Howdy All!

Wow!!!  The 2018 Ponoka Stampede has come to an end.  What a busy time it has been this past week.  We made many great memories that we will cherish forever.

I’d like to congratulate Vern Nolin and Lisa Bensmiller on an amazing Stampede.  They made 6 great runs to capture the title of the 2018 Ponoka Stampede Champions.  Good for them.  This is a well deserved win.  They are a strong team that works together to accomplish many great things.

Today was an exciting day for our Family and “Team 23”.  We were donning the Kendal Pipelines tarp one last time on the WPCA tour for our final run.  You see, we had been fortunate to carry this tarp for 7 years back in the 2000’s.  I still remember the day when we got together with Ken Drysdale, the owner and he told Rick and I that he would like to partner up with us.  Rick was so excited, he was like a kid in a candy store with so much excitement of gaining sponsor.  Little did we know this friendship/business partnership would last so long.

My job has always been to tend to the outriding horses.  Over the week, Candice, Kaylee and Ellie have been giving me a hand bringing the horses to the infield.  It takes many hands to make the operation run smoothly.

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I have so may photos that I would love to share, but I had to pick and choose those that would speak the story.  On the three barrel, Rick hooked Orchid and Spin on the Wheel and Louie and Nickle were the Leaders.  Rick and “Team 23”  had a very impressive run.  They didn’t start the hardest, but they shot out there alongside the other competitors.

When the four wagons rounded the fourth turn, the burners seemed to come on.  The horses shifted gears and continued toward the finish line like a bat out of hell!  Boy did that team run.  It was so very impressive.

Ken and Rick, through this sponsorship have become very goo friends because of this chuckwagon  Venture. And I know that they will continue for many years to come.

Through the many miles we’ve traveled, we have met so many great people.  And plenty of them have become friends.  Dave and Darcy are just that. It was great to get a photo with the two of them and their rides.

I had the pleasure today of tossing the mini Chuckwagon to this young gal.  She was most excited to have her photo taken with it.  Over the years that we have given these away, it warms our hearts that we have touched someone with a gift and are truly grateful for this.

Our crew, Kim (Kiwi Kim) Rick calls her, and David also known as “Ben” have been amazing barn hands for us since April.  They came in know nothing really about our Chuckwagon Journey.  Yet it didn’t’ take them long to catch on.  A huge shout out to them for all the work they do.

After our race, we made our pass in front of the grandstand one last time here in Ponoka as we have many friends, family and fans in the area.   It has been very rewarding coming here and racing in front of them.

Before I close off, I need to share this little story.  After we got the horses back to the barn, Rick and I came back up to sign a few posters for some of the crowd.  The first place he went to was this couple, Larry Bull and his wife.  As we were chatting, she told us that when we did our gratitude pass in the infield, four eagles flew overhead.  How cool is that?  I take that as a sign that Grandpa Tom and Grandmaee Joy Dorchester, Rick’s Dad Dave Lewis and also his Uncle Dallas were looking from above.

From the Travelin Trailer

Sue, Rick and “Team 23”

P.S.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.   Melody Beattie