By Liz Fleming
"Folks, he paid his entry fee so let's pay him off!" says the
announcer at the Pilot Butte rodeo near Regina, Saskatchewan.
The crowd claps sympathetically for the red-shirted rider whose
lasso has just missed the horns of a young steer. The prize
money isn't going to be his this time, but the rider is able to
raise his hand in a wave anyway.
That's what real cowboys do when they're competing in
small-town rodeos. As the old saying goes, "they pays
their money and they takes their chance," and if all goes well,
the prize money is theirs. If not, their payment is the
applause of an appreciative crowd.
If you're ever in Saskatchewan on a warm summer's evening, you
might want to experience the time-travelling sensation of
attending one of the dozens of small-town rodeos that take
place in community centre around the province. Don't go
expecting the Calgary Stampede - that's not what you're about
to see. Go looking for a place where time stands still
and hometown values still count for something.
You could arrive to find a big pile of sand piled high beside
the concession stand, and a passel of kids, big and small,
happily digging in it. You'll wonder what they're up to
until you see the small, hand-lettered sign. "Find a token and
get a free freezie."
"We put ten tokens in there," smiles the concession stand lady,
"and those kids have been digging all evening."
A free freezie. Can you imagine a city kid rooting around
in the sand for a freezie? Not likely - but these kids
are having fun.
And so are the kids sitting in the stands with their parents,
digging into huge bags of kettle corn and sipping on soda.
You can tell this is a big evening for the whole family,
because everyone's Wrangler jeans are neat and pressed, their
boots are polished, and there are more white cowboy hats than
you can shake a stick at. My husband and I look down at
our shorts and t-shirts and feel a little under-dressed.
We'll know better next time.
No one's paying much attention to fashion anyway, given the
action in the ring. From calf-roping to bull-riding and
bronco-busting, the cowboys and girls of the western circuit
are putting on a show that's all about courage and
competence. At any moment, a stray hoof or horn could
spell disaster for the young athletes and the crowd holds its
collective breath until the event is over and the danger has
passed. Only then do the watchers "pay off" the
competitors with warm applause.
While the adult events are without doubt the most breathtaking,
the most impressive is indisputably the junior chuck wagon
race.
It's a pretty simple system.
Each team has a small wagon, big enough for one child to ride
on. A piece of Bristol board is curved over it, to form
the roof. While the rider crouches inside the wagon, two
other children perform the services of the horses, racing madly
around the track beside competing chuck wagon teams.
That's all there is to it.
Six teams are on the roster to compete, making a total of 18
kids. Given that each competitor might only have two
parent spectators and perhaps the odd grandparent, I expect the
stands to empty for this final event - but I'm wrong. Not
one soul leaves. The stands are packed and everyone rises
to cheer on the victors as well as the also-rans.
And the prizes?
Every competitor receives - a freezie.
If the world has been moving a bit too fast lately, head for a
small-town Saskatchewan rodeo and get a grip on what really
matters - honest competition and genuine appreciation for hard
work and talent.
Oh, and while you're there, be sure to have a freezie.