From Start to Finish Showing & Marketing Cattle
Cowgirl Glam! With Miss Rodeo Canada, Jaden Holle
What Does It Take to be a Rodeo Judge?
IAL o er FIC de id OF Ro Ins ro a P ad n Ca
At Home with Canadiana Cowboy Singer Tim Hus
Lest We Forget
Letters Home
It’s Championship Rodeo Time!
Red Deer to Vegas Events
Cowboy Craftsmen
PM# 40070720
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 • $5.95
Leather, Silver & Rawhide Treasures
How to Move Pairs the Easy Way
CSR PERFORMANCE HORSES *
Prospects offered at Pink Buckle Barrel Horse Sale, October 11, 2019 Guthrie, OK
MJ Condo Cowboy (2016 G by Carrizzo x Cisco Goldie by PC Cisco Frost) He will be ready for 4- or 5-year-old futurities. He has been nicely started on the barrels by Brett Monroe.
Canyoncmyspeedo (2018 S by Firewater Canyon x Famous Silk Panties by Dash Ta Fame) His dam is the winningest futurity mare of all time ($237,484 EquiStat).
Bobby Bouchette (2018 S by the late-great Furyofthewind x Startini—race winner with 4 starts), his maternal grandsire, Stoli, won the All American Derby and was the 2001 Racing World Champion.
Recklesswthfirewater (2018 F by Firewater Canyon x JK Reckless Lady by Docs Gettin Reckless). Mare power times two: Mulberry Canyon Moon (8 offspring competing have earned $445,744) and JK Reckless Lady ($184,000 EquiStat Earnings).
W
e are honored to join some of the top breeders in the country bringing a select group of horses to the Pink Buckle Barrel Horse Sale. $100,000 Sale Incentive starting with the 2020 Futurity. Sale is held in conjunction with the Pink Buckle Barrel Race Futurity & Open 4D, October 9–12, 2019, visit PinkBuckle.com for details.
FMI ON CSR’S PINK BUCKLE SALE HORSES: LISAA@COPPERSPRINGRANCH.COM (406) 579-1540 OR VISIT COPPERSPRINGRANCH.COM 2
Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
55+ Free Events All CFR Long! Ultimate Cowboy Challenge in the Centrium on Tuesday Bucking Horse Futurity in the Centrium on Wednesday Stock Dogs Trials in Agricentre East on Wednesday Canadian Finals Breakaway in the Centrium on Thursday & Friday Xtreme Cowboy Competition in Agricentre East on Saturday Presented by
cowboycountrymagazine.com
Oct 29 - Nov 3, 2019 | cFRrEDdEER.CA 3
38 AT HOME WITH TIM HUS The provincial emblems on Tim’s guitar strap are more than mere decoration, they are a testament to the Canadian Cowboy’s near-constant touring across our great country. Photo by Bill Borgwardt
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Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 | VOLUME 23, NO. 3
22 TRAILBLAZERS
Bill Greathouse Historian Daryl Drew traces the story of cowboy Bill Greathouse
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Lest We Forget, Letters Home Letters home from cowboyturned-WWI-soldier, Raymond Bell
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TRADITIONAL COWBOY ARTS
On the Cover 2019 Miss Rodeo Canada Jaden Holle at Heritage Ranch in Red Deer. For more on the fashion she is wearing, see our fashion shoot on page 30. Photo by Nicole Templeton
Cowboy Collaboration Master craftsmen and their stunning collaborative works
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Cowgirl Glam
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COWBOY WAY
2019 MRC Jaden Holle and 1959 MRC Phyllis Dahl share the spotlight in their halfcentury shoot!
Moving Cow/Calf Pairs, Part 4 of 6 Clinician Dylan Biggs teaches a slower-yet-faster approach to moving cows and calves
40 RANCHERS’ SPECIAL
What Works for Us The start and apex of careers in showing and marketing cattle
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Rounding Up Sin City Action The NFR in Las Vegas is a treasure trove of round-theclock fun!
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cowboycountrymagazine.com
Canadian Finals Rodeo Follow the action to Red Deer to celebrate Canada’s premiere rodeo!
DEPARTMENTS 7 My Point of View 9 In the Corral 13 Western Art Review 14 Spirit of the West 16 Wheel to Wheel 18 Some Days Are Diamond 20 Reflections 47 Pro Rodeo Canada Insider 59 Clownin’ Around 62 Cowboy Poetry 5
THE SPIRIT OF THE WEST radio program Celebrating
27
Years
Hear it on your favourite radio station or on demand at
Hugh-McLennan.com
October/November 2019 Vol. 23, No. 3 Editor Terri Mason terri@cowboycountrymagazine.com Copy Editor Carmen D. Hrynchuk carmen@cowboycountrymagazine.com Art Director Zuzana Benesova zuzana@cowboycountrymagazine.com Graphic Designers Raymond Burch, raymond@tanneryoung.com Erin Murphy, ads@tanneryoung.com Publisher Rob Tanner rob@cowboycountrymagazine.com Sales Manager Kristine Wickheim kristine@cowboycountrymagazine.com Sales Representative Kathy Kelley kathy@tanneryoung.com Traffic Coordinator Cheryl Lindquist traffic@cowboycountrymagazine.com Subscription/Circulation Marie Tanner circ@tanneryoung.com Accounting Administrator Catherine Staszkiewicz admin@tanneryoung.com Customer Relations Manager Marie Tanner marie@tanneryoung.com Columnists Tim Ellis, “Diamond” Doug Keith, Billy Melville, Hugh McLennan, Bryn Thiessen Contributors Dylan Biggs, Bill Borgwardt, CrAsh Cooper, Daryl Drew, Billie Jean Duff, Ashley Henrickson, Emily Kitching, Nicole Templeton, Fred Vidiuk Tanner Young Publishing Group #430, 8170–50 Street, Edmonton AB T6B 1E6 Tel: 780-465-3362 Toll Free: 1-800-943-7336 Website: cowboycountrymagazine.com E-mail: askus @ cowboycountrymagazine.com
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Just in time for the Holidays Surprise someone with a beautiful silk COWBOY WILD RAG Showing at: Canadian Finals Rodeo Oct 29–Nov 3, 2019, Red Deer, AB Farmfair International Nov 6-10, 2019, Edmonton, AB Western Canadian Agribition Nov 25-30, 2019, Regina, SK
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 #430, 8170–50 Street, Edmonton AB T6B 1E6 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
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MY POINT OF VIEW
Football, Broncs & Cattle
T
ILLUSTRATION BY LE STEVENS
he Canadian Finals Rodeo is the most prestigious of all Canadian pro rodeos. Winning here has you in the record books for the rest of your life. The city of Red Deer has risen to the challenge of welcoming competitors and fans from across Canada and around the world. This year the event list has expanded exponentially, and we’re the outfit to show you where to go and what to do. It’s going to be a blast! Of course, after the champions are crowned, Canadians will be following the rodeo trail to warmer climes, from Vegas in December for the National Finals Rodeo and on to Kissimmee, Florida, in early April for the RAM Circuit Finals, and we will be cheering on the Canadians! More cheers will be erupting in Calgary in November as the good folks from the Grey Cup have also organized a fun, invitational rough stock rodeo. But unlike the 107th Annual Grey Cup football game itself, the rodeo is held in the comfort and warmth of the Stampede Corral. It’s not the first time bucking horses have made an impact on the venerable game. Back in 1975 Calgary hosted its first Grey Cup, and the city turned to the Stampede committee to help stage the event. It was
no surprise that they had dancers, singers, marching bands, cowboys and First Nations people on horseback in full regalia (and many, many HBC blankets!). Deep in the end zone they set up a pen with bucking chutes, and (the now late) Winston Bruce rode in on one of his flashy Appaloosas and began directing the action. It was 27-year-old World Champion saddle bronc rider Mel Hyland and 19-year-old two-time Canadian saddle bronc champion Mel Coleman who came out spurring on that unbelievably cold day. How those trusted broncs maintained their footing on the frozen ground was in itself a miracle — but no one bucked off, and Calgary earned another bullet in its arsenal of entertainment. Enjoy this issue — and I do want to give a shout out to our columnist Dylan Biggs of TK Ranch near Hanna. His ongoing series on cattle handling is saving a lot of marriages, out in the wilds of Canadian Cowboy Country.
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.
facebook.com/cowboycountrymag
— Terri Mason, Editor
XXX XXXXXX JUN/JUL’21 JOE SMITH RR 1 EDMONTON, AB T6B 2L5
@CowboyCntryMag 7
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
CONTRIBUTORS
Heart of the Horse I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for the incredible write up you did for Heart of the Horse and myself. I can’t thank you enough for covering the event and doing such a nice complimentary job of it all. I really appreciate it and you! Thanks again. — Niki Flundra, Pincher Creek, Alta.
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I wanted to thank you for the article on the Canadian Finals Breakaway Roping in your August/September issue. With this being the inaugural year, we appreciate the exposure your magazine provides! We have had great support from across the prairies with qualifying events held from Ontario to BC. Many people have come together to make this event a reality. From the CFR Committee at Westerner Park and the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce, to roping producers and parents that haul their kids up and down the highway to compete, I’m grateful to them all. — Margo FitzPatrick, Red Deer, Alta.
Wild Ride! Thank you, Canadian Cowboy Country magazine, for the shout out! It is always fun to dress up the best cowboys! Mary Poppins REALLY rocked it. If you thought Kole Ashbacher’s ride was good you should have seen him skip away and twirl his umbrella. Can’t wait until next year! — Haley DiDio, Red Bluff Round-Up committee, Red Bluff, Calif. Pro Rodeo
CANADA
INSIDER
WILD RIDE IN CALIFORNIA Beginning in 2000, the Wild Ride at the Red Bluff Round-Up in California has delighted fans. A member of the Round-Up committee, Haley Didio, scours thrift shops to make costumes for all the competitors that are topical, and the results are spectacular. The winner earns $1,500 and a new Cactus saddle valued over $4,000. Congratulations to Kole Ashbacher of Arrowwood, Alta., who spurred his way to a victory dressed as Mary Poppins, complete with umbrella — which he never dropped by the way. At press time, Kole was sitting in eighth place in the CPRA standings. Photo by Billie-Jean Duff.
RODEOCANADA.COM
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CONTRIBUTORS
Breakaway
1 Dylan Biggs
4 Tim Ellis
Cowboy Way: Moving Cow/ Calf Pairs, Part 4 of 6, page 34
What Does It Take to Be a Pro Rodeo Judge? page 54
For over 20 years, Dylan has travelled extensively across North America sharing his knowledge of low stress cattle handling with producers through livestock handling demonstrations. Dylan, his wife Colleen and children run TK Ranches near Hanna, Alta.
Tim Ellis has reported on rodeo for 30+ years, hosting the live CFR radio broadcast on CFCW Radio since 2005. Listen for his daily rodeo reports on 20 radio stations in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
2 Ashley Henrickson
Trailblazers: Bill Greathouse, page 22
Lest We Forget, page 25 Ashley Henrickson is an Associate at Know History, in Calgary, Alta. She recently received the Medal of Merit for her master’s thesis at the University of Lethbridge and the Government of Canada History Award.
3 Emily Kitching Cowboy Collaboration, page 28 In 2001, Emily Kitching started her own horse magazine, Eclectic Horseman. Her goal is to become the best horsewoman she can be and to help horses get a better deal by educating horse owners around the world.
5 Daryl Drew, PhD Daryl Drew has been writing for Canadian Cowboy Country for over 10 years. A horse trainer and historian, he has horse packed into the mountains from the Yukon to Mexico.
6 Bill Borgwardt At Home with Tim Hus, page 38 Multi-award-winning photographer and feature writer Bill Borgwardt has been a part of the country music scene in Canada and the U.S. since 1966. He covers well over a hundred country music events each year.
CANADIAN COWBOY COUNTRY JUNE/JULY 2019
Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
IN THE CORRAL NEWS, VIEWS & HAPPENINGS FROM ACROSSNEWS, THE CANADIAN VIEWS & HAPPENINGS WEST FROM ACROSS THE CANADIAN WEST
Where Legends Begin…
PHOTO BY KATE WINQUIST
The advice for performers in vaudeville was always to “never follow kids or animal acts” because you will be upstaged. This is blatantly evident at any rodeo that has kid’s events, including the venerable Calgary Stampede — which now closes its multi-million-dollar rodeo not with bull riding, but with the kid’s Wild Pony Race. While the big arena is grand, it’s the local rodeo and the small, dusty corral where future champions get their start — because they all had to start somewhere. One example is 1983 World Bull Riding Champion, Cody Snyder. He got his start in 1968 in tiny Walsh, Alta., in calf riding. [Canadian Cowboy Country, Feb/Mar 2008.] Another is two-time World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider, Mel Hyland, who got his start on his dad’s back — literally. “He had a little bareback rigging that he made and strapped on his back,” said Mel. “Me and my brother Wilf started right there. Then I got to spurring him in the ear, so he entered me in steer riding at the 1958 Calgary Stampede.” Today, there are schools and organizations that help kids learn the skills to compete in rodeo. From timed events to rough stock, most rodeo schools occur early in the new year, and many will be listed in Canadian Cowboy. World Champions are not born, they are made, and no matter the pinnacles they reach and the successes they enjoy, they always remember their first rodeo — and who supported their dreams. Long live small-town rodeo.
Khloe Holeha of Medicine Hat, Alta., looks fabulous as she salutes the crowd and races her unicorn across the finish line in the Stick Horse Barrel Race at the 12th Annual Reno Rodeo in Consul, Sask.
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IN THE CORRAL
Ranch Rodeo Roundup Cariboo Heritage Gathering
Fourteen-year-old Kagen Russell from the River Ranch team, along with his father, Ed Russell, and mother, Raquel Russell, and fourth teammate, Doyle Watson (pictured) in the doctoring event
Nanton Held July 19–20, the Nanton Ranch Rodeo also featured an art and gear sale, live music, plus additional Buck Wild ranch bronc riding. After the dust (then mud) cleared, the crew of the Outside Circle Ranch won first place, with Riley Regier, Tracey Shock, Titus Kropf and Jesse Kropf. Working Ranch Horse Winner was Geoff Hoar of San Emideo Ranch; Top Hand Award went to Kendall Miller. The judges were Paul Phillips, Mark Parsons, Peter Swales and Dale Keates; arena director was Riley Millar, calves were provided by Manerd Bird, cattle supplied by Mark Parsons, rough stock by Richards Rodeo Stock and the announcer was Matt Lait. The Ranch Bronc Riding Winners ended in a tie between Matt Robertson and Kendall Miller.
Maple Creek The 32nd Annual Maple Creek Ranch Rodeo was held July 6, in the High Chaparral Arena under sunny skies and in front of a savvy audience. The ranch-y crowd saw a tight race, as eight experienced teams of five-person crews in coloured vests raced the clock and each other for buckles, bragging rights and getting their names carved onto the annually presented Hereford Cup. The events included penning, doctoring, horse catching, branding, cow milking and bronc riding. When the dust cleared, it was the turquoise team of Adam Gilchrist, Lindsey Harrigan, Braden Russell and brothers Cody and Ryan Wakelam who took the victory lap for their win with 14 points. It was the second win for Gilchrist, Russell and the Wakelams — they were also on the 2016 championship team. The additional rough stock event at the end of the rodeo was Ranch Bronc Riding, and in this contest (unlike ranch rodeo rules) *night latches are allowed. The winners with a tied aggregate score of 158 on two head were Matt Robertson and Cody Wilcox.
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The arena directors for the ranch rodeo were Alex Robinson and John Beierbach, with judges Eric Lawrence and Chris Sanderson. The announcer was Zane Anderson, roping steers were provided by William and Donna Beierbach, cows and calves were supplied by Doug and Jocelyn Wilson and Richards Rodeo Stock supplied the bucking horses.
The money raised was donated to the new Maple Creek Fire Hall. [*Night Latch — A piece of rope or a leather strap run through the gullet of the saddle as a safety strap to help a rider stay on a horse. The name is derived from its use by night riders to prevent falling off a horse if the rider fell asleep. — Cowboy Dictionary.]
From left: buckle presenter (and rancher) Brett Bock representing Cypress Credit Union, organizers (and ranchers) Alex Robinson and John Beierbach, and the 2019 Champions Adam Gilchrist, Cody Wakelam, Lindsey Harrigan, Ryan Wakelam and Braden Russell
Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
PHOTO BY EVA MILLAR; LIZ TWAN; MARCUS DAY
The 2019 Champions is the crew riding for the Outside Circle Ranch. From left: Riley Regier, Tracey Shock; in back is Kirk Phillips, president Nanton Ranch Rodeo, Titus Kropf and Jesse Kropf.
The Williams Lake Stampede played host to a full-day ranch rodeo, attracting 10 teams from the Cariboo-Chilcotin region and across the province. The cowboys competed in team doctoring, wild-cow milking, wild horse race, a top horse competition, team sorting and head and heel branding. Finishing in first place overall through the day’s events were Brock Herman, Colby Stewart, Cole Bailey and Jake Herman of the Stump Lake Ranch near Kamloops, B.C. Top Cowgirl was Ricky Seelhof of the Woodjam Ranch, the Top Hand Award went to Brock Herman, and the Top Junior Award went to Kacey Huffman of 150 Mile. Brad Thomas of Williams Lake was the arena director, Gord Colliar of Cache Creek was the announcer, Jenny Huffman of 150 Mile and Asia Elliott of Alkali Lake tabulated scores and Bryan and Raylene Poffenroth contributed the use of their livestock for the competition, while Bryan also did the cattle handling during the event.
Zwevezele
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An enthusiastic crowd welcomed the competitors at the Pincher Creek Cowboy Show, held June 16. The event encompassed a ranch rodeo, a ranch horse competition, a ranch bronc riding and a cowboy-styled trade show. In the ranch rodeo, first place went to the Bluebird Ranch crew of John Hunt, Wacey Marr, Matt Robertson, Rem Holowath and Craig Van Curran. Colt Duce of the Meadow Springs Ranch won the Overall Ranch Horse Competition. The arena directors were Norm McNeil and Clint Stokke, and the judges were Riley Miller, Darren Cook and Art Cox. The well-versed announcer was Justin Keeley. All of the cattle supplied for the event came from CoBie and Dana Herr and Dave Robbins, and it was Richards Rodeo Stock who brought the “wicked” bucking horses used in the rough stock event of the Ranch Rodeo and the BUCKWILD Bronc Riding. Be sure to join them again next year, traditionally held in mid-June.
elgium
Pincher Creek Cowboy Show
is Canadian Cowboy?
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,B
Where in the World Zwevezele, Belgium
This monument was erected in memory of Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 431 Squadron Pilot William Harold Wilson, who died when the Halifax bomber he was flying, MZ 521, crashed in Zwevezele on May 8, 1944. Four of the seven crew members were captured by the Germans: Sgt H. Lee (RCAF Fit/Engineer); W/O2 W. Mac Stocker (RCAF Navigator); Sgt H. Walker (RCAF Mid Upper Gunner); Sgt G. Bull (RCAF Rear Gunner). However, W/O2 A. Stefaan Schoon Casey (RCAF Wireless Operator) baert at the Halifax Bombe escaped, and F/O K. Schubert r Memorial in Swevezele, (Bomb Aimer) escaped and Belgium was hidden and cared for by resident Erniel Duyck in his home for four months. Pilot Wilson is buried in the Wevelgem Communal Cemetery, Remembrance Day (11 November) along with 62 Commonwealth is a national holiday in France and airmen of the Second World War who Belgium, and war memorials like this were shot down or crashed in raids are often visited by residents of the or while returning from missions area, including Stefaan Schoonbaert of over Germany. Zwevezele, Belgium.
PHOTO COURTESY INDRA VERLINDE; PHOTO BY JERRY STEINER; DANA HERR
Kamloops Cowboy Festival
Custom bits and rein chains were prevalent at the Pincher Creek Cowboy Show
cowboycountrymagazine.com
The Joe Marten Memorial Award for the Preservation of Cowboy Heritage in B.C. is presented annually to a local (past or present) involved in the promotion and/or preservation of Western heritage in B.C. Congratulations to the 2018 recipients — leather craftsman, Mark Denny, and roots poet, Mag Mawhinney. Mark Denny is the owner and craftsman of the multi-generational cowboy store, Cariboo Saddlery, in Williams Lake, and Mag Mawhinney is an award-winning roots poet who lives on Vancouver Island. The awards were presented during the main performance at the Coast Plaza Hotel. The Joe Marten Memorial Award was created in the memory of Western aficionado Joe Marten of 150 Mile House, B.C., who passed away unexpectedly in 1999 after suffering serious injuries in a riding accident. The 24th Annual Kamloops Cowboy Festival goes March 19–22, 2020.
Tickets go on sale November 1, 2019 and also make an excellent gift! For more information call toll free 1-888-763-2221 or visit BCCHS.com.
Mark McMillan and Mag Mawhinney at the 2019 Kamloops Cowboy Festival
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IN THE CORRAL EMPTY SADDLES
Well Deserved…
Nicholas “Nick” Fred Demchenko 1950–2019
Retired rancher, former brand inspector, husband, father and grandfather, Nick was an accomplished saddlemaker, leather carver, braider, rawhide braider, silversmith and horsehair hitcher. Ian Tyson and Sylvia Tyson to be inducted separately into Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Ian Tyson and Sylvia Tyson’s inductions will coincide with the release of Ian & Sylvia — The Lost Tapes, a collection of newly discovered recordings. The double album will be released by Stony Plain Records, September 6.
He served as Round-Up Boss for The Cypress Hills Stockman’s Association for over a decade and also worked on the Calgary Stampede stock crew for a number of years. Nick was instrumental in the early years of the Maple Creek Ranch Rodeo and the legendary charity hockey game known as The Battle of the Little Big Puck.
Mark Messenger Memorial Hitch, owned by Kirk and Raedene Messenger, with teamster Brian Coleman of Carstairs, Alta., competing at the Calgary Stampede
Long Line Teamster 12
Brian Coleman is certainly no stranger to the winner’s circle at the Calgary Stampede. The long-line teamster of Eaglesfield Percheron’s of Carstairs, Alta., came awfully close to sweeping the awards but had to “settle” for second place. “Yes, I guess we had either won or got second at all of the classes we had entered,” said Coleman,
“and they’re all important, and we’re happy about it, but we didn’t win the World with the Six Horse Hitch, which was a disappointment. That’s the Stanley Cup of driving.” The World Six Horse Hitch was won by Double S Belgians, owned by Bryce Smith of Menan, ID.
Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
PHOTO COURTESY ERIC ALPER PR; CALGARY STAMPEDE
Canadian music legends Ian Tyson and Sylvia Tyson, who performed hits like “Four Strong Winds” as Ian & Sylvia before splitting up to forge solo careers, will receive individual inductions into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, on September 5, at Calgary’s National Music Centre. The former couple met and formed a duo in 1959 and moved to New York. It was their second album, 1964’s Four Strong Winds, that marked their breakthrough with the popularity of the title song, which Ian Tyson penned after an evening with Bob Dylan. It has since been deemed one of the most influential songs in Canadian history. Sylvia Tyson wrote “You Were on My Mind” for the pair, and it went on to be covered by folk-rock group We Five, who took it to No. 3 on the Billboard charts in 1965. By the ’70s, the duo founded the country-rock outfit Great Speckled Bird, whose debut album was released in 1970. The couple divorced in 1975, and their careers diverged as well, with Ian moving to Alberta, where his songwriting embraced stronger Western elements. Sylvia Tyson turned out four albums from 1975 to 1980, plus dedicated her time to behindthe-scenes work. She was a founding member of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
WESTERN ART REVIEW | TERRI MASON PORCH READS
Cowboy Cody Rope Sleep Repeat
Becky Wigemyr has written the second book in the Cowboy Cody series, and it’s a winner. Her rodeo background (and foreground) lends an air of authenticity to the story, and its realism won’t insult any Western parents or grandparents who must read this book out loud a thousand times. You’ll also enjoy the artwork. Ranch-raised artist Dane Larocque knows his way around a lariat. Angie Rees’ “Damn Hippies,” acrylic 12"x 12"
The Big Show of Little Paintings Here’s a collection of small paintings with a big impact at Artym Gallery’s Big Show of Little Paintings. Held at their gallery in beautiful Invermere, B.C., the much-anticipated “Big Show” features paintings of 16" x 20" and smaller. The popular annual show and sale features over 65 artists, including Roger Arndt, Andrew Kiss, Neil Swanson and many more whose work you will want to include in your collection, Remarkable Red Deer: Stories from the Heart of including the colourful work of Angie the Parkland Rees, a Calgary-based artist whose A permanent bright and whimsical pieces have exhibition that celebrates the history compact dimensions and a large of Red Deer and area. personality. The Big Show of Little Paintings Nov 16–Dec 24, Artym Gallery, 934 7th Ave, Invermere, B.C. ArtymGallery.com
Red Deer Museum & Art Gallery, 4525-47a Ave., Red Deer, Alta. RedDeerMuseum.com
21st Annual Traditional Cowboy Arts (TCAA) Exhibition & Sale
54th Annual Cowboy Artists of America Show & Sale
Oct 4–5 National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 Northeast 63rd St. Oklahoma City, OK NationalCowboyMuseum.org
Nov 1–2 Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibit Hall, 3401 W Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth, TX CowboyArtistsofAmerica.com
cowboycountrymagazine.com
Ranch Tales
Stories From the Frontier Frontier historian Ken Mather has compiled in-depth profiles of the men and women who established a distinctive ranching culture in British Columbia over a century ago. Ranch Tales highlights the achievements, hardships and exploits of some of the best cowboys that ever swung a loop. The terrific artwork is by our triple-talented friend — cowboy/musician/ artist, Rob Dinwoodie. Ranch Tales — Stories from the Frontier, by Ken Mather. Paperback, 192 pages. Published by Heritage House. HeritageHouse.ca
UPCOMING GALLERY SHOWS
The TCAA will showcase the best of saddle making, bit and spur making, silversmithing and rawhide braiding. The TCAA exhibition opens October 5 and is on view through January 6, 2020.
Cowboy Cody — Rope Sleep Repeat, by Becky Wigemyr. Hardcover, 40 pages. Published by Ample Publishing. BeckyWigemyr.com
This annual show features artistic portrayals of the West through representational painting, drawing and sculpture with new works from over 20 active and emeritus members.
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SPIRIT OF THE WEST | HUGH MCLENNAN
Tourists, Cattle & Penning Pairs
Sure enough, I came across the missing bull a few days later. The range we look after in the grazing season is right next door to Trevor’s place, and the missing bull had been welcomed to the neighbourhood by a group of the cows we manage. The next day, I recruited a cowboy who knew that country as well as I do (that would be my wife, Billie). We rode for an hour or so and located the neighbour’s bull — along with 20 pair and one of the resident bulls, who looked somewhat like the newcomer. “This just might work,” I remember saying. The corrals were about two miles away, and I had the gate open. Billie riding good ol’ Cody was at the back, I was on JJ patrolling the flank, and we headed up into the heavy bush, with the cows and calves nicely strung out along the narrow trail and two bulls quietly ambling along. It took a lot of patience 14
and perfect positioning, but this was really looking good. The bush opens up about 100 yards from the corrals, so I knew that once we cleared the timber, we’d have to cross a logging road that ran parallel to the pens. Well, I knew this had been way too simple. As the lead cows cleared the timber, they suddenly threw their tails in the air and were on the run — the wrong way up the logging road. “What the ...!” I said. Then we saw what spooked them: three SUV’s on the logging road, right where we wanted to cross, and four people standing there, waving towels! I found out later that the folks waving the towels had been camping at a spot a few miles away. They’d left all but one vehicle near the corrals and had just returned to transfer their stuff, including towels. Some of them were from another country and English was not their first
language, but no doubt I definitely introduced them to a few new words. Five pair and both bulls split off and were heading for the gate, but the bulls were really thinking about following the other cows the wrong way up the road... and here’s where my cowboy instincts really kicked in. My horse was nose-tonose with the bull, who was trying his best to beat us and follow the cows. I remember thinking, “Wow! The performance of JJ’s super athletic moves was only exceeded by the colour of my language,” but then the bull pulled a dirty evasive tactic, bolted between us and a clump of poplars, and was gone. Boy, I hate losing those battles. Meanwhile, Billie had done a masterful job penning the pairs. She rode over. “Hugh, that’s the wrong bull. I just penned the one we want with the cows. Just help me shut the gate.” c 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 October/November 2019
PHOTO BY BILLIE MCLENNAN
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ur neighbour Trevor called and said there was a bull missing from a small herd of cows and calves he pastured and asked if we’d watch for him. “Sure,” I said. “I’ll keep an eye out.”
Cade Swor 7X NFR Qualifier
CINCHJEANS.COM cowboycountrymagazine.com
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WHEEL TO WHEEL | BILLY MELVILLE
Roy Romanow Back Home Again
O
ne thing about chuckwagon racing, it seems that it’s a lot easier to get into than it is to get out of. It can be an addiction — intoxication without the hangover — that keeps so many people involved and coming back. A great example of this is chuckwagon driver Roy Romanow. Back in the late 1970s, Roy came out west from Manitoba and was introduced to chuckwagon racing firsthand by his brother-in-law, former driver Roy Schickerowski, who was just starting out. Through Schickerowski, Roy was introduced to driver Roy David, for whom he started out as a barn hand and occasionally filled in as a chuckwagon judge. As Romanow explained, “There were three Roys — Roy Schickerowski (Schicker), Roy David and me. Shicker got me into it, and Roy David hired me as a barn hand. But 16
when I wanted to get my own chuckwagon outfit together, I was on my own.” By 1985, Roy Romanow assembled his first chuckwagon outfit, took out a permit with the WPCA and drove his first race in Trochu, Alta. He raced sparingly, mostly at the smaller shows, but this was a time when it was more important just being part of it. He did the same thing in 1986, but after that season, Romanow hung up the lines to raise a family, but he kept close to the sport as a judge for another 12 years. He received the WPCA Judging Award in 1998, and shortly thereafter, he took another hiatus from the sport.
“I never knew I would ever come back to the sport actively, but there is something about chuckwagon racing that keeps you coming back,” says Romanow. And come back he did. A decade later, Roy got the bug for driving again and joined the Western Chuckwagon Association (WCA) in 2008. During his time with the WCA, Roy also received the WCA’s Most Improved Driver and WCA Safety Award, as well. After spending 11 seasons with the WCA, Roy looked to hang up the lines again, but then a spot opened up on the WPCA Pro Tour, and Roy jumped at the chance to get back to the Association from which he started his career. It’s a decision he has never regretted. “The whole experience has been wonderful,” says Romanow. “It was nice to come back home again, so to speak.” Roy Romanow has come full circle. Like the words from a John Denver song, “Hey, it’s good to be back home again.” C 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 Orville Strandquist.
Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
PHOTO BY FRED VIDIUK PHOTOGRAPHY
Roy Romanow charging to the finish line in the 2019 Battle of the North at Dawson Creek, B.C.
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SOME DAYS ARE DIAMOND | “DIAMOND” DOUG KEITH
I
promised Canadian Cowboy Country magazine that I would write true stories, as per their request (which goes against my natural instinct), and so far, I have held true to my word. However, as a disclaimer, the last paragraph or so of this story is fictional or pure bull doo-doo. A friend and I headed to the Medicine Line Ranch to ride the incredibly stunning Pembina river valley. My old friend, Fred Caruthers, owns the ranch on the top of the Canadian-side of the valley. Fred and 18
his daughter, Staci, were going to act as our guides on this much-anticipated week-long riding adventure. My riding partner had trailered her own horse, Wildfire, a nice-looking
buckskin mare, but Fred told me not to bother bringing mine because they had lots of fine Quarter Horses and even said, “You can have the pick of the herd.” When we got there, I pointed and said, “That dark Palomino over there.” It turns out his name is Sid. I called him Sid Vicious but, apparently, he was named after a sloth. I got Sid all tacked up with my rigging and set off at a jog to where we start down into the valley face. Once there, the scenery and the riding were truly
Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
ILLUSTRATION BY “DIAMOND” DOUG KEITH
Fart Break Your Horse
breathtaking. Lush forest, wonderful river crossings, wildflower-covered meadows, as well as steep extreme terrain — a trail rider’s dream. Sid and I, as well as the rest of the troop, were crossing one of those scenic meadows at a slow and easy walk, just listening to the rhythm of my jinglebobs while I was daydreaming. Then Sid tensed up his barrel chest and blew an earthshaking fart! It’s what happened next that came as such a shock. He scared himself so bad with the flatulence that he just about jumped out of his hide. He was bounding forward by the jump, looking back to see what fired out of his behind. Luckily, I rode through the mayhem, and we continued on our journey. We had ridden for about another hour down those winding deer trails, when once again, I could feel him tense up. I thought, stand back — he’s going to blow! He pushed out another magnificent toot, and looking backwards, he launched himself into the air, bounding and crowhopping through the rest of the horses, causing them all to spook and start their own form of the frantic fart fandango! Everyone was squeezing their legs and reins trying to stay on until the thrill ride was over. All this from one horse fart. Eventually, everything calmed down and we finished our ride. Since that day, all of the Caruthers’ horses are fart broke. How, you ask? Well, you start by going behind the horse and placing your cupped hand into your bare armpit, and then you bend your arm into a chicken wing shape and bring it down quickly to create a fart sound. Another method is, again, to stand behind the horse and squeeze the last of the ketchup out of the bottle. If all else fails, you need to go out and get a whoopee cushion and let ’er rip, tater chip. *Please don’t try these training methods at home — or anywhere else for that matter. c “Diamond” Doug Keith is a poet, storyteller, Leanin’ Tree cowboy cartoonist, Western painter and preacher. He offers his unique take on everyday cowboy life through poem, story and art. Doug has been featured in several documentaries.
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REFLECTIONS | BRYN THIESSEN
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Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
What Doesn’t Kill You Might Weaken You for the Next Time In the first year that we were back here on the Helmer, there were no fences along the river, so nature being what it is, we had some mares cross over in search of romance. We got most of the mares back without incident, but two ended up downstream in Rex Logan’s lease. It was a couple of years later that his rider trapped these mares, complete with one mare’s yearling filly. Once the mares were home, I decided I’d halter break the filly. I played with her a little one day and got her facing me. The next day she was in a bigger pen, so I snapped a loop on her as she went by. She faced me momentarily, then started running off. As she picked up speed, I did the same, alternating between running and sliding, at times on one foot, but never going down. As we lapped the corral, I encountered various obstacles ranging from loose horses to a salt block and hay feeder. But it wasn’t until the filly cut across the pen that I achieved my Olympic status. In the middle of the corral was a manure pile, about 15 feet across and six feet high. As the filly went around (I’d learned from experience I couldn’t successfully follow), I went over. As I reached the crest, the rope came tight, propelling me off and past the pile. My landing would have even impressed a Russian judge. More importantly, my perseverance convinced the filly that she couldn’t outrun what was chasing her, so she decided to face it. A second incident involved a four-year-old stud that I’d decided to change to a gelding. It was the middle of September, and about 10
inches of snow was covering the grass. With no corral in this pasture, I dumped some oats on the ground, and when the stud came to eat, I flipped a houlihan on him as his head came up. As the stud started to leave, I took a stride and threw myself on my back. As the rope came tight, the stud turned to face up and I came hurtling towards him (The lariat was a unique twist that allowed it to stretch longer than a Politician’s promise). The sight of my fast approaching physique was more than the horse’s psyche could handle, so it led to a repeat performance. After about a half-dozen trips of the horizontal yoyo yoga, the stud faced up long enough to allow my forward momentum to halt. Again, once he faced his fears, they desisted. If we tweak that last statement, “face our fears, and they may cease to exist,” we get a common theme in scriptures. Jesus often said, “Why do you fear, I am with you.” Mark 6:50 (my words.) With time, both of these horses learned to trust, not fear, and to face what seemed to pursue them. In that trust, we see the words of Psalm 23:4: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (KJV) As we wrap this up and tie it down, what doesn’t kill you doesn’t have to weaken you for the next time. It can make you stronger, but more importantly, it may help you face up to the One who is pursuing you so that you may pursue him. 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
Bill Greathouse Roving Cowboy By DARYL DREW
H
///
is name was William Browning Greathouse, and in the Neutral Hills of Alberta he is still a legend. Born in Arkansas on March 31, 1866, Bill grew up in San Saba, Texas, a cattle shipping center known for violence during the post Civil War era. Comanche raids, vigilante actions and outbreaks of typhoid were more common than law and order, but by the time Greathouse turned sixteen, he had cowboyed on ranches in Texas and New Mexico and become a top hand. He eventually kept moving northward on cattle drives, and by Christmas 1899, he was in Medicine Hat and working on ranches in southern Alberta. In 1902, the Texas-based WilkinsonMcCord Ranch hired Greathouse as round-up boss to move their cattle north to the grasslands in Alberta. In the spring of 1903, 3,680 head of their cattle and 200 horses were loaded onto eight trains at Canyon City, Texas and shipped to Miles City, Montana. They were then trailed about 1,000 miles to Sounding Lake, Alta., covering about 15 miles per day. They arrived at Sounding Lake late in the season, and the weather proved unrelenting. The continuous rain had formed a huge bog at the confluence of Sounding Creek and Lost
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Creek. Greathouse and his team were able to swim the horses across, but the cattle had to be trailed around the bog. Their hooves churned the trail into mud, so the crew had to cut willow branches to make a corduroy road that would allow the wagons to follow. In 1906, Greathouse was still working for Wilkinson-McCord in the Neutral Hills, and on November 16, temperatures plummeted as an intense three-day blizzard struck. Cattle were still out on the range as three feet of snow fell on the range cattle and the winds topped the drifts with a thick frozen crust. Hungry, thirsty cattle drifted with the wind as the ice crust cut their legs. The cowboys (dressed in buffalo coats and coyote fur foot wraps) tried to drive them in closer to the haystacks, but the exhausted cattle would not move far. They brought hay to those they could reach and kept chopping water holes in the frozen ponds. Warren LaRoche and an unnamed WilkinsonMcCord cowboy froze to death in the storm. Greathouse, knowing the same thing could
happen to him, kept some money with a note that read, “kase I kick the bucket, fix things up.” During this same storm, Mrs. Ellis, the Wilkinson-McCord ranch cook, fell gravely ill. The nearest doctor was over 100 miles away in Stettler. Against all advice, Greathouse saddled up his strongest horse and rode off into the driving wind to get help. He rode from ranch to ranch, breaking trail on foot where necessary and changing horses at each ranch. Arriving in Stettler exhausted and frostbitten, Greathouse described the ailing cook’s symptoms, and the doctor gave him some medicine. Greathouse rode back the way he came, once again relaying horses. Pinned inside his coat was a note that gave his name and who the medicine was for in case he froze to death. He never stopped to rest, and the grueling round trip took 36 hours. Mrs. Ellis recovered. When the Neutral Hills School opened, the folks celebrated with a dance. A
Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
collection was taken up and offered to Greathouse for his good deed. The tough horseman refused the money and, instead, claimed every dance with the schoolteacher. Greathouse wanted to raise horses, so he bought 300 head and some cattle, settling on the east side of Sounding Lake. Beef prices were very high in 1919, and the following spring, feed was in short supply in surrounding areas but still abundant at Sounding Lake, so Greathouse gambled. He borrowed $10,000 from the bank and bought yearling steers for $60. But the short-lived, post-war boom collapsed, and he struggled to pay his debt and taxes. By 1921 he cowboyed again for much-needed cash. The dry spring of 1923 forced Greathouse to sell cattle at two cents a pound, and he trailed the remainder with his horses to Meadow Lake, Sask., then towards North Battleford, spending most of his cash on feed. He had become a nomadic stockman, moving to wherever there was free range. Greathouse camped with his stock, even at below freezing temperatures, in a brush shelter with just a campfire and a few blankets. When the mercury plunged, he sheltered in an abandoned cabin or old schoolhouse. He sold off all his cattle, and in the spring, he trailed his horses back to Sounding Lake, but the area was droughtstricken. The following year, he drove his now 200 horses into the Maidstone District, drifting along the North Saskatchewan River to the Eagle Hills.
His horses, however, kept getting impounded, and the fines ate up his cash, so he trailed them towards some pasture near Edgerton, Alta. By this time, Greathouse was a tall grizzled man in his 60s, who would have fit well in a Charlie Russell painting. He rode a single-footing chestnut gelding with short frozen-off ears, named Croppy, that could cover 40 miles a day. Greathouse used manila grass ropes and preferred to dally. He could also hoolihan and forefoot a horse with expertise. Bill Bonner was working at a livery in Wainwright and remembers herding horses for Greathouse in the early 1930s. Bonner noted that Greathouse’s horses were whip broke and were never tied in standing stalls in the Wainwright livery. When he slapped his chaps with a quirt, his horse would back out and come to him. Bonner also remembers Greathouse’s dry sense of humour. They lived on simple pancakes wrapped up in newspaper. By lunchtime the print had come off on the pancakes, and Bill joked that the boys could read the comics while they ate lunch. The Canadian West was not as tame as the politicians of the time claimed, and horse rustlers were a problem. Greathouse had grown up in violence, rode mostly alone and always carried a Colt .45 revolver and a Winchester rifle for self-protection — and he knew how to use them. Poker games were common above the Wainwright livery, or wherever Greathouse
happened to be staying, and he would lay his gun on the table to keep the play honest. In one game, he won $300. The cowboys stayed for the night, and the next morning when Greathouse was getting dressed, he realized his $300 was gone, so he pulled the Colt and demanded his winnings. Dazed cowboys looked for the lost money until Greathouse realized he was wearing the wrong pair of pants. His money was safe after all. Another time when a local cowboy stole Greathouse’s Winchester rifle, he rode up to the bunkhouse porch and shot the thief’s boot heels off with his .45. The rifle was promptly returned. Bill Bonner would occasionally ask that man if he had seen Greathouse lately, but the culprit stayed clear of him. By 1941 Greathouse had drifted to Kirkpatrick Lake and was staying in a vacant school. His old ranch buildings had been torn down for firewood, and with bank liens and back taxes there was no chance of rebuilding. He continued to freegraze and camp where he could. His horse herd had dwindled to about 85 head, and by winter he was living alone near Antelope Lake. Clearly, he needed to retire from the wandering life. By 1948 he was living in Calgary and in failing health. Bill Greathouse passed away October 19, 1951. He is buried in an unmarked grave in Queens Park Cemetery in Calgary. c
Approximate trail to Stettler ridden by Bill Greathouse Nose Hills R.J. Rullick
W. Wraight
The highlights indicate the location of some of the ranches and landmarks along the way of Greathouse’s epic ride
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Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
Lest We Forget
Letters Home A Cowboy Soldier in WWI By ASHLEY HENRICKSON
T
PHOTO COURTESY ADOBE STOCK/ KIRSTY PARGETER
wenty-one-year-old Raymond Bell and his 18-year-old brother, Aubrey, were in a race against time as they finished the 1916 harvest. “We stacked hay like demons,” Raymond recalled, “rolling up that good old prairie wool with the bucking pole and side.” Their hard work was rewarded by their mother, who prepared a special meal of two roast ducks, shot by the boys that morning. Fifty-six years later, Raymond explained that the special meal was “a memory to carry one a long way.” And the brothers certainly had a long way to go; the next day they returned to Sarcee Camp and began their journey to the Western Front. Raymond served with the 100th Battalion (Winnipeg Grenadiers) and fought at Amiens and Arras. Aubrey was eager to enlist and joined the 187th Battalion (Central Alberta) a few days after his 18th birthday. During the war both brothers sent hundreds of letters to their family, who continued to ranch in Millerfield, Alta. The letters detail Raymond and Aubrey’s new lives as soldiers. They also capture in vivid detail the loving and humorous relationships they shared with their 17-year-old sister, Marjorie.
cowboycountrymagazine.com
Raymond and Marjorie had a particularly close relationship. Raymond kept his “fling” in Seaford, England, hidden from his family, except for Marjorie with whom he shared “the unadulterated truth.” He explained that one woman “had the strangle hold on [him], but [he] managed to wriggle loose.” It appears that Marjorie also shared stories with her brother that she did not share with the rest of her family. Specifically, she told Raymond that she had seen a man at 2:30 a.m., causing Raymond to reply: “as for this 2:30 A.M. stuff, nix on that, or rather on the kid, as I am afraid he would be “napoo” (that’s a new one eh?) if he tried any of these stunts.” In a later letter, Raymond clarified that the word napoo is from two French words, which mean ‘gone under.” This definition suggests that his earlier message was a humorous threat. Like many brothers, Raymond also teased his younger sister. After she wrote to tell him about her new boyfriend, Raymond explained that he was “pleased to hear that [she had] a man at last,” teasing that she had “quantity if not quality” in her romantic ventures. Raymond also poked fun at his own dating life, asking Marjorie to send him “a nice engagement ring, or perhaps half a dozen would be better.” In addition to teasing Marjorie, Raymond also respected and praised her. He was especially proud of the farm work she performed. As Raymond explained in
The Grass Roots of Dorothy, a 1972 community history book, Marjorie was a “husky girl,” who was called upon to “replace” her brothers while they served. During the war, Raymond commended Marjorie on her ability to break colts and brand calves. He was happy to hear that the ranch continued to grow during the war, telling Marjorie that the ranch would soon be big enough that she could call it “Riverdale Ranch without a blush.” Raymond wrote hundreds of pages telling Marjorie about his new friends and the weather and asking her about the homestead and their younger siblings. He also told Marjorie about the battles and violence he saw. In September 1918, he described the Battle of Amiens, telling Marjorie: “It was the grandest sight of my life that morning, you [could] see for miles behind the lines for cavalry, artillery and tanks all moving up to go over.” Raymond’s descriptions of war were not usually this poetic. Far more often they were blunt and dry — suitable reflections for a war that was rarely poetic or beautiful. First World War soldiers spent much of the war slopping around muddy trenches in the summer and frozen wastelands in the winter, hiding from snipers and praying that destructive shells would not fly in their direction. Soldiers spent the majority of their time outside the front lines digging trenches, transporting supplies and performing military drills. Large attacks provided the promise of action and
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heroism but often found soldiers facing barrages of machine fire and mustard gas. The disillusionment soldiers like Raymond felt was personified by “Old Bill,” a lazy and mischievous cartoon character created by British artist Bruce Bairnsfather. Old Bill was a relatable soldier with a dry sense of humour who was trying to survive, but not necessarily thrive, in a miserable war. Raymond appears to have especially enjoyed Bairnsfather’s cartoons and adapted this humorous tone when writing to Marjorie. When Raymond shares some of these humorous stories, he refers to himself as “little Willie,” a name that is perhaps modeled after Old Bill. For example, Raymond told Marjorie that the men in his machine gun company were often forced to clean the machine gun without him because at “cleaning time little Willie was nowhere to be seen.” Like many soldiers, little Willie also wished for a blighty, or a non-life-threatening injury that would allow him to leave the front lines and return to England to recover. Specifically, Raymond
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told Marjorie that he hoped to get the flu, as it “might mean another trip to [the] hospital, which would tickle little Willie all down to the ground.” Finally, Raymond told Marjorie not to expect him to win a medal for bravery, as little Willie often “duck[ed] when a code-box [came] over.” [“Code-box” was trench slang for a shell.] Raymond’s detailed letters allow us to reconstruct the close relationship that he shared with Marjorie. Unfortunately, far fewer of Aubrey’s letters are held at the Glenbow Archive (perhaps because the family choose to keep these letters rather than donate them). However, these few letters suggest that 18-year-old Aubrey and 17-year-old Marjorie also shared a special friendship. In one such letter, Aubrey described the towns he passed on his way to the Canadian Forces Base Valcartier in Quebec, humorously telling Marjorie that Eastern Canada was “all hills rocks shacks and bush [with] lots of tunnels,” however “Ontario has a pretty good supply of girls. Especially Fort William.” Aubrey also shared some of the frustrations of military discipline, which he faced overseas, telling Marjorie that the soldiers “have to shave every morning before breakfast — half the time the water is turned off, but they
take no excuses… I have polished until my arms are near bust and nearly cussed my head off.” Marjorie likely found humour in these letters, but also worried about her brother’s health and safety. These fears materialized on June 20, 1917, when a telegram arrived at the local post office, reporting that Aubrey had been “missing in action” since June 3. After receiving this dreaded telegram, the Bell family was anxious to know what had happened to Aubrey and quickly began writing to the Red Cross, military officials and other soldiers at the front. Marjorie was not a passive bystander during this stressful time. Instead she searched through local newspapers printed shortly after June 3, looking for hints about where Aubrey’s battalion may have been and if it was possible that he was taken prisoner instead of killed. She then relayed this information to Raymond. On August 12, after a stressful period with no real leads, a soldier from Aubrey’s battalion wrote to the family saying he saw Aubrey killed on June 3, the morning he was reported missing. This letter took about three weeks to travel to Southern Alberta, meaning that Marjorie and her family finally received confirmation of Aubrey’s death nearly three months after he was killed. After receiving this terrible news, Marjorie continued to search for answers.
PHOTO: MAJOR JAMES SKITT MATHEWS, VANCOUVER CITY ARCHIVES
Lest We Forget
PHOTO: CANADA. DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE. LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA, PA-002194 IMAGE COURTESY GALT MUSEUM & ARCHIVES
She turned her attention to the mystical realm and enlisting the help of a Ouija board. She wrote to Raymond in the winter of 1917, telling him that the spirits suggested that Aubrey was not dead but, instead, had been taken prisoner. With hopeful doubt, Raymond replied, “I hardly know what to think. If he is [a prisoner], he would surely have communicated with us long before this, but [I] will hope the little board is right.” Marjorie was not alone in her ventures to the spiritual world. Countless Canadians turned to spiritualism during and after the First World War as a way to connect with their lost loved ones. The movement was driven by the immense grief caused by the war and the 1918–1919 influenza pandemic, which killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide. Spiritualism was also championed by elite members of British society like Rupert Kipling and Arthur Conan Doyle, who both lost sons during the conflict. Marjorie’s desire for answers and closure is certainly understandable as the only true “evidence” which proved that Aubrey was killed and not taken prisoner was the word of one man who claimed to have seen Aubrey killed during a violent and confusing battle. Aubrey’s body was never found, and he remains one of the 16,000 Canadian soldiers with no known grave. Raymond survived the war but was injured in the Battle of Arras. He was recovering in England when the war ended in November 1918. In January
1919, he returned to Millerfield and continued farming. In his 1956 family history, Raymond reflected on the many changes that had taken place in Millerfield during the war: “I left a district that was truly a homestead economy. Each one had only a few acres of crop, could cut hay almost anywhere, and very few road allowances were fenced. I returned to fair sized fields, quite a few worked by tractor, and nearly all fenced and cross-fenced.” Raymond further explained: “In many ways I found so many changes, I found it hard to adjust. I was restless and forever reliving those days in France. I missed the constant companionship of men my own age, but I seemed to have so little in common with our old neighbors.” Many First World War veterans shared Raymond’s struggle and had difficulty adjusting to civilian life after the war. Raymond likely struggled with the effects of war and losing his brother for many years. He also became a successful farmer and continued dating. He quickly found himself in need of a real engagement ring and wed Mary Lawson, a local girl, in 1920. The two went on to have four children: Jean, Dave, Irene and Stan. c
Top: Canadian gunners in action at the battle of Ypres, Belgium, October 1917 Centre: Bairnsfather’s cartoons were popular with soldiers serving on the Western Front, including Raymond Bell Bottom: Wide shot showing the destruction in Arras, France
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TRADITIONAL COWBOY ARTS
The collaborators, from left: Pedro Pedrini, John Willesma, Troy West, Cary Schwarz, and Chuck Stormes are each internationally acclaimed saddlemakers who converged to create this homage to the 80th anniversary of the first Hamley Wade saddle ever built
Cowboy Collaboration CONVERSATIONS WITH THE MASTERS
W
ithin the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association (TCAA), collaborative projects stem from the opportunity to work with other artists who are at the top of their respective fields. The results are some incredible works of art that would not be possible without the efforts and relationships between these makers. “When you are up to your eyeballs in your own work and you know what you know, then it comes time to do ornamentation… now you are crossing a line,” says saddle maker Cary Schwarz. “I’m not a silversmith. I’m not totally checked out on what a silversmith is capable of… but if you can discuss things openly and honestly and begin to see what is possible, then you start to see through their
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eyes. That ability has been somewhat of a missing component in our cowboy trades.” “Collaboration is a careful balance of maintaining enough control and autonomy within your convictions artistically and being willing to listen. You are attempting to place yourself behind someone else’s eyes, and there can be some pretty cool discoveries if you do that.” “If you put a bunch of cowboys in a room, they’ll talk horses,” says silversmith Scott Hardy. “If they are craftsmen, they will talk craft. There is nothing more satisfying than working with someone with the same mindset because it adds to your creativity. It energizes you; it moves you forward. When I collaborate on a piece, I’m thinking of how to lift it up, to add to the work as a whole.” “One of the perks of membership is being friends with and getting to work with others at the top of their field,” says rawhide braider Leland Hensley. He recalled his inspiration for a quirt handle with a design reminiscent of a birdcage. “I had an idea that I presented to [bit maker] Ernie Marsh for a quirt handle. I didn’t know if my vision was doable. Through Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
PHOTO COURTESY TONY PEDRINI
By EMILY KITCHING
PHOTOS COURTESY NATIONAL COWBOY & WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM
discussion, he offered some suggestions on how to modify my original concept into something that would be more functional and have a natural transition between the metal and rawhide elements. The idea had to change, but it became better through his input.” Last year, five master saddle makers collaborated to build a unique saddle to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the first Hamley Wade saddle being built. Traditional Cowboy Arts Association members Pedro Pedrini, Cary Schwarz, Chuck Stormes, Troy West and John Willesma spent three days crafting the saddle in Pendleton, Oregon, at the Hamley & Co. saddle shop. The concept for the collaborative saddle was Schwarz’s, so as he said he found himself in the driver’s seat in some ways. “If you didn’t have trust in the relationships and the skills of each other, you could not bring together a group of independent-minded craftsmen who are pretty much used to calling their own shots,” says Schwarz. “The thing that made me think of the idea was music. One of the greatest joys of playing music is to play in a group. You make a nicer sound together than you do alone, so my thought was, ‘why can’t we do something like that and have a really incredible piece after that experience?’ There will never be another saddle like that one, even if you tried. I think we can grow as craftsmen by leaving the door ajar on that concept.” Silversmith Scott Hardy spoke about another project he collaborated on with Schwarz and bit maker Wilson Capron, a bridle set-up they called the “Story of the West.” “I thought about this piece for a long time. I’m all about the West and the history of my family and others. I wanted to pay tribute to my heritage; the ranchers that I worked for and knew in this area. After the Civil War, a lot of cattle came from Texas, up through Idaho and Montana to Canada, so working with Wilson on the bit and Cary with the headstall was fitting. Each of us has a family brand, so the silver conchos pay homage to those brands. Wilson made a globe bit, which was popular in Texas at that time. Cary elegantly hand-stitched the headstall as his contribution to lift up the piece. I didn’t tell either of them how or what to do; I didn’t treat them like a mechanic. I communicated my vision and the inspiration behind it and then left it in their hands as makers, as artists.” “If you are just looking for something utilitarian that’s fine, everyone in our group is more than capable of that. But collaborations aren’t about the easiest route, they are more about doing something that has never been done, telling a story and about moving the craft forward.” c
cowboycountrymagazine.com
Top: The flowing lines of Wilson Capron’s globe bit are supported by Cary Schwarz’s handstitched bridle, and enhanced with Scott Hardy’s silverwork on the bit and the collaborators’ family brands and the TCAA logo Bottom: “Story of the West” bridle, a collaboration between silversmith Scott Hardy, saddlemaker Cary Schwarz and bit & spur maker Wilson Capron Right: TCAA rawhide braider Leland Hensley quirt
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30
Miss Rodeo Canada Fashion
Cowgirl Glam
By TERRI MASON Photos BY MRC OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER NICOLE TEMPLETON
T
he apex of rodeo queen competitions in Canada is earning the much sought-after title of Miss Rodeo Canada. Forevermore, the titlists belong to an exclusive club, a group of Western women whose legacy stretches back to the beginnings of the elite contest in 1955. This year we had the opportunity to celebrate with a past crown holder, 1959 Miss Rodeo Canada Phyllis Dahl, and our current crown holder, 2019 Miss Rodeo Canada Jaden Holle. Both of these women are trailblazers in their own rights. Back in the early ’50s, Phyllis wanted to rodeo. She called herself ‘Phil,’ pulled her hat down low, entered the steer riding and won. Then, after a meeting with the rodeo organizers, she was begrudgingly given the buckle she had earned, but the next year they changed the rules to “Absolutely No Girls Allowed” — “It was quite funny,” commented Phyllis, who went on to a career in ranching and rodeo. Jaden’s trail begins with a lineage straight out of the history books. She is a proud Metis
— which makes her more Canadian than most Canadians — as her ancestry includes voyageurs for the Hudson’s Bay Company and a line of First Nations that pre-dates written history. Jaden is also the first-ever Canadian rodeo queen to be named at a bull riding-only event, and she brings a tremendous verve and excitement to the title. c Special thanks to both of the delightful rodeo queens, Phyllis and Jaden, and to all of the women and men who helped them along the rodeo trail. Special thanks to Lammle's Western Wear, Jones Boys Saddlery & Western Wear, Classic Rodeo, C5 Rodeo
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Page 30 Jaden is wearing a hat by Smithbilt; Big Ben Bedroll top by Double D; L & B Turquoise bell bottoms; Ride Sally Ride bag by Kurtmen Purse; rose gold shepherd hook feather earring & necklace set by Montana Silversmiths; boots by Miss Macie Boots Phyllis is wearing a hat by Smithbilt; Wrangler's lace neckline tie-up long sleeve blouse in white; green Serape blazer by Silverado; red tooled clutch by Juan Antonio; boots by Dan Post Page 31 Custom made hat by Smithbilt; authentic Hudson Bay jacket designed by Carol Mason with removable wolf fur collar created by the Northern Alberta Trappers Association Page 32 1959 Miss Rodeo Canada Phyllis Dahl wearing a hat by Smithbilt; mementos from her reign Page 33 clockwise Burgundy hat by Charlie 1 Horse; rose gold shepherd hook feather earring & necklace set by Montana Silversmiths; Aztec sweater by Stetson; “Uptown Girl� boots by Miss Macie Boots C5 Rodeo T-shirt from C5 Rodeo; Wrangler Jeans; boots by Dan Post Hat by Smithbilt; Double D top by Range Rider; skirt by H.F.; concho belt by Barbarossa
On the Cover Jaden is wearing a custom cowboy hat by Smithbilt; embroidered blouse by Stetson; retro light wash Mae mid-rise jeans by Wrangler; boots by Miss Macie Boots
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Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
cowboycountrymagazine.com
33
PART 4 OF SIX
CATTLE HANDLING
Moving Cow/Calf Pairs Hold Up to Stay Put By DYLAN BIGGS
I
have touched on moving cow/calf pairs in a previous article, but because of the universal challenge moving pairs presents, a more in-depth discussion is warranted.
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All ranchers I have spoken to, without exception, over the last 24 years of doing livestock handling clinics have experienced the challenge of moving cow/calf pairs. Any and all of them, including myself, have had calves run back either on the way to or shortly after reaching the new pasture. All of us can relate to the frustration of doing
our best to get all the cows and calves to the new pasture, and minutes after we close the gate the cows have headed off to graze, but the calves are coming back to the gate. We all know how well a fourwire or even five-wire fence or gate holds young calves that are determined to go back to find Mom — not at all. Once calves make up their mind and are on their way back, it is very difficult to convince them otherwise. And when one goes, almost guaranteed, others will follow. Once the calves have gone back, the moms too will eventually go back in search of their calves, so it is not uncommon for the job of cleaning up runbacks to take as long as the original move. It may not be the most challenging cattle handling job, but it certainly ranks right up there. Typically, the younger the calves, the larger the herd and the farther one is going, the greater the probability of the calf losing track of Mom — especially if Mom is more interested in green grass than she is in keeping track of her calf — and the more challenging the job becomes. The age of the cow matters, too — first-calf heifers have a
PHOTOS COURTESY TK RANCH
COWBOY WAY
heck of a time keeping track of their calves compared to older cows. A few handling tips that I learned from Bud Williams have made moving cow/calf pairs much easier on our place than it was in the past. It took me years though to actually implement what Bud shared with me. Like most folks, I didn’t feel I had the time. Looking back, it is odd the amount of time I would spend when forced to, yet how reluctant I was to spend a fraction of that time upfront to prevent the cleanup job in the first place. Live and learn.
FIRST/ Get all the cows and calves paired up before you ask the whole herd to start moving. Just get everyone up, and give them time to locate each other and get together. Time of day can help in this regard because there are times throughout a day when pretty well everyone is paired and nursing. There are also times when the calves are bedded
down and the cows are off grazing. You will know you have them paired when no cows and calves are bawling for each other. If you are in a large pasture with a large herd, it may take some time to get everyone paired and ready to move, depending on the lay of the land.
SECOND/ Once you are moving, do your best to let them string out. Just ask for enough movement that the front starts to go and let the front take the rest, as opposed to moving them in a big mob. Left to their own devices, when a herd moves to water or from water back out to grass or shade, they’ll string out naturally, which is why cow trails are one cow wide. It is much easier for cows and calves to keep track of each other when they are strung out, compared to being in a mob. If the opportunity doesn’t present itself to let them string out, then so be it. When you get
to the gate, being strung out will also strip a lot fewer calves, compared to a mob being put through a gate. Early in the season when young calves haven’t been through gates before, it is important to have someone up at the gate helping squeeze those calves through the gate with Mom so that they don’t miss. Young calves won’t know what a gate is, and it can present quite an obstacle for them. If they go through the gate as a mob, lots of calves will get stripped from the cows, so the sooner one can stall the herd to give them a chance to pair up, the better.
THIRD/ Always have a lead rider, and be in communication with them. The drag rider needs to pay continual attention to the amount of bawling and the number of single calves collecting at the back as the move progresses. When there gets to be quite a bunch and they start making quite a racket or for
The herd was stalled about halfway to the destination to give them a chance to pair up. Here, Dexter is letting the re-paired herd start to move out.
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COWBOY WAY sure if you have calves starting to think about going back, have the lead rider stop the front, quit pressuring the back and let the whole herd stall and just sit, give them the opportunity to pair up. Monitor the bawling, too. You will know a decent amount have paired up when the noise goes way down. Depending on how far you are going and the circumstances or opportunity for stalling the herd, you may want to give them a number of opportunities to pair up along the way.
FOURTH/ Don’t push too hard on the back. I can’t emphasize this enough! Let the back go with the herd movement, and don’t pressure it any more than absolutely necessary. Over-pressuring unpaired young calves at the back will make them feel more insecure, and the more insecure they feel, the more they will want to run back to where they were with mom last. Block them if they go to turn back, but then let them go forward on their own. Constant over-pressure on the calves at the back is the most effective way to make them want to run
back. Calves can be taught to drive, and the more they are driven the better. They need to know that the pressure is off when they are going along.
FINALLY/ Once everyone is through the last gate and into the new pasture, this is when the lead rider stalls the whole bunch one last time. The cows are not allowed to go off and graze until they have found their calves. Don’t hold them super tight; give them some room. This will make it easier for them to find each other. The first time you do this, the cows won’t be expecting it and will object, so it may take a fair bit to keep them stalled. It is important not to push them back together tight when you do this, just tuck the ones that want to leave to graze back in. Don’t drive them back any distance — just a step or two. Once they realize they can’t just go off and graze, they will start to look for their calves. The first 10 minutes, there will be a lot of bawling and you will be tucking cows in that want to leave. Once cows and calves start to pair up and calves start nursing, the volume will start to go
down. Usually for us, after about 20 to 25 minutes the cows and calves will start laying down, and only a little bawling will be heard and no cows will be asking to leave. After 30 to 35 minutes, it will be silent, and half or more of the herd will be laying down and no one will be trying to leave. This is when they are settled and you know you can leave them and that no calves will run back. Sometimes, depending on how far one has moved them, how thirsty they are and/or how motivated they are, they will stay there even after you leave. Every time we are moving cows and calves, we are teaching them something. Worked properly as one progresses through the season, by fall calves should drive right along even if they aren’t at Mom’s side. Once a herd is taught to settle in a new pasture, it becomes a matter of habit and is easy to do. It makes moving pairs much easier and much more enjoyable. I just wish I had learned to do this 35 years ago. c
Holding the cattle in the destination pasture to allow them to pair them up
The cows and calves are paired and settled. We can leave them now and no animal will run back.
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Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019 36
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At Home With By BILL BORGWARDT
Tim Hus
C
anadiana country troubadour Tim Hus moved to Alberta from his home in the Kootenays of British Columbia in 2003. “I moved here because Alberta was the home of Ian Tyson and the Calgary Stampede, and I felt that if I wanted to make a livelihood in country music, Alberta was the place to be,” says Tim. Sixteen years later, he still expresses that sentiment. After receiving a personal invitation from Stompin’ Tom Connors, Tim spent two years on the road with the national icon, becoming the last man to tour across the 38
country as Stompin’ Tom’s opening act. Connors stated that “Tim Hus was the best opening act that he had in his fifty-year music career.” Sadly, Stompin’ Tom’s health
failed, and he would never tour again, but before he passed, he endorsed Tim as his successor. Tim has continued to tour across Canada, performing both his own original songs about everyday life and Canadian history, as well as a “Salute to Stompin’ Tom” feature show. In total, Tim has logged over one million road kilometres since 2003, equal to more than 60 trips back and forth across Canada, playing from one coast to the other and throughout the northern territories, too. Tim tells the story about visiting Tuktoyaktuk, where an elderly Inuit gentleman approached him and asked if he
Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
LEFT TO RIGHT: Even Tim’s blue tick hound, Cobalt, has gotten into the recording action as the howling hound in “Sasquatch Hunter” from his Hockeytown album and the barking dog in “Pheasant Huntin’ Day” on the 2014 Western Star album Growing up in the Kootenays, Tim has always been an avid fisherman. Living close to the Red Deer River, he enjoys casting a few lines in his spare time. He sings about his prowess with a rod in “Master Caster” on his 2014 Western Star album. As time from his busy touring schedule permits, Tim works on their house near the Red Deer River
PHOTOS BY BILL BORGWARDT
Tim and his wife, Janelle, and their sons, Huckleberry (aged two) and Arlo (aged 10 months)
could shake his hand. The man told him how all his life he had enjoyed seeing cowboys on television, but he never thought he would ever get to meet one in person in his hometown. Although the Calgary area is his base, almost every show Tim performs involves travel, so it doesn’t matter where he actually calls home. His wife, Janelle, who he married on August 31, 2014, is an assistant professor of anthropology with Athabasca University, an online educational institution. Additionally, she is involved in many projects and research studies that can involve attending meetings and conferences in many different places, but do not commit her to living in any particular location. Both prefer the laid-back life in a small town. The couple has two sons, Huckleberry, aged two, and Arlo, who is ten months old. After searching for a suitable small-town property on which to make their home, cowboycountrymagazine.com
they finally found what they were looking for in Sundre, Alta. The property was listed as a “one-acre treed lot with an abandoned house — to be demolished.” What they got was an old house with a good foundation and framework, a good well, a septic system and a nicely wooded backyard. Having once worked as a carpenter’s helper, and previously renovating a home in Calgary, Tim felt this would be an ideal place to customize to meet their family’s needs. Since most of his musical performances are on weekends, (unless he is on a crossCanada tour), Tim often has three or four “down days” per week to work on his property. To date, he has added a second floor, put on a new roof, put in new windows, thickened the walls to provide more insulation, added an entrance room, fully modernized and finished the downstairs interior and has nearly completed the upstairs. Working on a limited budget, Tim
has been able to get quality tools, as well as building materials, through auctions or end-of-line sales. Much like he is as a songwriter, Tim is a meticulous craftsman. All the joints are tight, and everything is plumb. As time and budget permits, Tim will soon be completing the exterior, but until then, although it doesn’t “look that great” on the outside, the family lives in a fully modern new home. Growing up as an avid fisherman and outdoorsman, Tim and his family are enjoying life in the Sundre area. Being only a couple of blocks from the Red Deer River, Tim is able to enjoy walks with his blue tick hound, Cobalt, go fly fishing, or just relax by the river, strumming his guitar and writing songs. He has written a bunch of new songs, which he will be taking into the studio this winter and recording for his seventh album, which will be released next year. c
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RANCHERS' SPECIAL
What Works For Us
Ava and her calf, Georgia Pawlitza
Showing & Marketing By TERRI MASON
T
IT’S IN MY BLOOD MIA MACKIE
Raising my own cows has given me a lot of opportunities to go different places, meet new people, learn lots, have a lot of fun and even win a bursary. I have taken Dirty to several great Junior shows. Mom keeps telling me they are teaching me important life lessons, such as being a responsible animal owner and to get things done in a timely manner because Dirty doesn’t like to be fed late or to skip a meal. I work hard and put lots of hours in at home feeding, brushing, washing, and practicing showing my cattle. I love the people I have met and get to hang out with. The bigger kids are always willing to help a little person like me, which I appreciate a lot because Dirty outweighs me by 1,300 pounds. Although I enjoy showing cattle, my main focus in my breeding program is raising them for their meat. I want to raise calves that are going to feed out well and not break the bank doing it. There are 40
Mackie Ranch Mia with calf Sandy, heifer WBHR Fancy QF a.k.a. Miss Piggy and cow Dirty
always going to be ways I can improve my herd, and I am learning a lot as I go. I am only nine years old, but I have a lot of time and money invested in my dream to become a cattle vet and a sixth-generation rancher because it is truly in my blood. I do it simply because I love everything about the cattle business. But I lost a calf this spring, so the cattle business wasn’t very good to me this year.” c
JUST STARTING OUT AVA MAY MACKIE
My name is Ava May Mackie, and I’m four years old and I’ve been a rancher all my life. My heifer was born in April, and her name is Georgia Pawlitza. I named her after my friend. I got my heifer because her mom broke her leg. Our milk cow, Fudgesicle, raised her because she was an orphan. But she’s weaned now. To get her ready for a show, I wash her and work on her by brushing her. I trained her to lead; it wasn’t hard, and I get to work
Cattle owner: Mia Mackie Nearest town: Consul, Sask. Herd established: 2017 Elevation: 903 m (2,963 feet) Annual precipitation: 313.8 mm (12.35 inches) Breeds: Commercial; Purebred Hereford Herd size: 5 Mia's cattle brand: Backward 7M Ava Mackie Herd established: 2019 Breed: Hereford Herd size: 1 calf
with Georgia every day. I show her and lead her around the yard. I like Georgia because she is gentle, and she is my friend. Because she is a heifer, I get to keep her the rest of my life, but if I want to give her back to Joe and Ev, I can. I showed her in Young Ranchers at Swift Current. My friend Adriana Simpson [17] helps me in the show ring. I also showed at the Cody Sibbold Classic — I got my face painted there. At shows this year, I won the Public Speaking and I won the Art, and I got second in conformation. And I was the Grand Aggregate winner at the Young Ranchers. This is my second year showing. Mom says I’m a veteran.” c
Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
PHOTOS BY TERRI MASON
his is what the start of the cattle business looks like and how far good beef can take you. From Junior shows to negotiating with multibillion-dollar corporations, this is what works for them.
Sandy Bar Ranch
Sandy Bar Ranch sign
Ranch owners: Bob and Gail Switzer
BE PROUD OF YOUR CATTLE BOB SWITZER
PHOTO COURTESY SANDY BAR RANCH
When we started, we only had a few head, and we started selling them off their mothers. It was dragging on, and Larry Gross of Wiwa Creek Farms came down and we decided to have a sale together. We picked the third Saturday in April because our bulls would be sementested and ready to go. This is now going to be our 43rd Short Grass Bull and Female Sale. Back then, black calves sold at a discount — 8 to 10 cents back — and we thought enough of these Angus that we had to put on a sale. I was on the Sask. Angus board, and we decided to revive the old Moose Jaw Feeder Show & Sale. All of the director’s customers would bring calves. The calves were all going down East, so we flew down East to promote it. Anyone with a silo in their yard, we drove in to promote the sale. The first sale was in 1980, and it went over big. We held it for three or four years, then the association didn’t have the resources to expand any further, so our Shortgrass group decided to fill in the gap. We started several sales, including ones in Assiniboia, Maple Creek, Medicine Hat, Swift Current, and Shaunavon. We were also selling a lot of bulls into the U.S. and hosting sales in Glasgow and Chinook, Mont. By now, these Angus were either trading at par cowboycountrymagazine.com
Nearest town: Aneroid, Sask
or at a premium because we got all these cattle together and sorted them into large lots with proper weight breaks, and it just took off. Americans have always had the “Certified Angus Beef” program, but it was just surviving. We Canadians were riding their shirttails; they did all the promotion and it was a perfect fit for us. Then our Canadian association decided to develop the “Green Tag” program — if you bought an Angus bull and transferred it, you were eligible to buy green tags that indicated the animal was half-Angus, or more. So that took off. Now, the breed is number one and Black Angus are all over. Back in 2008, I was the president of the Angus Association, and we set up a meeting with the burger franchise McDonald’s. And they set up the Angus Burger. It was a perfect fit for them — quality guaranteed — and it took off too. I just got back from Ireland, and the Angus Burger signs are all over there too. Now it’s all over the world. It all boils down to marketing. I don’t care what you are; a rancher or whatever in the beef industry, if you’re going to sell your calves in Medicine Hat, or Mankota or Swift Current, if that’s your market, why not pick up the phone, get those calves listed and be ready? It don’t hurt the local producer to send out a flyer or make a few phone calls to three or four buyers to say, ‘My calves are coming into this sale.’ Why would you spend days fixing fence, turning out bulls, going to a branding, doing all the good things in life — and then forget to market your calves properly? It’s your payday! I ask someone, ‘Did you phone your
Established: 1973 Elevation: 916 m (3,005 ft) *Annual precipitation: 385.2 mm (15.17 inches) *not in 2019 Breed: Registered Black Angus Brand: S over X
last two buyers?’ They’ll say, ‘No, no’ — they expect the auction mart guy to do it. I say, sometimes you’ve got to take the bull by the horns yourself.’ When my calves or yearlings are going to town, I have them listed — we have commercial cattle, too. Buyers always know where I am marketing my cattle. One time I had some signs sitting in the back of my truck. People were bugging me about showing off, so I took them off my truck. Do you know Jim Wilson, the auctioneer? He’s an old Angus breeder, and a friend of our family’s, and he sees these signs and says, ‘Pretty nice signs; but what are they doing in the back of your truck?’ I told him I was getting razzed a bit and sorta felt like I was showing off. He said, ‘I’m going to tell you one statement for life: If you don’t toot your own horn, nobody else will toot it for you.’ I’ll never forget that. I got the signs out and put them on the side of my truck — and they’ve been there ever since. Be proud of what you are doing. Marketing is 90 percent of that. When it comes to marketing, I like money, and them black cows have bought and paid for a lot of stuff.” c 41
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Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
Rounding Up Sin City Action Vegas, Baby! By TERRI MASON
I
was in Oklahoma City for the last time the NFR was held there, and I’ve been to Vegas, so I can say this with authority: Go — at least once. Each year there seems to be more parties, more shopping and more add-on entertainment than is possible to partake in, but that’s the beauty about this city — there’s no end to the fun you can have. I can pretty much guarantee you’ll see at least five folks you know, and all the cab drivers love Canadians (“Ya’ll are so polite…”). But before you go, do yourself a favour — pack some comfy shoes, and buy some gel insoles. It’s Vegas, baby, and you won’t believe the miles you’ll walk…
RODEO
RODEO UPDATES
61st Annual National Finals Rodeo Dec 5–14 Thomas & Mack Center
NFR Tonight Show hosted by Don Gay & Joe Beaver – 13th Year! The Orleans Hotel and Casino — Honky Tonk Saloon BoydEvents.com/WNFR
Junior World Finals Rodeo presented by YETI Dec 5–14 Las Vegas Convention Center Dec 5–14 Bullfighters Only Event Tent (Across from MGM Grand) Timed Events Dec 7–15 XIV World Series of Team Roping South Point Arena & Equestrian Center Visit SouthPointCasino.com ALL IN Dec 5–15 Barrel Race & Breakaway Orleans Arena ROUGH STOCK Dec 5 2019 Benny Binion’s World Famous Wrangler NFR Bucking Horse & Bull Sale Dec 7 World Bronc Futurity Dec 8 Stace Smith World Bronc Futurity Finale South Point Arena & Equestrian Center Visit SouthPointCasino.com
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Wrangler NFR Go-Round Buckle Presentations hosted by Flint Rasmussen & Randy Corley South Point Showroom NFR Central Las Vegas Convention Center, South Halls Rodeo Live Stage presented by RodeoHouston There’s live entertainment all day.
SHOPPING (DEC 5–14) Cowboy Christmas Las Vegas Convention Center Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s (RMEF) Hunter & Outdoor Christmas Expo Las Vegas Convention Center Roper Cowboy Marketplace Mandalay Bay Cinch Western Gift Show South Point Hotel Casino and Spa Visit SouthPointCasino.com
MUSIC CONCERT HIGHLIGHTS Reba, Brooks & Dunn Dec 4, 6–8, 10–11, 13 Caesars Palace Terri Clark Dec 5 Clay Walker Dec 6 John Michael Montgomery Dec 7 Charlie Daniels Dec 8 Ronnie Milsap Dec 9 Tracy Lawrence Dec 10 Pam Tillis & Lorrie Morgan Dec 11 Golden Nugget George Strait Dec 6–7 T-Mobile Arena Shania Twain, Dec 6, 7, 11, 13, 14 Planet Hollywood Andrea Bocelli Dec 7 MGM Grand NFR After Dark Dec 5–14 Free Admission Buckin’ Bash hosted by Justin Rumford The Orleans — Bourbon Street Lounge Visit BoydEvents.com/WNFR South Point Presents RAM Rodeo Tailgate Party South Point Convention Center Visit SouthPointCasino.com The Mirage Presents Rodeo Vegas 2019, Official Wrangler NFR After-Party of the PRCA. Free concerts nightly. Gary Leffew’s Bucking Ball Dec 5, 6, 7, 12, 13 & 14 Cohiba Ballroom at Tropicana Las Vegas Gilley’s Saloon at Treasure Island Gilley’s Saloon, Dance Hall & Bar-B-Que MGM Grand Gold Buckle Zone The Central at MGM Grand
Stetson Country Christmas Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
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RODEO
Canadian Finals Rodeo! Championship Rodeo By TERRI MASON
T
he central Alberta city of Red Deer welcomes top athletes from the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association to their city once again to earn the right to win 2019 Canadian Champion buckles! This is the city’s second year hosting this mainstream event, and the exponential growth and enthusiasm has gripped this rodeo-celebrating area. With nearly 100,000 people calling this central city home, Red Deer offers a diverse palette of entertainment, from quiet nature walks (or groomed cross-country trails!) to the exciting nightlife that grips the city when the cowboys roll into town. Whatever your passion, you can be sure that Red Deer is gearing up to show you a good time!
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46th Annual Canadian Finals Rodeo Oct 29–Nov 3 The Centrium MNP Rising Stars Junior Canadian Finals Rodeo Nov 2 The Centrium TIMED EVENTS Xtreme Cowboy Challenge Oct 29 & Nov 2 Agricentre East Rising Stars Mini Chuckwagon Challenge Oct 29 & Nov 2 The Centrium Stock Dogs Oct 30 Agricentre East Canadian Finals Breakaway Roping Oct 31–Nov 1 The Centrium Dummy Roping Nov 1 Prairie Pavilion ROUGH STOCK Bucking Horse Futurity Oct 30 The Centrium RODEO ROYALTY Rising Stars Rodeo Queen Competition Oct 31–Nov 2 The Centrium
SHOPPING Canadian Finals Rodeo 2019 Tradeshow Stockmen’s Pavilion Pop-up café, presentation stage and live entertainment ON-SITE EVENTS Autographs! Meet the CFR competitors and get your official CFR Souvenir Program signed! Oct 29–Nov 2 Noon–12:30 pm — Exhibition Hall 5:45–6:30 pm — Centrium Lobby Charity Pancake Breakfast Free! with a suggested donation to the featured charity. Oct 29–Nov 3 9–11am — Prairie Pavilion Pre-Rodeo Party Watch the previous nights’ rodeo perf and hoist a cool one with your buddies. Oct 29–Nov 2; 4–6:30 pm Parkland Pavilion Athlete Hot-Stove Some of your favourite CFR contestants and rodeo personnel address different rodeo-related topics each day. Oct 29–Nov 3 Stockmens Pavilion Nightly Buckle Presentations Celebrate with the CFR competitors and hear first-hand about their performance at these entertaining moments of
history in the making at the Prairie Pavilion. Oct 29 – Nov 2 9:30 am – Midnight — Prairie Pavilion
AFTER PARTIES! These great TD Cabaret Stage Concerts are held in the Parkland Pavilion each night after the Canadian Finals Rodeo. Doc Walker — Oct 29 Bobby Wills — Oct 30 George Canyon — Oct 31 The Road Hammers — Nov 1 Corb Lund — Nov 2
PHOTOS COURTESY TOURISM RED DEER
MORE GREAT SITES TO SEE! Heritage Ranch 6300 Cronquist Dr., Red Deer, Alta. Heritageranch.ca
The Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame honours and distinguishes outstanding contestants, animals and builders in the Canadian Rodeo Arena. Each year, individuals and livestock are inducted into the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, which also displays artifacts of the history of pro rodeo in Canada.
The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame & Museum provides a family-friendly, interactive experience. Have fun, laugh, play together and discover famous Alberta sports celebrities. Open daily.
Sunnybrook Farm Museum 2879 Botterill Crescent, Red Deer, Alta. sunnybrookfarmmuseum.ca
Brand new exhibits and a reconstruction of the original Fort at Red Deer Crossing set the stage to bring the early history of Red Deer to life.
Sunnybrook Farm is a place to experience and learn about the evolution of rural life in Central Alberta circa 1880 – 1950 at their 10-acre site. Please call in advance.
Heritage Ranch is a locally owned and operated business that features a fully licensed restaurant, the Westlake Grill. Also offers wagon or sleigh rides. Open Monday to Weekends, 10 am - 9 pm.
Red Deer Museum & Art Gallery 4525-47a Avenue, Red Deer, Alta. reddeermuseum.com Take in a world-class touring exhibit or learn how truly remarkable Red Deer is through the history exhibit.
Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame 3611 Hwy 2A, Ponoka, Alta. CanadianProRodeoHall ofFame.org
Alberta Sports Hall of Fame & Museum #102-4200 Hwy 2, Red Deer, Alta. ashfm.ca
Historic Fort Normandeau 28054 Township Rd 382, Red Deer, Alta. waskasoopark.ca
Norwegian Laft Hus 4402-47 Avenue, Red Deer, Alta. norwegianlafthussociety.ca The Laft Hus is a centre for preservation, interpretation and study of material relating to life and culture of Norwegian Canadians.
Did You Know? The Cree peoples called the river on which Red Deer stands Waskasoo Seepee, which translates to “Elk River.” However, British traders translated the name as “Red Deer River,” since they mistakenly thought elk were European red deer. Later, the settlers of the area named their community after the river.
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Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
Pro Rodeo
CANADA
INSIDER
GREAT RUN, BLONDY! High school senior and barrel racer Justine Elliott of Lacombe, Alta., on her great mare, Blondy, making their winning run of 15.844 sec at the Finning Pro Tour Final, held in Armstrong, B.C. The dashing duo are well-placed to earn Season Leader barrel racing honours and are now poised to take a run at the Canadian title at their second appearance at the Canadian Finals Rodeo. Photo by JKW Photo/Jeremy Wombold
RODEOCANADA.COM
CANADIAN COWBOY COUNTRY OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019
PROUD TO BE IN OUR COMMUNITY
1-888-Finning | Finning.com 346-6464
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Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
C.P.R.A.
Oh, Canada! Maple Leaf Circuit Finals
President’s Message
We’re just a few weeks away from the start of the 46th edition of the Canadian Finals Rodeo. Congratulations to all of our athletes for the outstanding effort all year, and best of luck to those who qualified for #CFR46! Congratulations as well to all CFR personnel and our great four-legged athletes who have been selected to work the Finals. In addition to six evening pro rodeo performances Oct 29–Nov 3, rodeo fans will have a broad range of returning attractions — and several new events — to keep them entertained during CFR week. Among the new events this year are the Ultimate Cowboy Challenge, stock dog competition, bucking horse futurity and breakaway roping competition. Finning Canada, once again, played an important role in highlighting our larger CPRA rodeos. Eleven events made up the 2019 Tour with the last rodeo, and the Tour Finals, hosted by the Armstrong IPE and Stampede on the Labour Day weekend. Thank you Finning, and ‘Well done’ Finning Pro Tour Finals Champions. Congratulations as well to the overall Tour winners — those who earned the most points over the full season — Caleb Bennett (bareback), Ben Andersen (saddle bronc), Edgar Durazo (bull riding), Haven Meged (tie-down roping), Cody Cassidy (steer wrestling), Clay Ullery (team roping header), Riley Warren (team roping heeler) and Justine Elliott (ladies barrel racing). And a big thank as well to CPRA partner FloRodeo, who live-streamed all Tour rodeos for the second season and will be providing live-stream coverage of both the CFR and Maple Leaf Circuit Finals. And speaking of the Maple Leaf Circuit Finals, rodeo contestants and fans can look forward to this event set for November 27–30 as part of Canadian Western Agribition in Regina, Sask. Look for details at rodeocanada.com or follow @ProRodeoCanada on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. See you down the trail.
The city of Regina hosts Canadian Western Agribition from November 25–30. Renowned as the best beef show on the continent and the largest livestock show in Canada, this premiere agricultural event will include the inaugural Maple Leaf Circuit Finals Rodeo in their 2019 lineup. Ten top contestants in each of the seven major rodeo events will compete over four nights (Nov 27–30) for more than $100,000 in prize money and a chance to compete at the RAM National Finals in Florida. Every performance from the Brandt Centre of the Maple Leaf Circuit Finals will also be live streamed by Flo Rodeo. The Maple Leaf Circuit includes all CPRA rodeos that offer less than $7999 in prize money, do not have ‘special entry qualifications’ and that accept permits. In 2019, the Maple Leaf Circuit will only have Canadian residents qualifying for the circuit finals. Money won at the MLC Finals also counts for the 2020 Canadian Standings (but not for the World Standings). The Champions of each of the 13 rodeo circuits (which range from Turquoise to Badlands to Mexico) will have the opportunity to qualify for the RAM National Circuit Finals, which takes place in Kissimmee, Florida, at the Silver Spurs Arena in Osceola Heritage Park, on April 2–5, 2020. For more on Agribition, visit agribition.com.
Terry Cooke, President, CPRA
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Pro Rodeo Canada Insider
The Short Round The distinctive CPRA logo was inspired by a photograph of Marty Wood on Harry Vold’s Stoney at the 1961 Ellensburg, Wash., rodeo. Image courtesy Canadian Professional Rodeo Association.
Marty Wood on Harry Vold’s Stoney at 1961 Ellensburg, Wa., rodeo. Photo credit Devere Helfrich, 1961, safety film negative. Devere Helfrich Rodeo Photographic Collection, Dickinson Research Center, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. 81.023.19190.
MARTIN ROY (MARTY) WOOD 1933–2019 Born in Bowness, Alta., Marty Wood earned Canadian Saddle Bronc Riding Championships in 1954–55 and 1963 and was the Calgary Stampede Champion in 1954, ’57, ’61, ’64 and ’65. He topped that by winning three World Saddle Bronc Championships (1958, 1964, 1966). Wood finished second in the world standings four times: 1957, 1962, 1963 and 1967, and was no lower than fifth in the world standings from 1957–67. He qualified for the National Finals Rodeo 50
15 times, which is tied for fifth most alltime in saddle bronc riding. He was inducted in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1991, the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1994, the Ellensburg (Wash.) Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2006, and the Rodeo Hall of Fame of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Okla., in 2008. The distinctive CPRA logo was inspired by a photograph of Marty Wood on Harry Vold’s Stoney at the 1961 Ellensburg, Wash., rodeo. —T.M.
By TERRI MASON, BARB POULSEN
BREAKAWAY ROPING Breakaway Roping is an exciting new event making an appearance on the Canadian rodeo scene. As the event gains in popularity, the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association would like to clarify a few points: While Breakaway Roping is not a CPRA sanctioned event; the CPRA is looking at the possibility of adding it as an optional event in 2020. As such, we need to make sure we have rules sufficient to handle the new event. Breakaway Roping at the 2019 CFR is not running with the regular evening rodeo performances but instead as an exhibition event during the afternoons of October 31– November 1, with no affiliation to the CPRA championships. Any rodeos that are holding a breakaway event are doing so separately from their CPRA sanctioning agreement, with Breakaway Roping being run either before or after the CPRA rodeo performance. Anyone awarded an All Around or High Point title in conjunction with the Breakaway Roping is not considered a CPRA All Around or High Point champion. In the CPRA, a contestant must compete in both a riding and timed event to earn an All Around title, and the High Point Aaward requires competition in two major CPRA events. Look for more information with respect to Breakaway Roping and the CPRA in the coming months. —B.P.
Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
C.P.R.A.
GIVING THANKS
Rob MacKenzie and Curtis Anderson entering the Ponoka Stampede infield. Photo courtesy Curtis Anderson.
“It’s not often we see how it all turns out,” said former paramedic Rob MacKenzie. MacKenzie wasn’t even the paramedic on duty — he just happened to be in the stands on the fateful day that Curtis Anderson was severely injured in the bull riding at the Ponoka Stampede. On June 26, 2002, Anderson, then a 27-year-old bull rider with 10 year’s experience, was struck twice in the head by the bull he was on. The first responder had recently completed advanced training with specialized equipment — which turned out to be exactly what was needed to save Curtis’ life. “I intubated Curtis in the back of the ambulance,” said MacKenzie. He was able to get Curtis breathing again, and the bull rider was then rushed to hospital where he would spend three weeks in a drug-induced coma. Fast-forward 17 years. MacKenzie had since changed careers from paramedic to Calgary police officer. When the Ponoka Stampede organizers heard that the lifesaver was going to be attending, they arranged for him and Curtis to be transported into the arena — this time safely seated on a horse-drawn wagon. In front of the packed grandstand, Curtis was handed a microphone, and on behalf of his family and friends — and himself — he was finally able to thank the man who saved his life. “Curtis and I have been in contact via texting, but it was the first time I met him in person,” says Anderson. “Curtis is very inspiring, and it meant a lot.” —T.M.
ELIZABETH ANN “LIZ” KESLER 1926–2019
Photo courtesy CPRA
cowboycountrymagazine.com
Born and raised in Texas, Liz was an accomplished rodeo secretary and timer and the widow of Canadian stock contractor Reg Kesler. Highlights of the many honours she received in her life include the Montana Governor’s Award for preservation of Western Heritage, being inducted (with Reg) into the 2008 Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame, receiving the Tad Lucas Memorial Award at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, being inducted into the Montana Wall & Hall of Fame in Billings, MT and receiving the American Cowboy Culture Award as Pioneer Woman at the Cowboy Symposium held in Lubbock, TX.
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Pro Rodeo Canada Insider
2018 PRCA Steer Wrestling Rookie of the Year Brendan Laye dogging at Armstrong Stampede riding Curtis Cassidy’s Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year, Tyson. Photo by JKW Photo/Jeremy Wombold.
FINNING PRO TOUR WRAPS UP IN ARMSTRONG
B
RENDAN LAYE KNEW HE WAS RUNNING OUT OF TIME. THE 2018 PRCA STEER WRESTLING ROOKIE OF THE
YEAR RESPONDED TO THE URGENCY OF THE MOMENT WITH A 3.7-SECOND RUN AT THE ARMSTRONG IPE AND STAMPEDE, WHICH HOSTED THE LAST FINNING PRO TOUR RODEO OF THE SEASON AND THE FINNING PRO TOUR FINALS ON SEPTEMBER 1.
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Laye earned the Tour Rodeo steer wrestling win and $3,790 — then followed that up with an even quicker 3.2-second effort to top the field at the Nicola Valley Pro Rodeo in Merritt and add another $1,513. The $6,300 haul jetted the 2016 CPRA top rookie up almost 10 spots in the Canadian standings, from 16th place to a comfortable spot well inside the top 10, essentially assuring Laye a CFR#46 spot in Red Deer in late October/early November. “With the position I was in (about $2,000 out of the 12th and final CFR qualifying berth), I knew I had to have a big weekend,” the Consort, Alta., bulldogger acknowledged. “I just wanted to be excited about the things that could go right and not worry about the things that could go wrong.” For Justine Elliott, a barrel racer from Lacombe, Alta., the fairy tale year continued in B.C. The 17-year-old high school senior and her cow-bred mare, Blondy, are not only headed to their second CFR, but they’re doing so in style. With a Tour Finals win and solid placings at both Armstrong and Merritt Rodeos, Elliott added an overall $6,261 to her bank account, putting her in a
solid position to earn Season Leader barrel racing honours. “I went into the Finning Pro Tour Finals just trying to have a good run, and let whatever happened, happen,” explained the young horsewoman. “I wasn’t one bit expecting to win it. The field was very tough. I tried to stay off my mare until right before my run, as I was nervous and didn’t want to make her worried. But,” Elliott added, grinning, “Blondy likes the crowd and smoked a run.” The 2019 Finning Pro Tour Finals Champions are: Clint Laye (bareback), Jake Burwash (saddle bronc), Edgar Durazo (bull riding), Shane Hanchey (tie-down roping), Scott Guenthner and Curtis Cassidy (steer wrestling tie), Dawson and Dillon Graham (team roping) and Justine Elliott (ladies barrel racing). This year’s Finning Pro Tour Final was particularly lucrative, paying double the prize money awarded in 2018. c
Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
C.P.R.A.
CFR CONTENDERS AS OF SEP 11, 2019 (Including: Medicine Lodge Pro Rodeo) The number in brackets () indicates the number of rodeos competed at during the 2019 season.
SADDLE BRONC
STEER WRESTLING
Rank Name 1 Thurston Zeke (16) 2 Hay Dawson (16) 3 Andersen Ben (33) 4 Watson Jake (18) 5 Wanchuk Kolby (28) 6 Hausauer Dusty (27) 7 Scheer Cort (15) 8 Finlay Jake (16) 9 Ashbacher Kole (39) 10 Burwash Jake (36) 11 Dahm Dawson (29) 12 Hay Logan (37)
Address Earnings Big Valley, AB 55,939.08 Wildwood, AB 31,318.01 Eckville, AB 30,582.10 Hudson’s Hope, BC 29,357.94 Sherwood Park, AB 24,644.81 Dickinson, ND 21,139.77 Elsmere NE 19,586.25 Goondiwindi, QL 17,993.91 Arrowwood, AB 15,253.29 Nanton, AB 14,056.29 Duffield, AB 13,609.88 Wildwood, AB 12,304.84
BAREBACK
Rank Name 1 Guenthner Scott (34) 2 Cassidy Cody (38) 3 Cassidy Curtis (35) 4 Brunner Tanner (12) 5 Thomas Jason (27) 6 Cure Hunter (16) 7 Laye Brendan (32) 8 Delemont Layne (39) 9 Moore Clayton (30) 10 Chambers Bridger (35) 11 Culling Stephen (34) 12 Butterfield Brock (38) 13 Spady Evan (39)
Address Earnings Provost, AB 29,392.78 Donalda, AB 27,020.56 Donalda, AB 24,644.29 Ramona, KS 20,265.34 Benton, AR 20,183.10 Holliday, TX 17,465.56 Consort, AB 17,009.64 Chauvin, AB 16,764.92 Pouce Coupe, BC 16,113.32 Stevensville, MT 15,267.41 Fort St. John, BC 14,739.20 Ponoka, AB 14,325.38 Alliance, AB 14,237.28
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Tremonton, UT 33,512.22 Dublin, TX 31,965.52 Bowden, AB 29,878.34 Regina, SK 25,541.54 Cadogan, AB 23,146.33 Calgary, AB 21,370.52 Carbon, AB 20,439.25 Inglis, MB 20,233.34 Eastend, SK 16,806.10 Ranchester, WY 14,592.63 Sherwood Park, AB 14,272.39 Calgary, AB 13,124.69 High River, AB 12,139.50 Deloraine, MB 11,005.04
Bennett Caleb (20) Champion Richmond (15) Marshall Ky (34) Taypotat Ty (24) Laye Clint (16) Lacasse Spur (35) Goodine Cole (23) Larsen Orin (15) Bertsch Dantan (27) Hardwick Seth (12) Lamb Kody (22) Hamilton Connor (11) Woods Linden (30) Adams Colin (28)
BULL RIDING
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Moctezuma,Sonora MX 47,916.01 Calgary, AB 44,787.75 Strongcity, OK 31,841.44 Meeting Creek, AB 30,266.68 Maple Creek, SK 27,687.11 Meadow Lake, SK 23,885.73 Cadogan, AB 23,046.01 Didsbury, AB 22,211.63 Sonningdale, SK 20,864.76 Dawson Creek, BC 20,793.16 Major, SK 19,861.96 Ponoka, AB 19,727.49
Durazo Edgar (16) Hansen Jordan (22) Kimzey Sage (15) Green Garrett (18) Parsonage Jared (24) Coverchuk Cody Lee (15) West Lonnie (20) Brown Kyle (40) Ellis Ty (36) Gardner Jacob (32) Chotowetz Todd (31) Lambert Zane (26)
TIE-DOWN ROPING
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Didsbury, AB 22,911.44 Miles City, MT 19,790.21 Scandia, AB 19,617.13 Thorsby, AB 19,190.02 Nanton, AB 18,400.46 Sulphur, LA 16,724.67 Sexsmith, AB 16,025.55 Wimborne, AB 15,230.88 Wimborne, AB 14,453.67 Wood Mountain, SK 14,387.78 Stettler, AB 13,228.99 Stephenville, TX 13,140.20
Grant Morgan (35) Meged Haven (20) Bouchard Alwin (36) Dublanko Erik (41) Bird Logan (40) Hanchey Shane (19) Rombough Lee (40) Smith Blair (37) Smith Shane (39) Popescul Jesse (39) Warren Riley (39) Milligan Tyler (15)
cowboycountrymagazine.com
LADIES BARREL RACING
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Lacombe, AB 38,041.84 Ennis, TX 31,585.55 Bluffton, AB 24,442.68 Edson, AB 23,453.08 Kamloops, BC 23,299.99 Abilene, TX 21,789.41 Hudson Bay, SK 20,410.88 Richards, TX 18,929.91 Millarville, AB 18,882.02 Abilene, TX 18,274.93 Brooks, AB 13,886.34 Dalhart, TX 13,358.72
Elliott Justine (37) Walker Mary (21) Ruzicka Stacey (37) Manning Taylor (36) Wills Brooke (30) Ganter Angela (33) Olafson Bertina (33) Sharp Jennifer (19) O’Reilly Jenna (26) Ganter Jackie (26) Brodoway Lynette (18) Spielman Shelby (31)
TR HEELER
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Wainwright, AB 21,891.81 Stettler, AB 20,441.81 Ponoka, AB 19,653.24 Vernon, TX 19,513.86 Waldeck, SK 16,314.17 Cardston, AB 15,723.75 Mossleigh, AB 15,302.04 Arrowwood, AB 13,491.59 Ellensburg, WA 13,004.86 Camrose, AB 12,585.03 Ponoka, AB 10,889.41 Kamloops, BC 10,657.53
Graham Dillon (39) Warren Riley (40) Bonnett Keely (41) Koch Hunter (23) Mcleod Tyce (39) Wilson Riley (33) Roy Kasper (34) Buhler Jeremy (25) Minor Jacob (15) Mccarroll Brett (31) Whyte Klay (27) Beers Mike (14)
TR HEADER
1 2 3 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Wainwright, AB 21,891.82 Two Hills, AB 20,441.76 Ponoka, AB 19,653.23 Pima, AZ 19,401.07 Waldeck, SK 16,314.19 Longview, AB 14,885.08 Barrhead, AB 13,646.66 Baker City, OR 13,004.88 Camrose AB 12,584.99 Ponoka, AB 12,525.45 Ponoka, AB 12,392.93 Bozeman, MT 11,211.93
Graham Dawson (39) Ullery Clay (39) Bonnett Logan (41) Sherwood Matt (17) Mcleod Tuftin (39) Depaoli Steele (36) Schmidt Kolton (30) Rogers Garrett (15) Mccarroll Justin (31) Simpson Levi (32) Buss Brett (29) Fuller Kal (31)
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Pro Rodeo Canada Insider Lane Peterson judging at the 65th Annual Lea Park Rodeo in June 2019. Photo by Billie Jean Duff.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE? JUDGING PRO RODEO by TIM ELLIS
I
T’S THE EQUIVALENT OF OFFICIATING SEVEN DIFFERENT SPORTS IN ONE GAME. THAT’S THE TASK
THAT FACES PRO RODEO CANADA OFFICIALS EVERY WEEKEND OF THE SPRING AND SUMMER.
“We don’t get the option of missing an event if it’s a little harder for us,” says Lane Peterson, who began judging rodeos after attending a clinic hosted by the Canadian Cowboys Association nearly 15 years ago. “It’s important to understand all events and the different rules of each event.” “Whether you’re flagging or marking scores, you need to learn the subtle nuances of each event, like positioning and figuring out your spread in the riding events. You should know which horses and bulls are more difficult than others. Part of judging is taking the time to learn about each event, not that you have to be an expert in every event, but you do have to understand it.” 54
But even if you put in the time and effort to do that, there’s no guarantee it will be enough when you get in the rodeo arena. “Because rodeo is unscripted, you never know what you might see,” offers Peterson. “As much as you prepare yourself, and as good as you know the rules, there will still be times you’ll need to make a decision based on your experience and common sense. Repetition is a big key.” Dale Reid, who’s been a CPRA judge for some 25 years, agrees. “You never stop seeing new things.” says Reid. “Just when you think you’ve seen it all, there’s something different that comes along.”
“You have to be able to switch your mind up from one event and get over to the next one. And you must make quick decisions. When you’re first learning, you might hum and haw a little bit, but after awhile, you learn to know what you’re watching.” Both Reid and Peterson come from rodeo backgrounds, which they agree helps in the job. “I didn’t decide to be a judge until I broke my arm back in 1990,” reveals Reid, who was a bullrider and had family that participated in the timed event end. “While I was healing up, Terry Cooke (current CPRA president), who was the judging director at the time in the
Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
C.P.R.A.
Northwest Rodeo Association, asked if I’d be interested.” “I jumped in blind, started at the amateur level for about four or five years and then the CPRA called to see if I was interested in attending a clinic.” Peterson’s rodeo involvement came from the stock contracting side in Saskatchewan. “I’ve been around the sport for over 40 years,” says Peterson. “We supplied horses and bulls to rodeos across North America from the time I was a baby until we sold out in 1997.” And while having been involved in rodeo is an obvious benefit, both agree it is not a prerequisite for the job. “You could potentially be good at it if you were willing to become a student of the game,” believes Peterson. “But you need to be committed enough to do that.” “I would advise anyone wanting to become a judge to really pay attention to other officials,” suggests Reid. “And study
the rule book. I still run through it quickly before a rodeo, just as a refresher.” Another piece of advice. “Stick to your call, and don’t be intimidated,” offers Reid. “You try your darndest to make the right call, but if you make a mistake, you need to eat it. It bothers you when you do make a mistake, but it happens.” “Everyone has made mistakes,” agrees Peterson. “You hope they don’t happen but there are always tough calls and split-second decisions. Not everyone is always happy.” Reid and Peterson carry with them a combined 16 years of judging experience at the Canadian Finals Rodeo. Reid’s first call to the CFR came in 1996, while Peterson was selected to work the Finals for the last seven straight years. “You have to be professional no matter if it’s the CFR or a small rodeo during the summer,” contends Reid. “It’s
just as important at the smaller rodeo because that’s what gets the cowboys to the Finals.” “If you’re flagging on the final day of the CFR, it’s pressure,” begins Peterson. “But you need to treat it as if it’s just another run.” And like all jobs, there are drawbacks and benefits. “There’s a lot of travel from May to November,” advises Peterson. “Lots of driving all night to get back for work. But I went to Australia and did some rodeos over there and toured around the U.S. a bit.” “Once we’re at a rodeo, we don’t have to jump in the truck to get to the next one like the cowboys do,” says Reid. “I wouldn’t be doing it if I wasn’t enjoying it.” c
Dale Reid judging at the 2019 Glencross Invitational Charity Roughstock Event in Red Deer. Photo by Billie Jean Duff.
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Pro Rodeo Canada Insider ROAD TO THE CFR
JIM BERRY
Jim spurring his last professional saddle bronc ride at the 2018 CFR in Red Deer on Calgary Stampede’s S-65 Shadow Warrior. Photo by Billie Jean Duff.
HIGH-RIDING CAREER by TIM ELLIS
J
IM BERRY HAS TRAVELLED THE “ROAD TO THE CFR” FOR MANY YEARS, AND FOR THE MOST PART, EACH JOURNEY
WAS A SUCCESSFUL ONE. BUT THERE WILL BE NO MORE SUCH TRIPS, AT LEAST NOT AS A CONTESTANT.
“Oh yeah, I plan to watch it (Canadian Finals),” assures Berry, despite announcing that his days as a professional saddle bronc rider have come to an end after 14 seasons. “I rode for the last time at the CFR in Red Deer. It was Calgary Stampede’s Shadow Warrior — they say I missed him out.” Not the fairy tale ending the 37-yearold perhaps deserved after a career in which he finished no lower than eighth in the Pro Rodeo Canada bronc riding standings in 10 straight seasons, while qualifying for 13 CFR’s including two as a novice competitor. “I came to the realization I couldn’t compete as good as I wanted to,” suggests the Rocky Mountain House, Alta., cowboy. “It was definitely time to move on.” 56
The memories and highlights from his career are plenty. “I was a strong believer that I should support Canadian rodeos,” offers Berry, who was named winner of the Guy Weadick Award at the Calgary Stampede in 2013. “Year in and year out, I went to just about as many rodeos as there were on the schedule.” “I had to go to just about everything to try to make it to the Finals. That was my job, and I had to perform to the best of my ability. I believed that helped committees make more money, which helped me put more money in my pocket.” For those reasons, winning the Duane Daines Series (now known as the Winston Bruce Series) six times was most rewarding for Berry. “It meant that no one was getting on more horses than me,” says the 2003 Canadian and Calgary Stampede novice bronc riding champion. “The Daines family helped me tremendously in my career.” The one entry missing from Berry’s impressive resume is a Canadian Saddle
Bronc title. His closest bid for the championship buckle came in 2009, finishing as runner-up to eventual champion, Chet Johnson, by less than $2,400. “So close, but yet so far,” shrugs Berry, who turned to bronc riding after competing in Wild Horse Racing with his dad and brother. “I knew I was going to do something after that. My uncle (Lane) rode broncs, so when my parents finally let me, that’s what I did.” “I miss getting on bucking horses more than I thought I was going to. But I’ve been picking up at a bunch of rodeos, and I’ve watched a few junior rodeos already.” And he’ll likely be kept busy with the latter, given the interest shown in the sport by his son, Coy (10) and daughter, Quin (7). “I’m a huge fan of rodeo at all levels,” confirms Berry, who won a Canadian Cowboys Association Saddle Bronc Championship in 2011. “But I do miss the competitiveness of proving I could win every weekend.” c
Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
C.P.R.A.
2020 Miss Rodeo Canada
CONTENDERS
Each year we see the exciting competition as young women, already rodeo queens, vie for the ultimate crown in rodeo — Miss Rodeo Canada. Five contestants will be judged in many areas, including horsemanship, public speaking and rodeo knowledge. Miss Rodeo Canada 2020 will make over 400 personal appearances across the country.
Haley Schlenker, Medicine Hat, Alta. 2018 Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede Queen As the fourth generation to be raised on Erwin Schlenker Farms, Haley strongly believes in the importance of agriculture because it truly helps to feed people all around the world and goes hand in hand with the sport of rodeo.
Jessica Craig, Crossfield, Alta. 2018 Hanna Pro Rodeo Queen
2019 Miss Rodeo Canada
Jaden Holle
Standing in the dirt one year ago, I could hardly believe it when they called my name as Miss Rodeo Canada 2019. Since then, I have ridden dozens of horses, signed hundreds of autographs, travelled thousands of kilometres and had millions of special moments along the way. As a young girl, an empty arena meant I would pretend to be a rodeo queen, loping my horse and waving to all of the invisible fans. Now, to have greeted true fans as the representative for Canadian Professional Rodeo is more than that little girl’s heart can bear. Although I will never forget those nervous jitters before running into the arena, there is so much more this year has brought. I didn’t foresee how many prairie towns I would discover, that I would wear the crown in five countries, or how it would feel to have a tiny rodeo queen hopeful gaze at me in total admiration. Nor did I foresee all of the support it requires to make this year a success. Thank you to the Miss Rodeo Canada organization and sponsors for making this experience possible, to the rodeo committees, those that lent me a horse, the fans that made up the special moments, my family that ironed and polished behind the scenes, and the entire community for welcoming me in. Rodeo is a family. Although I will soon be passing on the crown and will no longer be the “favourite child,” I believe I have found a place in this family. This year has been a blessing. Thank you. Jaden Holle, Miss Rodeo Canada 2019
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Jessica grew up on a mixed farm west of Crossfield, Alta. A trained massage therapist, Jessica currently works at Airdrie Physio and Massage and is working towards her dream of being part of the Canadian Pro Rodeo Sports Medicine Team. Alicia Erickson, Trochu, Alta. 2018 Ponoka Stampede Queen Alicia has earned her Youth Justice Studies Diploma and will continue her education to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Social Work. Inspiring this pursuit is Erickson’s belief that you should be the person you needed when you were younger. Alisa Brace, Sundre, Alta. 2017 Miss Rodeo Sundre Alisa is a proud fourth-generation farmer. She obtained her Animal Health Technology Diploma and graduated with distinction in 2018. Alisa currently works at Moore Equine Veterinary Centre, where she is trained in areas of lameness, equine anesthesia, and ambulatory medicine. Brittany Doyle, Olds, Alta. 2018 Moose Mountain Pro Rodeo Queen Brittany has spent her life on the back of a horse, riding all over North America competing in everything from breed circuit horse shows to rodeos. She attended Laurentian University and received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 2018. 57
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Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
CLOWNIN’ AROUND | CRASH COOPER
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WARNING: This proof is delivered on the condition that it be carefully inspected before going any Deer, Alberta Specializing in Rodeo, Ranch responsibility is limitedRed further in the production cycle. Optic Nerve’s to making corrections and/or & Humourous Fine Artworks! replacing defective files. This file may not be reduced, enlarged or changed in any manner without obtaining written approval from The Publicis Group of Companies. [REF:information: TO-A] For more 403-652-1377 Now showing at our gallery in Senlac, Saskatchewan Open Sundays from 1 – 5 pm
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Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
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
CCC Mag Aug Sept 2019
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
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Heartland Cowboy Church 1st and 3rd Tue. of every month, 7 p.m., Stettler Agriplex, 4516‑52 St., Stettler, Alta., 780-877-2331 James River Cowboy Church Every Wed., 7 p.m., James River Community Hall, 2.5 km S of James River store or 11.5 km N of Sundre on RR 53, Alta., 403‑638‑6439
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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
RED DEER’S BEST-KEPT SECRET!
St. Albert Cowboy Church Every Fri., 7 p.m., 60 Liberton Dr., St. Albert, Alta., 780-459-2222
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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
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Willow Valley Cowboy Church 2nd Sun. of every month 10:00 a.m., 26016 Hwy 595, 15 km east of Red Deer, Red Deer County, Alta., 403-347-0206 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
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COWBOY POETRY
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
He was getting old and paunchy, and his hair was falling fast, And he sat around the Legion, telling stories of the past. Of a war that he once fought in, and the deeds that he had done, In his exploits with his buddies; they were heroes, every one.
When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state, While thousands note their passing and proclaim that they were great. Papers tell of their life stories, from the time that they were young, But the passing of a Veteran, goes unnoticed, and unsung.
It is not the politicians, with their compromise and ploys, Who won for us the freedom, that our country now enjoys. Should you find yourself in danger, with your enemies at hand, Would you really want some copout, with his ever-waffling stand?
And ‘tho sometimes to his neighbours, his tales became a joke, All his buddies listened quietly for they knew where of he spoke. But we’ll hear his tales no longer, for ol’ Joe has passed away, And the world’s a little poorer for a Veteran died today.
Is the greatest contribution, to the welfare of our land, Some jerk who breaks his promise and cons his fellow man? Or the ordinary fellow who in times of war and strife, Goes off to serve his country, and offers up his life?
Or would you want a Veteran, his home, his country, his kin, Just a common Veteran, who would fight until the end. He was just a common Veteran, and his ranks are growing thin, But his presence should remind us, we may need his likes again.
He won’t be mourned by many, just his children and his wife. For he lived an ordinary, very quiet sort of life. He held a job and raised a family, going quietly on his way; And the world won’t note his passing, ‘tho a Veteran died today.
The politician’s stipend, and the style in which he lives, Are often disproportionate, to the service that he gives. While the ordinary Veteran, who offered up his all, Is paid off with a medal and perhaps a pension, small.
For when countries are in conflict, we find the Veteran’s part, Is to clean up all the troubles, that the politicians start. If we cannot do him honour, while he’s here to hear the praise, Then at least let’s give him homage, at the ending of his days. Perhaps just a simple headline in the paper that might say: “OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING — A VETERAN DIED TODAY.”
This poem was passed along to me four days after last years’ Remembrance Day celebrating the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI. If anyone knows the author, please contact me so it can be properly attributed — because it sure should be. — Terri Mason, Editor.
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Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
PHOTO COURTESY ADOBE STOCK/ MIKHAYLOVSKIY
A Veteran
Listen to the exciting coverage of the Canadian Finals Rodeo with CFCW’s Broadcast Team Tim Ellis • Duane Daines • David Schmidt • Jenna Verhun • Dianne Finstad
Live from Enmax Centrium in Red Deer’s Westerner Park October 29th - November 3rd
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63
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Medicine Hat • Lloydminster • Olds • Strathmore • West Kelowna • Kamloops • Prince Albert • Regina • Saskatoon 64
Canadian Cowboy Country October/November 2019
