friends. “I couldn’t have done it without them.” 39
CANADIANS IN VEGAS By NEAL REID
L
OOKING BACK ON THE 59TH WRANGLER NATIONAL FINALS RODEO, THE NINE CANADIAN COWBOYS WHO DID BATTLE IN LAS VEGAS WERE HIT WITH AN ARRAY OF EMOTIONS.
From temporary elation and joy, to disappointment and despair, the 10-day extravaganza in the Entertainment Capital of the World provided a variety of feelings for the talented riders, bulldoggers and ropers who hail from north of the border. They came, they competed and they made their marks. Ponoka, Alta., bareback rider Jake Vold led the average standings through seven rounds to thrust himself into the world title mix before disaster struck in round eight. He dislocated his right knee when Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Redigo stumbled coming out of the chute, and Vold’s promising Wrangler NFR was cut short far too early. Vold was unable to make a re-ride and sat out the final two rounds, falling to 14th in the average. His 85.5-point average score was better than eventual Wrangler NFR average and world champion Tim O’Connell’s 85.35 mark, and Vold managed to move from eighth to seventh in the final Professional Rodeo Cowboys 40
Association (PRCA) World Standings—thanks to $83,545 in Las Vegas earnings. That’s a small consolation for the 30-year-old, three-time Finals qualifier, who will have to undergo surgery to repair a torn medial patellar tendon and faces at least a three-month recovery. Standing on the precipice of greatness, a cruel twist of fate snatched it all from him in a matter of seconds. “That’s rodeo, and it’s not the first time I’ve been X’d out in a good situation,” said Vold, who won the opening round and placed in four others. “I came in here with a game plan and didn’t get to execute it all the way. I still had a good week, it was a lot of fun and hopefully I can get back here again next year and see if I can finish it off.” Provost, Alta., steer wrestler Scott Guenthner was the topearning Canadian in Las Vegas, banking $87,338 after a strong finish. Guenthner switched to Tom Lewis’ talented bulldogging horse Maverick before round nine, then proceeded to finish first and second in the final two rounds enroute to a fifth-place finish in the Wrangler NFR average. He finished sixth in the world with $186,839; not bad for his first trip to Las Vegas. “I finally figured out the start, and the start is the big deal here,” Guenthner said of his late-rodeo surge. “I still won a lot of money and moved up a couple spots in the average. It makes you really pumped and excited and definitely makes you want to go really hard. I start again in January, and it’ll be nice to go to my circuit finals on an up and not a down, that’s for sure.” Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
PHOTOS BY DAN HUBBELL
Pro Rodeo Canada Insider
C.P.R.A.
Bull rider Jordan Hansen of Okotoks, Alta., was the biggest Canadian mover, earning $84,038 to rise five places in the world standings to eighth with $180,295. The 24-year-old won round eight on Canada Night with a mark of 86 after conquering Corey & Lange Rodeo’s previously unridden Tequila for his third consecutive cheque. Hansen’s success in Rounds six-eight came after a bull rope switch, and he finished sixth in the Wrangler NFR average despite six buck-offs at the $10-million rodeo. Bareback rider Orin Larsen of Inglis, Man., placed in five rounds to pocket $71,769 in Las Vegas and move up two positions to eighth in the world standings. Cochrane, Alta., steer wrestler Tanner Milan
PHOTOS BY DAN HUBBELL; PHIL DOYLE
OPPOSITE PAGE Bareback rider Jake Vold winning Round One at the 2017 WNFR on Kesler Championship Rodeo's Oakridge with 87.5 pts.
won rounds two and five and earned $72,192 at the Finals, but no-times in rounds seven and 10 proved costly, and he remained eighth in the world standings when the dust settled. It was a tough 10 days for Canada’s trio of saddle bronc riders. Zeke Thurston of Big Valley, Alta., arrived in Las Vegas in the world title hunt in the No. 2 position, but made just $29,462 at the Thomas & Mack Center to fall five places to seventh. Wrangler NFR rookie Layton Green of Meeting Creek, Alta., fell four spots to No. 9 in the final saddle bronc riding standings after earning just $45,679, and Clay Elliott of Nanton, Alta., dropped three spots to 14th when he could add only $32,423 to his bottom line. Jeremy Buhler’s 2016 and 2017 Wrangler NFRs could not have been more different. After teaming with Levi Simpson to win the team roping gold buckles in 2016, Buhler finished 15th in the average and world standings after seven no-times with stranger Tom Richards when Simpson failed to qualify for Las Vegas. cowboycountrymagazine.com
TOP Steer wrestler Scott Guenthner winning Round Nine with a 3.3-second run. He was the top-earning Canadian cowboy at the 2017 WNFR. BOTTOM LEFT Tanner Milan making the victory lap after his 3.8-second Round Five win BOTTOM RIGHT Orin Larsen on Frontier Rodeo's Night Fist for a Round One score of 86.5pts, making it a one-two punch of Canadians in the bareback riding on the first night
Canadian stock performed well at the Finals, with Two-time CPRA Bareback Horse of the Year and reigning PRCA Bareback Horse of the Year F13 Virgil from Vern McDonald’s Lac La Biche, Alta.-based C5 Rodeo Company sharing the Bareback Horse of the NFR title with Powder River Rodeo’s Craig at Midnight. Buckers from north of the border also earned nightly honours on five other occasions. It was an exciting and interesting 10 days for Canadian cowboys and stock in Las Vegas, and the future looks bright for Canucks in the always intense realm that is pro rodeo. c
41
Pro Rodeo Canada Insider
ONE HELL OF A RIDE! CANADIAN FINALS RODEO By DIANNE FINSTAD
P
RO RODEO COMPETITORS TIPPED THEIR HATS TO SALUTE THE END OF AN ERA FOR THEIR SEASON FINALE AT NORTHLANDS COLISEUM BY TURNING IN SOME MEMORABLE PERFORMANCES DURING CFR 44.
AND ALL BUT ONE OF THE MAJOR EVENT TITLES WENT TO NEW CHAMPIONS.
Putting his name in the record books along the way was 23-year-old saddle bronc rider Layton Green, who dominated the entire year. He added $29,325 at the CFR to his regular season winnings of just over $78,000, for a year-end tally of $107,363.75. That blew out the former record season earnings record of $101,646 set by eight-time Canadian champion Rod Hay back in 2005. Green, a third-generation pro from Meeting Creek, Alta., came into Edmonton with a hefty lead over reigning World Champ Zeke Thurston. The Big Valley, Alta., cowboy did his best to close the gap by winning the average, placing in five of the six performances. That included a go-round win for an 87.75 point ride on Calgary Stampede’s Weekend Departure. 42
But nothing could deter a determined Green, who also got paid for five of his six rides, sealing the deal with an 86-point performance on that same horse Sunday afternoon. It was also extra sweet because Weekend Departure had bucked him off at last year’s CFR. “It’s huge. It’s a dream come true. Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to be a Canadian champ,” declared Green, who credited his family for helping him achieve his goals. Winning a Canadian title was also the stuff of dreams for Nanton, Alta’s Logan Bird, competing at his third CFR in tie-down roping. He, too, parlayed his season lead into a championship but had plenty of contenders on his heels all week long. His biggest threat came from Stettler’s Riley Warren, who roped his way to the average title in Edmonton for a $26,450 week. Bird took second in the average, to earn $22,138 at the CFR, and finish with a $52,045 season, a mere $989 more than Warren. “I had an unbelievable year,” he added, also grateful for his four-legged partner. “TJ, in my opinion, is the best horse in the world and he works every time. I would not be here without him.” Bird is only the second Canadian (after Al Bouchard in ’09) to win the tie-down roping title since Americans were allowed to compete in Edmonton. “This means the world to me. To say that I was the last Canadian champion in the Coliseum is unbelievable. It’s something that I’ll never forget.”
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
PHOTOS COURTESY CPRA/MIKE COPEMAN
The highlight of the closing ceremonies was the presentation of the saddles to the 2017 Canadian Champions
C.P.R.A.
There was something missing on the resume of the reigning World Champion team roping duo — a Canadian title together. That was on the minds of Levi Simpson and Jeremy Buhler all season long, as they racked up the dollars to take them into Edmonton in the number one spot. When it came to the final CFR go-round, there were all sorts of permutations and combinations in the tight race which may have prevented that from happening. But reassured the victory was theirs seconds after they made a snappy 4.2-second final run, and other teams stumbled, Buhler smiled with relief. “This is the one I’ve been waiting for,” confirmed the B.C.-raised heeler, who now calls Arrowwood home. Simpson, from Ponoka, was thrilled to win his third Canadian buckle as a header. “I told Jeremy when we started roping I’d get him a gold buckle. I didn’t know it’d be the other one before this one, but I’ll take it!” Simpson and Buhler each collected $30,475 at Edmonton, the first time team ropers each received the full CFR event payout, posting a $59,000 season apiece. Brothers Justin and Brett McCarroll of Camrose, Alta., were the average winners. Barrel racer Carman Pozzobon capitalized on her season leading position in Edmonton, to dash away with her first title. Like she’d done all year, the B.C. competitor focused on keeping the barrels up, and let her mare Ripp worry about the speed. They collected cash in five of the six rounds, for second place in the average behind Texan Jamie Hinton. In the end, Pozzobon’s season tally of $68,399 was just $182 more than Hinton. It was a nail-biter in the bareback race as well, where season leader Jake Vold looked well on his way to a fourth straight title until Canadian and World champion horse Virgil bucked him off. That opened the door for Wyoming’s Seth Hardwick, who won money in every round, to snatch the average title and the Canadian championship in his first CFR appearance, finishing off a $74,980 season, only $852 over Vold’s total. It’s a long way from Arkansas to Edmonton, but Jason Thomas made it a valuable trip when he cashed in six rounds in a row in the steer wrestling, to take top honours in the average, and set a new Canadian speed record for 23.4 seconds on six runs, breaking the 23.6-second mark held by Curtis Cassidy since 2006. Thomas takes home the Canadian championship for a $59,177 season. Another cowboy who hung on to his number one spot through to the end was bull rider, Garrett Smith. The Idaho contender rode four of his six bulls for a $24,725 CFR debut, pushing his year’s earnings to $70,185. Other highlights included the enthusiastic Brazilian Marcos Gloria, who makes his home in Edmonton, winning the average; and Tanner Girletz closing out his great bull riding career at the last CFR in Edmonton by finishing second in Canada. Bowden’s Ky Marshall rode away with his second All-Around championship, while Morgan Grant claimed his second High Point title in a wide-open race, competing in both steer wrestling and having a great week in the tiedown roping. Dawson Hay of Wildwood, Alta., emerged the novice saddle bronc champion, while Connor Hamilton inked his name on the novice bareback honour. The steer riding was quite a battle with Luke Ferber winning his second champion buckle, by a mere $16 over defending titlist Dixon Tattrie. The great C5 grey Virgil kept his record intact, adding the Bareback Horse of the CFR to his achievements, but Calgary Stampede’s Wild Cherry claimed the Saddle Bronc halter, with Kesler Rodeo’s Flight Plan taking top bull honours of the CFR. The 44th CFR went out in grand style, with 90,268 fans celebrating the legacy of Canada’s rodeo best at the Northlands Coliseum. c cowboycountrymagazine.com
Logan Bird and his great horse, TJ, voted as the 2016 Tie-Down Roping Horse of the Year, in the sixth round catching both the calf and the 2017 Champion title
2017 Canadian Champion Carman Pozzobon on Ripn Lady (Ripp), voted as the 2017 Barrel Horse with the Most Heart
2017 Novice Saddle Bronc champion Dawson Hay scoring 81 points on Vold Rodeo’s 2 Apache Trail in the second round
A group of past and current bull riding champions and competitors surrounds Tanner Girletz after his last ride. Girletz, the 2006 Canadian Bull Riding Champion, who won two rounds and split a round, retired at the CFR.
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Pro Rodeo Canada Insider
Aerial view of a portion of the Ponoka Stampede rodeo grounds
COMMITTEE OF THE YEAR
By TERRI MASON
Ponoka Stampede, Ponoka, Alta. Committee of the Year — Large Rodeo
Located two hours north of Calgary, the towering grandstand dominates the landscape of the rolling prairie town and the seemingly mile-high “Ponoka Stampede” lettering leaves you with no doubt that you have arrived. This iconic rodeo has won the Committee of the Year Award for Large rodeos a record-setting 12 times and the reasons are numerous. First and foremost, says Bruce Harbin, committee vice president, “Ponoka is a cowboy’s rodeo. Tom Butterfield always maintained that it has to be fair for the cowboys, and that’s still what drives every decision.” It’s widely known that it’s easier to match the calibre of a pen of bulls than it 44
is to match a pen of broncs, so this is what drives the committee’s decision to bring in the best rough stock from a wide range of stock contractors. When the cowboys draw their bronc for that day, they know that it’s up to them to make the ride; they’ll darn sure have enough horse under them to win. “That’s why Ponoka is known as a riding competition, not a drawing contest,” says Harbin. Ponoka has always had free camping on the rodeo grounds, and that’s something that will never change. “If you play your cards right, you can camp for free and with all the pancake breakfasts going on you can practically eat for free for the whole rodeo,” laughs Harbin. The event has over 800 volunteers (over 12 per cent of the population) helping in every conceivable capacity from stock handling to grounds keeping, parking to the
fantastic drill team carrying sponsors flags while galloping intricate patterns. Every volunteer is appreciated and the board thanks them all with a huge barbeque after the rodeo wraps for another year. The arena also welcomes the World Professional Chuckwagons, the pony chuckwagons, mounted shooters and two massive concerts; for 2018 they will have the Road Hammers and Trace Atkins gracing the big stage. The Ponoka Stampede runs June 26– July 2, 2018. To see a full rundown on the vast array of events and attractions, visit ponokastampede.com
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
PHOTO BY KAYLEE JO HENKLEMEN
F
or 82 years and counting, the entire town of Ponoka, Alta., has welcomed fans and competitors alike to the famous Ponoka Stampede.
C.P.R.A.
One popular way to arrive at LaCrete includes a ferry ride across the Peace River and yes, it can accommodate trucks and horse trailers
Field of Dreams Stampede, La Crete, Alta.
Hand Hills Lake Stampede, Hand Hills, Alta.
Committee of the Year — Medium Rodeo
Committee of the Year — Small Rodeo
I
n the fourteen years since they’ve gone pro, the Field of Dreams pro rodeo at La Crete, Alta., holds two records. It is the most northern rodeo in Canada, and the only organizers to win the rodeo committee of the year award in all three categories — small, medium and large. Field of Dreams has won this distinction an impressive seven and a half times; the half came in 2016 when they tied with TeePee Creek Stampede.
PHOTO BY JOYCE WIELER; COURTESY ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY
The Hand Hills Stampede grounds, situated on the shore of Hand Hills Lake
This past year they received a double-kiss when Field of Dreams also won the coveted Most Improved Ground award. For those that haven’t been to this multi-award-winning show, the laid-back hamlet of LaCrete (pop. 2,500) is a bit of a journey — it’s just down the road from the world-famous Wood Buffalo National Park, about seven hours north of Edmonton. The cooperative planning of the northern rodeo towns, including High Prairie, Grimshaw and Dawson Creek, has created an informal circuit which attracts top competitors to this wild northern range. The free campground is kitty-corner to the grounds; the covered grandstand offers shade from the sun, and along with the full slate of pro rodeo events reinforced by the high-kicking stock of Outlaw Buckers, Field of Dreams also hosts a couple of audience participation events, and one of the most popular is the kids calf scramble (participants pull a ribbon off the calf’s tail.) “We’ve got two age categories and we get a couple hundred kids in the arena,” says Jake Weibe, committee chairman. “The winners get a brand new bike.” The other event is the “Cash Grab” for adults. “We stick a half-dozen envelopes stuffed with a hundred bucks anywhere on some range cows and they’ve got to get it off her. About 200 people get in on that. We try not to have too many cows with horns but sometimes it can get pretty western,” he laughs. “Field of Dreams is pretty unique,” says Weibe. “We sure make the effort to make the competitors and the rodeo fans want to come, and they sure do,” he says. “Come on up to our rodeo, it’s a lot of fun.” The 15th annual Field of Dreams Pro Rodeo in LaCrete, Alta., is August 7–8, 2018. For more information, visit lacretechamber.com. cowboycountrymagazine.com
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ongratulations to the Hand Hills Lake Stampede committee, who, after hosting Alberta’s oldest consecutively-run rodeo since 1917, won the Committee of the Year Award for small rodeos.
The award invigorated the long-time committee members. “The award sure helped out a lot,” says Layton Rosin, committee chairman. “After the 100th (annual rodeo) and building the community centre we were all pretty tired but we all have a great sense of community, so this was great.” The Hand Hills Lake Rodeo grounds, located about 25 miles (40 km) east of Drumheller, Alta., plays host to a two-day rodeothat lasts a week. “People show up days early and camp out together, and all for the cost of rodeo admission,” says Rosin. Tradition is their mainstay and the champions roster of the Hand Hills Lake Stampede reads like the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame with such notables as Pete Knight and Kenny McLean. Needless to say, it’s considered a coup to win this show and have your name carved in their record book. The fans are coming from even further afield. “Once they get here, they don’t have to worry. We’ve got on-site bank machines, concessions and beer gardens.” Most notably, Hand Hills is famous for their homemade pies. From sunup to sundown there is something going on in the arena, and they also host chariot and pony chuckwagons. “And after dark, we’ve got the cabaret,” says Rosin. “We’re now actually making pretty decent money with our pro rodeo that’s held in the middle of nowhere.” Their rough stock has always been supplied by their neighbour, the Calgary Stampede Ranch, who has helped out the committee in other ways as well. “We’re like Calgary’s bad little brother; they’re always helping us out,” laughs Rosin. “We’ve got their old chutes, and various board members have donated money over the years. Without Calgary, we’d be done.” The 102nd annual Hand Hills Lake Stampede runs June 2–3, 2018. For more, visit handhills.ab.ca. c
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Pro Rodeo Canada Insider ROAD TO THE CFR
BARES & BULLS WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN By TIM ELLIS
T
ODD CHOTOWETZ AND COLE GOODINE COMPETE IN DIFFERENT EVENTS. BUT THEY HAVE A FEW THINGS IN COMMON. BOTH HAVE WON MULTIPLE CHAMPIONSHIPS AT THE SEMI-PRO LEVEL, BOTH
ARE IN THEIR MID-TWENTIES AND BOTH HAVE LEARNED HOW TO
“Being able to mentally deal with the injuries means a world of difference,” suggests the 24-year-old Chotowetz, who qualified for his first Canadian Finals Rodeo last November since turning pro in 2012. “You can’t let it affect your riding.” The Saskatchewan bullrider put together his best campaign on the Pro Rodeo Canada trail in 2017, finishing with over $41,000 in earnings, despite serious early-season injuries. “I broke a bunch of ribs (at the spring Broncs and Honky Tonks rodeo) in Medicine Hat,” begins Chotowetz, whose regular season earnings jumped from $2,600 in 2016 to $26,000 this past season. “Then at my first rodeo back in Camrose, I broke my shoulder blade.” That left Chotowetz out of action for even longer this time, returning to the pay window in June to collect $1,100 from rodeos in Rocky Mountain House and Lea Park. The time off was spent healing and pondering. “Learning from your buck-offs, not getting worse from them and letting it pile on and pile on until you’re digging a ditch you can’t get out of,” offers Chotowetz of his new-found philosophy. “All you can do is stay on your bull and let the judges take care of the rest.” For Goodine, who, like Chotowetz, also won titles in the Lakeland Rodeo, Wildrose Rodeo and Foothills Cowboys Associations, his new philosophy also incorporated mental toughness. 46
“I taught myself to fight Cole Goodine winning round 1 on Northcott-Macza’s through the pain,” begins 118 Stevie Knicks, 2017 CFR the 27-year-old Goodine. “With all my aches and pains, instead of giving up, I turned that into drive and determination.” Goodine’s 2017 season was also cut short by injuries. First it was back muscles and tendons that kept him on the sidelines for two months. “I came back two weekends before Calgary (Stampede),” relays Goodine. “I was riding really good and placed three of the four days in Calgary and then on the last day I broke the cartilage off the front of my ribs. “I took three weeks off when I was supposed to be Todd Chotowetz splitting 3/4 on Outlaw Buckers 22 out three months and just Mr Sunshine in round 1, 2017 CFR decided to deal with it and fight through it.” Unlike Chotowetz, who qualified for Finals Rodeo berth last fall, which ended his first CFR last season, Goodine has successfully with a $1,250 cheque from the never missed competing at the Canadian Grassroots Finals in Calgary on the final Finals Rodeo in his four years on the pro weekend of the CPRA’s regular season. rodeo trail. “I was coming from 20th place with two“I knew I was trying to do the impossible thirds of the season gone to try to make the but that made me want it so much more,” CFR.” c says Goodine of his chase for a Canadian Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
PHOTOS COURTESY CPRA/MIKE COPEMAN
BLOCK OUT THE PAIN OF RIDING WHILE INJURED.
CLOWNIN’ AROUND | CRASH COOPER
Ash Cooper Art and Ranch Gallery
This does not count as my NIGHT OUT WITH THE GIRLS!
Caption
cowboycountrymagazine.com
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Jasper Heritage Rodeo August 8–11, 2018
H
ere at Canadian Cowboy Country we make a big deal of tradition, honouring those Westerners who came before us because we never lose sight of the fact that we are all standing on the shoulders of giants — especially in our world of Western culture. The Jasper Heritage Rodeo Committee has launched an online petition as well as a letter writing campaign, and they ask that you join them in saving a piece of our Western culture, the Jasper Heritage Rodeo, located in Jasper National Park. c For more information on how you can help save this iconic rodeo, please visit jasperheritagerodeo.com, or on Facebook at facebook.com/jasperheritagerodeo
PHOTO COURTESY JASPER YELLOWHEAD MUSEUM & ARCHIVES
The Jasper Heritage Rodeo is one of Canada’s oldest professional rodeos and holds the distinction of being the only pro rodeo held in a National Park. There has been a decision by Parks Canada to discontinue one of the oldest professional rodeos in the country — the 92-year-old Jasper Heritage Rodeo. We were contacted and asked for our help in getting support from our readers and subscribers for the continuation of this rodeo as there are many people, Canadians and Europeans alike, who very much want to see this award-winning rodeo continue.
An early bronc riding contest which led to the formation of the Jasper Heritage Rodeo, Jasper, Alta., 1924
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
HERE IS A SAMPLING OF WESTERN EVENTS COMING UP IN 2018
LET’S DO SOMETHING… BRITISH COLUMBIA Cloverdale Rodeo & Country Fair May 19–May 22 Cloverdale, B.C.
Gold Panning Competition & Railway Event Jun 18 Fort Steele, Cranbrook, B.C.
24th Annual Poplar Meadows Angus Ranch Challenge Jun 30 Williams Lake, B.C.
39th Annual Kamloopa Pow Wow Aug 3–5 Kamloops, B.C.
Abbotsford Agrifair Aug 4–6 Abbotsford, B.C.
Tlell Fall Fair
Aug 6 Graham Island, Haida Gwaii, B.C.
Dawson Creek Exhibition & Stampede Aug 9–13 Dawson Creek, B.C.
BCNE (British Columbia Northern Exhibition) Aug 17–20 Prince George, B.C.
North Peace Fall Fair Aug 18–20 Fort St. John, B.C.
Nechako Valley Exhibition Aug 18–20 Vanderhoof, B.C.
Pacific National Exhibition Aug 19–Sep 4 Vancouver, B.C.
Bulkley Valley Exhibition Aug 24–27 Smithers, B.C.
Nicola Valley Ranch Rodeo Aug 25 Merritt, B.C.
Armstrong Interior Provincial Exhibition & Rodeo (IPE) Aug 30–Sep 3 Armstrong, B.C.
North Thompson Fall Fair & Rodeo Sep 2–4 Barriere, B.C.
Salmon Arm Fair
Provincial Winter Fair
Paint Horse Show
The Mane Event
Friends Trail Ride
Sep 22–25 Circle Creek Ranch, Kamloops, B.C. Oct 19–21 Heritage Park, Chilliwack, B.C. maneeventexpo.com 844-578-7518 ext 107
ALBERTA Sleigh and Wagon Cutter Rally Feb 3 Rimbey Agrim Centre, Rimbey, Alta.
Winterfest Feb 17–18 Sundre, Alta.
Open Range Stock Dog Trial
Apr 14–15 Rimbey Agrim Centre, Rimbey, Alta.
CS Aggie Days 2018
Apr 11–15 Stampede Grounds, Calgary, Alta.
Spring Fling All Breeds Horse Show Apr 20–22 Calnash Event Centre, Ponoka, Alta.
Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo Apr 26–29 Calgary, Alta.
The Mane Event
Apr 27–29 Westerner Park, Red Deer, Alta. maneeventexpo.com 844-578-7518 ext 107
Horde at the Hive — Viking Village May 12–13 Okotoks, Alta.
Black Elk Cutting Classic
May 25–28, Sep 6–10 Calnash Event Centre, Ponoka, Alta.
Peace River Pow Wow & Aboriginal Gathering June 2–3 Peace River, Alta.
Aurora Arabian Show
Jun 6–10 Calnash Event Centre, Ponoka, Alta.
Pincher Creek Cowboy Show Jun 16–17 Pincher Creek, Alta.
Calgary Stampede
Sep 8–10 Salmon Arm, B.C.
Jul 6–15 Calgary, Alta. calgarystampede.com
Williams Lake Harvest Fair
K–Days
Sep 9–10 Williams Lake, B.C.
British Columbia Agricultural Exposition Sep 22–25 Barriere, B.C.
cowboycountrymagazine.com
Jul 20–29 Edmonton, Alta.
Cypress Hills Stock Dog Trial Jul 28–29 Medicine Hat, Alta.
Aug 1–5 Calnash Event Centre, Ponoka, Alta. Aug 4 Bar U Ranch, Longview, Alta.
Canmore Folk Music Festival Aug 4–6 Canmore, Alta.
Old Time Ranch Rodeo
Aug 19 Bar U Ranch, Longview, Alta.
Cdn Border Collie Assoc. Championships Aug 23–26 Medicine Hat, Alta.
Kevin Hopper Memorial Ranch Rodeo Sep 8 Rimbey Agrim Centre, Rimbey, Alta.
Harvest & Heavy Horse Weekend Sep 15–16 Bar U Ranch, Longview, Alta.
Wildrose Draft Horse Futurity & Chore Horse Challenge Sep 28–30 Calnash Event Centre, Ponoka, Alta.
SASKATCHEWAN The Mid–Winter Celtic Festival Feb 9–10 Regina, Sask.
Saskatchewan Equine Expo Feb 15–18 Saskatoon, Sask.
36th Annual Battle of the Little Big Puck Feb 17 Maple Creek, Sask.
2018 Saskatchewan Winter Games Feb 18–24 The Battlefords, Sask.
Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race Feb 20–24 Prince Albert, Sask.
Beef Expo
Apr 7–8 Saskatoon, Sask.
31st Annual Ranch Rodeo Jul 7 Maple Creek, Sask.
Wagon Rides for Children’s Wish Aug 11 Cypress Park, Maple Creek, Sask.
Cypress Hills Wish Ride
Sep 8 Reesor Ranch, Maple Creek, Sask.
2018 Canadian Western Agribition Nov 19–24 Regina, Sask.
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WESTERN EVENTS
MUSIC FESTIVALS UP NORTH Folk on the Rocks Jul 20–22 Yellowknife, NWT 867-920-7806
Kluane Mountain Bluegrass Festival Jul 8–10 Haines Junction, Yukon
John Arcand Fiddle Fest
BRITISH COLUMBIA Jun 29 Fort Steele, B.C.
Kootenay Country Music Festival Jul 6–8 Pass Creek Exhibition Grounds Castlegar, B.C. kootenaycountryfest.com
Gateway Spring Horse & Longhorn Auction Saturday May 5, 2018 at 1pm Silver Sage Community Corral, Brooks, AB Online Bidding Available For entry forms & details go to
www.gwacountry.com
Jul 6–8 Love, Sask. 306-276-2579
Rockin’ River Country Music Fest
Craven Country Jamboree
Aug 2–5 Merritt, B.C. 877-307-4837
Robson Valley Music Festival
Country Thunder Saskatchewan Jul 12–15 Craven, Sask. 306-757-0007
ALBERTA
Ness Creek Festival
South Country Fair Jul 19–22 Fort McLeod, Alta.
Ivan Daines’ Country Music Picknic Aug 9–12 Innisfail, Alta. 403-358-2295
Country Thunder Alberta
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Jul 12–15 Regina, Sask.
Aug 10–12 Valemount, B.C.
Aug 3–5 Stony Plain, Alta. 1-888-915-4973
E: gwacountry@gmail.com
Jun 21–23 Big River, Sask. 306-469-7958
28th Annual Love Gospel Jamboree
33rd Annual Blueberry Bluegrass Festival
T: 403-363-1729 Gordon Musgrove
Country at the Creek
Jul 29–30 Maple Ridge, B.C.
Aug 2–5 Camrose, Alta.
TF: 1-866-304-4664
Jun 21–24 Swift Current, Sask. 306-778-2686
Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Country Fest
Big Valley Jamboree
www.gwacountry.com
Long Day’s Night Music Festival
Aug 17–19 Calgary, Alta. 866-388-0007
Jul 19–22 Big River, Sask. 306-652-6377
14th Annual Gateway Music Festival Jul 27–29 Bengough, Sask.
John Arcand Fiddle Fest Aug 9–12 Saskatoon, Sask. 306-382-0111
MANITOBA Manito Ahbee Festival May 16–20 Winnipeg, Man. 204-956-184
EASTERN CANADA Stan Rogers Folk Festival
SASKATCHEWAN
Jul 26–29 Canso, N.S. 888-554-7826
Saskatchewan Highland Gathering
Festival Western of Saint-Quentin
May 19–20 Regina, Sask. 306-789-6516
Jul 3–8 Saint-Quentin, N.B. 1-877-898-9342
Cavendish Beach Festival Jul 6–8 Cavendish, PEI
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
PHOTO COURTESY JOHN ARCAND FIDDLE FEST
Rock the Fort! 2nd Annual Outdoor Concert
Texas Longhorn saLe SEMI-PRO RODEO ASSOCIATIONS INTERNATIONAL National High School Rodeo Assoc. nhsra.com New Zealand Rodeo Cowboys Assoc. rodeonz.co.nz Australian High School Rodeo Assoc. australianhighschoolrodeo association.webs.com
NATIONAL Canadian Girls Rodeo Assoc. cgra.ca National High School Rodeo Assoc. nhsra.com National Intercollegiate Rodeo Assoc. collegerodeo.com Canadian Intercollegiate Rodeo Assoc. canadiancollegerodeo.com
BRITISH COLUMBIA BC Rodeo Assoc. rodeobc.com BC High School Rodeo Assoc. bchsra.ca BC Barrel Racers Assoc. bcbra.com BC Little Britches Rodeo Assoc. bclbra.org Canadian Senior Pro Rodeo Assoc. canadaseniorrodeo.com
ALBERTA Wild Rose Rodeo Assoc. wrarodeo.com Lakeland Rodeo Assoc. lakelandrodeoassociation.com Foothills Cowboy Assoc. fcarodeo.com Central Alberta Rodeo Assoc. cararodeo.com Chinook Rodeo Assoc. chinookrodeoassociation.com Alberta High School Rodeo Assoc. albertahsrodeo.com
March 2, 2018 - 11aM
Fort Macleod auction
Box 1330 • Fort Macleod, AB T0L 0Z0 • 1-888-553-7715
www.livestock.ab.ca Contacts: Darren Shaw 403-601-5165 Allan Lively 403-627-7776 • Justin Keeley 403-627-6534 Chain Lakes Yearling Classic Sale: August 2018 Western Canadian Video Sale: September 2018
te!! Save the da est rg la ’s a d 2 of Cana video sales!
BC High School Rodeo
SASKATCHEWAN Canadian Cowboys Assoc. canadiancowboys.ca Sask. High School Rodeo Assoc. shsra.net
PHOTO COURTESY BC HIGH SCHOOL RODEO
MANITOBA Manitoba Rodeo Cowboys Assoc. mrcarodeo.jigsy.com Heartland Rodeo Assoc. heartlandrodeoassociation.com Manitoba High School Rodeo Assoc. mhsra.ca
EASTERN CANADA Maritime Barrel Racing Assoc. maritimebarrelracing.com Ontario Barrel Racing Assoc. obra.ca Ontario Rodeo Assoc. orarodeo.ca Ontario High School Rodeo Assoc. ohsra.ca
cowboycountrymagazine.com
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WESTERN EVENTS
COWBOY CHURCHES Nechako Valley Cowboy Church
Last Sun. of every month, 7 p.m., Nechako Community Church Building, Hwy 16 E, Vanderhoof, B.C., 250‑567‑4960
Open Valley Cowboy Church
Every Sun., 6:30 p.m., Head of the Lake Hall, past the O’Keefe Ranch on Hwy 97, Vernon, B.C., 250‑503‑0707
Boomtown Trail Cowboy Church
2nd and last Wed. of every month, 7 p.m., Elnora Drop‑In Centre, Elnora, Alta., 403‑749‑2047
Clearwater Cowboy Church
Every Thur., 7 p.m., Dovercourt Hall, Hwy 22, north of Caroline, Alta., 403-844-6641
Community Cowboy Church
Every Tue., 7-8 p.m., Niton Community Hall, Main St., Niton, Alta., 780-795-2326
Cowboy Trail Church
Every Tue., 7 p.m., Cochrane Ranche House, 101 Ranchehouse Rd., Cochrane, Alta., 403‑638‑4254 Ryan Fritz, 2018 Kamloops Cowboy Festival
Heartland Cowboy Church
1st and 3rd Tue. of every month, 7 p.m., Stettler Agriplex, 4516‑52 St., Stettler, Alta., 403‑742‑4273
Millarville Cowboy Church
34th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Jan 29–Feb 3 Elko, Nev.
18th Annual 100 Mile House Cowboy Concert Feb 10 100 Mile House, B.C.
Spirit of the West Cowboy Gathering Feb 16–18 Ellensburg, Wash.
The 22nd Annual Kamloops Cowboy Festival Mar 15–18 Kamloops, B.C. bcchs.com 1-888-763-2221
12th Annual Canadian Rockies Cowboy Festival May 25–27 Nordegg, Alta.
18th Annual Willow Creek Cowboy Gathering Jun 15–17 Stavely, Alta.
26th Annual Stony Plain Cowboy Festival
Aug 17–19 Stony Plain Heritage Park, Stony Plain, Alta. stonyplaincowboypoetry.com 780-963-6092
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Sep 14–16 Maple Creek, Sask. maplecreekcowboypoetry.com 306-558-4428
Trail’s End Gathering Sep 29–30 High River, Alta.
TRAIL RIDES & WAGON TREKS 7th Annual 2nd Chance Trail Ride Supporting organ donation May 12 Lindbergh, Alta. facebook.com/2ndChanceTrailRide
Courage Canada Trail Ride
Supporting brain injury awareness May 26 Minburn / Innisfree area, Alta. cccanada.webs.com
Wild Pink Yonder
Supporting breast cancer research Three separate long weekend rides Canada Day (Jul 1–3) Cypress Hills, Alta. Heritage Day (Aug 5–7) Willmore Wilderness, Alta. Labour Day (Sep 2–4) Badlands of Donalda, Alta. wildpinkyonder.com
2nd and 4th Thur. of every month, 7:30 p.m., South of Calgary at Hwy 22 and Hwy 549 east near the racetrack turn off, Millarville, Alta., 403‑931‑1618
Pipestone Cowboy — Cowgirl Church 2nd Mon. of every month, 7 p.m., Pipestone Café, Hwy 795, 11 km north from junction Hwy 13 and 795, Pipestone, Alta., 780-312-8653
Ranchman’s Cowboy Church
Every Sun., 10 a.m. Ranchman’s Restaurant, 9615 MacLeod Tr. SW, Calgary, Alta., 403‑882‑3239
St. Albert Cowboy Church
Every Fri., 7 p.m., 60 Liberton Dr., St. Albert, Alta., 780-459-2222
The Cowboy Church
Every Fri., 7:30 p.m., Centre Park Church, 52 Peacock Dr., Sherwood Park, Alta., 780‑918‑5530
Viking Cowboy Church
Last Fri. of every month, 7:30 p.m., Viking Auction Market, junction of Hwy 26 and 36, Viking, Alta., 780‑384‑2114
Battlefords Cowboy Church
1st and 3rd Thur. of every month, 7 p.m., Legion Hall, 22 St., Battleford, Sask., 306-937-2733
Diamond C Cowboy Church
Every Tue., 7:30 p.m., 208 Sidney St., Maple Creek, Sask., 306‑662‑3431
Cowboy Valley Church
4054 PR 432 Morden, Man., 204-822-9909
Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
PHOTO COURTESY RYAN FRITZ
COWBOY GATHERINGS
Maple Creek Mustering – Western Art & Gear Show
HOME QUARTER MERCANTILE 216 - 1st Street West Cochrane, AB 403-932-2121 homequarter1@gmail.com
UNIQUELY WESTERN APPAREL, JEWELLERY & ACCESSORIES
for Men & Women
RETIREMENT
Dominic Valine Spurs & Silver Builder of sweet iron bits and silver spurs, ranch buckles, and saddle bling. Box 68 LaGlace AB T0H 2J0 780-568-4690 780-831-4439 domvaline@gmail.com Visit us on Facebook
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Joan and Clarence are retiring and closing Home Quarter Mercantile. We would like to thank our clients for their support over the years! WWW.HOMEQUARTER.CA | New horse? New saddle? How do you know they work well together?
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MOST UNIQUE STORE IN
WETASKIWIN! Your CowboY Firearms Centre repairs, tuning & aCCessories reloading supplies & ammunition
rustywood.ca | 604-302-6176
3725 56 St., Wetaskiwin Mall | 780 352 3520 53
COWBOY POETRY
The One Who Checks the Pens By DORIS BIRCHAM
Someone who sees an ear down, A glazed or runny eye, Who checks the slightest limp Or a head that’s held too high, Spots icicles on tassels, A tail turned to a rope, A muzzle full of quills Or a tendency to bloat, Breathin’ that’s fast or raspy, Snotty noses or dry coughs, And who checks out any calf Slow comin’ to the trough, Who sees a switchin’ steer Lumps that show up anywhere And who takes the time to study The sheen and lay of hair.
With eyes just like an eagle, The penchecker makes the rounds; Nothing goes unnoticed, Not one blood spot on the ground. And the red ink or the black May very well depend On the calf-smarts and the know-how Of the one who checks the pens.
The One Who Checks the Pens was excerpted from Teamwork by Doris Bircham.
PHOTO COURTESY TOM/ADOBE STOCK
When it comes to feedin’ calves There’s a lot of things one needs Like sheltered corrals and drainage, Clean water and good feed. And in spite of k.d. lang, Much to cattlemen’s relief, Most of the population’s Still into eatin’ beef. But with truckin’ and the banker, Feed and vet bills to be paid And fluctuating markets Seems there’s little to be made. Yet in this risky business The payoff may be double If some keen observer Is out there spottin’ trouble.
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Canadian Cowboy Country February/March 2018
S P E CIAL ADVE RTO RIAL
Relax & Recharge in Drayton Valley Only 90 minutes from downtown Edmonton, Drayton Valley is an inspiring destination. With much of the natural beauty of its bigger brothers Jasper and the Rockies to the west, as well as affordable accommodations and services, Drayton Valley and Brazeau County are a beautiful area for that fast weekend getaway or much-needed break from the hustle and pressure of the city. Take a short leisurely drive to Drayton along Market Garden Road and Secondary Highway 627. The scenic route will introduce you (and your family) to the rolling hills and valleys that lead to Brazeau County and the major centre, Drayton Valley. During your stay, hike along the trails of Eagle Point and Blue Rapids Provincial Park. The area features many
kilometres of well-maintained trails that allow you to walk through Mother Nature’s beautiful backyard, filled with the trees, plants, and wildlife of this natural setting. Then enjoy a meal at any of the great eateries of Drayton Valley, which include budget-minded, family-friendly, and fine-dining options. After dinner, a five-minute drive into the countryside will, on a clear night, present you with a cascade of stars that are hidden by the bright lights of the major metro centres. At the end of your fulfilling day, return and relax in your hotel — all of the DVHTA.ca member hotels offer outstanding accommodations and services. It’s a different world in the Valley; it will give you the chance to slow down, recharge, and enjoy the sights and sounds that surround you.
This life looks good on you Calgary • Cochrane • Edmonton • Fort Saskatchewan • Spruce Grove • Red Deer • Lethbridge • Banff • Camrose Medicine Hat • Lloydminster • Olds • Strathmore • West Kelowna • Kamloops • Prince Albert • Regina
