Calgary: Night Three (July 5)

July 6, 2015July 6, 2015 / suefraser / 4 Comments

Rick and I are so very fortunate to have a Team 23 barn crew like these kids for our 2015 Calgary Stampede. We may have a lot of helpers but they have come to work, play and keep the morale up each and every day.

They keep us entertained let me tell you. For some of them, I call them my other adopted kids.

From left to right in the photo below, we have Kaylee (our daughter), Candice, Kim, Chris (our son-in-law), Cayley, Mylene, Jesse, Allie, Alisha, Me, Harold (our farrier), Rick and Cody (our son).

Morning chores have been getting completed very quickly in the mornings. The crew is very efficient. This leaves everyone a bit more time to catch up on some much-needed sleep, or to run some errands or even to get some laundry washed and dried.

Today, our relative Brace and I took our yearly trip to the Roundup Centre to check out all the booths and look at all the art displays. Was it ever crowded down on the grounds! But then again, when is it not? After all, it is the Greatest Outdoor Show on earth.

I treated myself to a nice souvenir sweater and a belt from one of the booths on the grounds. I was also craving a twist ice cream cone and so I had one. I told myself I better enjoy it, as they charged $5 for it!!! Yikes! But we crazy people pay for treats such as this. What a killing they make on the food down there.

While walking through the venue, we came upon this little jigger behind the board. I couldn’t resist taking a picture to share with you. He made me smile.

We had some guests pop by the barn before the races. First off, a little surprise from the Stampede Committee. They came and presented Rick with a beautiful halter for our horse Law. You see, Law won an equine award from last year’s stampede. They were just a little behind delivering it. But we will accept it just the same. Proud of that pony.

Our other guest was Dr. Shirley McClellan. Shirley told us stories of days gone by and how she followed the chuckwagon races, and still loves it today.

Two of our Team 23 members slipped off the grounds to help out at a pancake breakfast. Kim and Candice went to the Sunwest Church to participate by giving kids rides on horses supplied by Camp Evergreen. What a feel-good story when you can make a child smile.

Yesterday’s sponsor was Terra HDD Solutions. Scott and his clients were thrilled to watch the races from an infield suite, and then come back to the barns to meet and greet us. We like to give barn tours to give the people a sense of what it is we do and how we do it. A huge shout out to Terra HDD Solutions for the great sponsorship here at the Calgary Stampede.

It was a cool evening for races. I think my husband may have even donned on his long underwear for tonight. I know he was cold and so was I. But I didn’t have any long johns. Boy, this weather has been from one extreme to another.

Our hook tonight was Spirit on Left Lead, Ranger on Right Lead, Air on Left Wheel and Zorba on Right Wheel. They sure started hard but not quite enough to get the rail position over competitor Evan. They were running okay but coming down the homestretch they just seemed to quit. They posted a 1:11.68, which gave us a position of 13 on the day and we are also sitting 13th on the three-day average.

We have one more race tomorrow coming off the 3 barrel. Then there will be a redraw to start all over at the different barrel positions. The name of the game is to stay clean and steady. Our goal is to be standing on that stage come Sunday evening.

Keep your head up. God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers.

Calgary: Night One (July 3)

July 4, 2015July 4, 2015 / suefraser / Leave a comment

Well, what an exciting time it is to be here at the Calgary Stampede. The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth! There is so much to do, so much to see and 10 days to make it all happen.

With such a short turnover from Ponoka, it’s been a very crazy day here in Calgary. We do not use our portable barn here, as Calgary has barns for everyone to utilize and this is our ponies’ home for the next 10 days. It’s all good, except we have no pen space to let the horses run around. So this leaves us to walk our horses for exercise twice a day.

Rick and I rise shortly before 6, as Rick heads down to the barn to feed oats and I prepare the coffee in the 30-cup percolator to share with others in the nearby barns. My favourite time before chores begins, sitting around BSing about old times.

Tonight after the races, Rick enjoyed a visit with Brian Burke, the Operations Manager of the Calgary Flames. He was down visiting some other drivers.

We are always so happy to have some of our Overacker relatives come down to cheer us on. Maxine and one of her daughters Shawna were happy to pose with me for a candid shot.

Rick was sportin’ an Alberta Premium shirt from our friend Norm Little. I think he looked pretty darn handsome in it.

The barn crew of Team 23 are doing a tremendous job, preparing the horses for race time. This allows Rick and I to spend more time with sponsors and folks who come by.

Rick chose to hook Speedy on Left Lead, Nickle on Right Lead, Sneakers on Left Wheel and Law on Right Wheel. Cole rode Ace and Dustin rode Andy.

Lining up at the 3 barrel, the lead team was not co-operating with what the driver wanted them to do. They were kind of doggin’ it! Rick’s rear right hub touched and knocked down the barrel of the guy on 3. Dustin, our outrider, reached over to stand it up, and he did, but didn’t quite get back in time to get our stove to the ground before the horn blew. If your stove is not on the ground when the horn blows, the outfit gets assessed a 1-second penalty and we got it. So instead of a 12th for the day, it dropped us down to the 29th spot.

No worries, though; we will persevere and have clean and fast runs tomorrow and on.

The only certain measure of success is to render more and better service than is expected of you.

Ponoka: Night Five (June 30)

July 1, 2015July 1, 2015 / suefraser / 3 Comments

WOW! Today is the last day of June. Where did this month go? When I’m on the road, I lose all track of which day it is. At home I faithfully live by a calendar. In the trailer, I do have one but we normally say it’s a race day or it’s a non-race day.

I went to bed a tad bit late last night and was up early this morning again. I awoke sometime in between to listen to the rain falling hard on the trailer. Not sure how much moisture the area got but I do know that it made the grounds very muddy. And how do I know? Because Rick decided we needed to hook another outfit this morning.

I dug out the rubber boots, the mud pants and rain jacket for the boys to wear while in the wagon. Better to spray down the rain gear than to make another trip to the laundromat. And yes, they did come back very muddy. Horses and all. So after the chores were completed, the pressure washer got used cleaning up all the equipment and horses.

If you have never attended the rodeo or chuckwagon races here in Ponoka, it is one event of the year that you should put on your bucket list. This is quite the happening place when people from all over Canada and the USA flock upon this small town for some great cowboy entertainment. The RVs amaze me every year. I wouldn’t even be able to begin to guess how many units are on the grounds.

And the best part is that it costs nothing to park your home on wheels for the full six days of the Stampede. It’s one big party with the neighbours around you.

Ken Malvin, our friend, mans the World Professional Chuckwagon Association merchant trailer. He has many great clothing items to choose from to promote our association.

Somehow the day slipped away quickly. I tended to a few more envelopes that arrived in the mail and also did month-end payroll. It just seems that when I sit down to do those things, more and more paperwork appears. It was rather quiet in my trailer, and I enjoyed listening to the kids just outside my door filling up water balloons and then chasing each other and hoping to get good aim, laughing through it all.

Around 4, we had some special visitors. My friend Lucy and Garth brought over Garth’s seven-year-old grandson Dylan. What a cute kid. Dylan has some special needs and so cannot speak, walk on his own or hear very well. This doesn’t mean he can’t communicate, that’s for sure. He’s a smart little whippersnapper.

When he went to see the chuckwagon races, they said he would get so excited. Well, he also got very excited when he received a Team 23 T-shirt along with a mini chuckwagon. What big smile he had. These kinds of moments touch our hearts and bring us memories that last a lifetime.

Abigail also stopped by, and she was the lucky recipient of the mini give away tonight. She was all smiles when she arrived to meet us. We gathered up Abigail and Rick to take a photo in front of the wagon. I don’t think she’s going to give up her new prized possession to anyone anytime soon.

Tonight out of the barn came Nickle on Left Lead, Speedy on the Right Lead, Sneakers on the Left Wheel and Law on the Right Wheel. Ace and Andy continued to be ridden by Cole and Dustin.

If you noticed a bit of a change-up, you are right. We switched Speedy and Nickle positions. It seemed to have worked out okay as the Ricky and the boys pulled off a fifth on the night’s placing, the highest position so far at this Ponoka Stampede for us.

Rick and his cousin Troy were in the heat together. For me, it’s neat to see these two relatives race together. We have one more race here tomorrow, and then it’s off to Calgary. We will be in the eighth heat and will start off on the third barrel. The four four finalists who made it for the possible $50,000 will be Evan Salmond, Kirk Sutherland, Jason Glass and Kirk Sutherland. May the fastest wagon win!

Our lives will always be full if our hearts are always giving.

Ponoka: Night Four (June 29)

June 30, 2015 / suefraser / 1 Comment

As I rolled over and opened my eyes this morning, I realized I was the only one in bed. Rick had gotten up and headed the barn and I didn’t even hear him. This is quite unusual for me, not to wake up when he does. I must have been tired.

I jumped up and got the percolator going while I got ready for the day. It was just after 7 when I got to the barn. My hubby said he didn’t think I was coming. He had decided we were hooking two outfits but unfortunately I didn’t get the memo the night before. At any rate, I arrived just in time to help with the first hook and then the second one too.

It was a bit soggy out this morning, as it had decided to rain on our parade. Enough so that it settled all the dust around the area.

I decided to send Rick and the girls to have breakfast over at the legion. I said I would stay back and wait for our bale of straw to be delivered. Well, the straw arrived and then so did my friends, Bev and Norm Little. We sat shootin’ the breeze in front of the barn and enjoyed a cup of coffee too. They had lots of stories to tell of days gone by, which made for some pretty good laughs.

A couple of gentlemen stopped by to meet us. The one fella phoned us up this past winter and asked about obtaining one of our mini chuckwagons. I told him to come by when we were in his area. Well, he did, we chatted and I asked him what the reasoning was for the little chuckwagon. Back home in their small town of Killam, there are a group of eight guys who meet at the local coffee shop in the mornings. They are all avid followers of…you guessed it…the WPCA chuckwagon races. So these guys do up a draft just like in the NHL. They all have a pool of four wagon drivers and collect points throughout the season. And this year they are awarding the winner with a trophy. It will be our mini chuckwagon mounted on a base of some sort. How cool is that?

Tonight we also met another HUGE fan of ours. His name is Richard Zeluf. Last year we gave him one of our Team 23 hats. According to his daughter-in-law Janine, his hat is one of his prized possessions. Tonight we surprised him with a mini chuckwagon to take back home with him. The look on his face was priceless. “Is this for me?” he said as Rick handed it to him. He was in disbelief. He is very excited to show the boys during tomorrow morning’s coffee.

I trucked on over to get a few horse supplies at McFeeds today, then decided it was time to get the laundry done before we head to Calgary in a couple of days. I think others had the same idea, as it was pretty busy in there. But with so many machines it really doesn’t take too long to get things done.

Back at the trailer with the clean clothes and such, I thought I’d better tidy up and prepare the supper for the crew. A big pot of chili sounded good, as it was much cooler out today with the rains that came down.

During chore time this afternoon, our son Cody took advantage of the girls and made them pull just a little bit harder while he took a break.

The kids are great to have around, as they are all pretty good sports and love to have a good time.

Rick decided to hook Spirit on Left Lead, Ranger on Right Lead, Vegas on Left Wheel and Zorba on the Right Wheel. Cole rode Beau and Dustin threw stove with Trixter for his ride.

Just as Rick got stopped and ready, the horses moved forward just a bit. Not sure which horse caused it, but Rick pulled back and he was good enough to not be ahead of the barrel, thank goodness.

When the horn finally went, one of the horses reared up a bit, then away they went, around the bottom barrel and onto the track to pull and follow Kelly Sutherland. Not sure if this helped us or not, as I think the running was two wide and not on the rail. We posted a 1:19.60 for 23rd on the day. Unfortunately our running time was not good enough to keep us in the top eight for the redraw tomorrow. So in other words, we will not have the chance to compete for the final dash of $50,000.

On another note, we have been very consistent and we are ready for the Calgary Stampede.

Tonight we met a young fan, Kaden, right from our hometown Wetaskiwn. Kaden, his sister and his dad came out to see the chuckwagon races. They knew that when Rick is finished the race he hands out a mini chuckwagon. So Kaden’s dad told the sister to go to one end of the stands and for Kaden to go to the other end. He thought this might give them a good chance in receiving the mini wagon. Well, his dad must be pretty smart because it worked. Kaden got the wagon. He was one proud young fella.

The next two days are going to be busier than normal. It will be time to start packing up, picking up and dropping off things at home before we head to Calgary on Wednesday. I hope I get my list figured out so I don’t forget anything that I might need when we are there. It’s getting pretty exciting as the Big Show, the Calgary Stampede, begins in only four short days. So hard to believe.

Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless.

Ponoka: Night Three (June 28)

June 29, 2015July 1, 2015 / suefraser / Leave a comment

Another day of wonderful, hot weather. I think it reached 30 degrees for sure.

We didn’t hook any horses this morning so we just did the chores. We were short a crew member, as all the girls went out last night to celebrate our hired girl Kim’s 24th birthday. They all had a great time. Kim got to sleep in.

I had an appointment at 10, so I made sure all the crew were fed and watered. Rick really doesn’t like it when I say that. He always says to me, “We’re not horses, you know.” But at the end of the day they are happy that I’m cooking for them.

I arrived back at the trailer by noon. My next project was to sort through all the Team 23 T-shirts that arrived. With the help of Amy, Kendra and Allie, we refolded, sorted and organized them all so my trailer would be livable again. It’s pretty bad when your neighbour boy pops by and says, “You sure have a lot of junk in here.” He sure made me laugh.

We were off the 1 barrel tonight. It’s our favourite. Rick hooked Spirit on Left Lead, Ranger on Right Lead, Vegas on Left Wheel and Zorba the big grey on the Right Wheel. We continue to have Cole holding the leaders and tonight he rode Beau. Dustin threw the stove and rode Trixter, his favourite.

The outfit started hard and came to the track to get the rail. They all ran hard and finished first at the finish line, placing us 9th on the day. The driver did a great job too!

I must say, Ricky’s a pretty good skinner, as he had some real good teachers and comes from a pretty good gene pool: his grandfather Tommy Dorchester, his stepdad Dave Lewis and his uncle Dallas Dorchester.

I don’t have any race photos tonight, as I didn’t realize until I got to the infield that I forgot to put the battery back into the camera. Grrrrr. Silly me. It won’t be the first time and may not be the last. Ho hum.

But the photos I do have are some great ones of our good friends Doug and Deb Hanson’s grandkids. They are our number one fans. They were at the races tonight sporting their new Team 23 T-shirts.

And afterward, they posed for a photo with a gentleman named Jim Plamondon. Jim was thrilled to have received our little mini chuckwagon giveaway tonight after Rick’s race. It put a smile on his face.

We met another young fella tonight. Damien came to visit us from Red Deer. He met our friend Mary Lynn from Bruce’s Tru Hardware store. She sent him over to meet us and get a signed poster. We did better than that and gave him a T-shirt too. I think we made a fan for life. He said he’s coming back next year for sure.

In my opinion one of the best things about our chuckwagon journey is meeting all the wonderful people along the way. There are so many of you out there, with so many different stories to tell and different paths of life. And we appreciate meeting you all and letting you come into our lives to see just a bit of what we do.

A hundred years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in or the kind of car I drove…but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.

The Travelin Trailer

Thoughts from the Voice Within

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