Video also circulated online of clean up following the death of a heifer during a team penning competition on Saturday.

Activist organization Manitoba Animal Save shared the video, which shows a tractor hauling away a large form covered with a tarp. The person filming is told it’s a cow beneath the tarp.

About a dozen members of Manitoba Animal Save protested outside the main gate on Friday evening.

“Six horses have been murdered at the Calgary Stampede due to the Chuckwagon races, which also take place at the Morris Stampede and Rodeo,” the organization said on its Facebook page, prior to the protest. “This is a peaceful protest and educational opportunity to create dialogue with the public.”

Manitoba Animal Save did not respond to a request for comment.

Why it matters: Animal rights activists and rodeos have been at odds for years, but social media allows for scrutiny to spread. Rodeo organizers and competitors may need to examine how they communicate with those outside the community in order to promote mutual understanding.

This is not the first time the stampede in Morris has seen protestors. Rodeo chairman Mike Bellisle said in years past they’ve seen peaceful protestors from time to time. A protester once also chained themselves in a “very dangerous position” in the arena years ago.

Animal rights groups and rodeos have had a rocky relationship for many years. This year’s Calgary Stampede saw six horses die, most in the chuckwagon races according to media reports. This ties it for the second-deadliest year of the decade according to records kept by the Vancouver Humane Society.

The Manitoba Co-operator was not able to independently verify these numbers.

Local rodeo safety

In an interview prior to the Stampede, Bellisle said that to his knowledge no horses have died due to competition at the Manitoba Stampede. The chuckwagon races at the Manitoba Stampede are “pony chuckwagon” races, which feature smaller horses and wagons than those at the Calgary event.

The animals receive daily vet checks and aren’t allowed to compete if they’re found to be sick, sore or lame, said Bellisle. He said these rules have been in place “from day one.”

Events may be cancelled if arena conditions become unsafe — too muddy, for instance, Bellisle said.

“I bubble wrap my horse as much as I can,” said Karyssa Hiebert, a barrel racer on the Heartland Rodeo circuit in Manitoba. She said when she travels, she wraps the horse’s legs and covers it with a therapeutic blanket that promotes blood circulation. The horse also receives regular massages and chiropractic treatment.

“They’re athletes. They’re just like us,” she said. They have to be in good shape and feel good to compete.

Still, she said, horses get hurt. Some of these injuries happen in the pasture while the horse is running and playing with the other animals.

Good people at odds

“We want to do what’s right,” said Bellisle. He added that activists (a term he said he avoids due to negative connotations) and rodeo competitors share many of the same values and might find common ground “if people from all sides would simply sit down and talk.”

However, for animal activists, simply keeping the animals from injury may not be enough.

“We are opposed to all forms of animal exploitation,” said Vicki Van Linden, a director of animal activist organization Animal Alliance of Canada. She said that ultimately she’d like to see rodeos phased out entirely as rodeo animals can’t choose if they will compete, and would not naturally engage in these types of activities.

“It’s reasonable to ask people to recognize that practices that cause injury and death on a regular basis cannot be seen as ethical,” she said.

However, Van Linden said she recognizes the deep tradition of rodeo and sees the conflict as “good people being at odds with each other.”

“All people really value our own traditions, but traditions can change and adapt,” said Van Linden.

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“Posts about naming the coldest rink in North America were circulating on Facebook and many people put Foxwarren,” said area resident Leanne Tibbatts. “No application to the contest was made, but all in all, it’s a unique situation.”

According to the website, Rink Rater is a new app designed for and by hockey parents, for reviewing and rating hockey rinks throughout Canada and the United States on such things as concession, skate sharpening, rink temperature, facility overview.

“The plaque now hangs in the facility,” said Tibbatts. “No doubt, it will be a conversation piece for years to come.”

The Foxwarren rink has been a busy place over the years as people come together to share a passion for all things skating, whether it’s hockey, figure skating, or just a few leisurely laps around the ice. And while the rink has a reputation for being one of the coldest ones around, the warmth of the people is second to none.

The community’s first arena was opened January 1912 while this current building opened December 1949, costing $30,000 at the time, and home to three NHL players.

“When it comes to hockey, there is no denying our competitive and determined nature,” says a passage in Passing It On – the R.M. and Town of Birtle History Book covering the years of 1884-2009.

Today, from minor to senior hockey, numerous banners hang from the rafters as testaments to the success of local teams across the ages and throughout many divisions. The arena also houses Foxwarren’s own “Hall of Fame” and boasts stories of many minor hockey graduates, including locals Ron Low, Pat Falloon, and Mark Wotton (NHL elite) and a long list of other men and women who excelled in leagues including the Western Hockey League, Junior Hockey Leagues, and National Women’s Hockey League.

Along with hockey, the Foxwarren rink, continues to be home to an elite figure skating club.

To keep teams, clubs and the rink itself going, it takes countless people and much volunteer work, but for many citizens of the area they don’t just enjoy hockey and figure skating — it’s their life.

The post Foxwarren Arena voted Coldest Rink in North America appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The Manitoba Little Buck­aroo (MLB) rodeos are only featured at some of the MHSRA rodeos — the first being held in Oak Lake in September 2016, with the Westman community hosting another one last September. With between 25 to 40 girls and boys, action is found in calf riding, barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, goat undecorating, dummy roping, and mechanical bucky riding. For their efforts, the youth are awarded prizes from tack to treats.

Over the 2016-17 year, MLB rodeos were held in four communities — two spring, two fall — including Pierson, Gilbert Plains, Swan River and Oak Lake.

Initially the MLB division started for the siblings of the MHSRA members to see if the interest was there. Soon there was so much outside interest from fellow cowboys and cowgirls, that entry was opened to any youth interested in taking part and promoting the cowboy heritage.

Participation gives these young and talented athletes the spark to become fully involved in the Junior High division of the MHSRA. Focusing on students from Grades 6 to 8, this division came to light within Manitoba in the fall of 2004 at Russell. Much like the MLB program feeding the Junior High, the Junior High has fed the High School division that dates back to 1995 within the province.

A number of Manitoba athletes have represented the province at nationals in the United States and Canadian finals held in the western provinces, and went on to college backed by rodeo scholarships. Today, MHSRA alumni can be found in professional, semi-professional, and amateur rodeo associations.

No matter the division, the MHSRA continues to present the opportunity for contestants to participate and learn about rodeo, encouraging great horsemanship, sportsmanship, and fun, in a family environment.

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Inside the local community hall and curling rink, however, there was a clear sense of warmth and community.

The hamlet had pulled out all the stops to host its annual fall supper — the 135th iteration of the annual event — and it was a textbook case of a community pulling together for a common cause. Vehicles packed the parking lot and lined the highway leading through town.

Down at the community hall, the cooks were cranking out a delicious turkey dinner with all the fixings and filling both takeout orders and thermal boxes that were efficiently transported down to the curling rink, where locals and visitors alike piled in for the fall feast.

At the curling rink itself, the volunteer force drew everyone from kids in their early teens to retirees as they served up pie, poured coffee, tea and juice and just generally made a smoothly operating machine out of what could have just as easily slid into chaos as a first-come, first-served event. But with everyone pulling together the lines moved quickly, tables were seated, served and cleared with good humour and grace.

The sight caused a bit of reflection on the nature of volunteerism in a smaller centre and the unique dedication it takes. That’s not to say there isn’t a similar commitment in larger towns and cities like Winnipeg — but as a part of the function of the larger population base, those efforts are generally more specialized.

Small groups of like-minded citizens who care deeply about an issue such as feeding hungry kids a nutritious breakfast at school or helping the city’s homeless population navigate another frigid winter band together and do great service to their communities too. But those efforts tend to draw on a limited pool of volunteers from a much larger population base.

The sort of all-hands-on-deck efforts seen in small towns is rarer, confined generally to something such as a spring flood that draws volunteer sandbaggers rallying to help strangers.

In the smaller centres of Manitoba however, there isn’t the luxury of that larger pool of helping hands and it’s frequently the same group of community-minded volunteers that pull together again and again. These are the helping hands that keep hockey and curling rinks operating, the local museum open and the like. Without them these communities would struggle to be true communities, and their efforts daily weave the social fabric of rural Manitoba.

One can only hope this proud tradition continues throughout the province in the coming decades, giving us all, country folk and city dweller alike, the occasional opportunity to experience it and even lend our own helping hands.

By doing so we build and support communities.

The post Editorial: All hands on deck appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Pickleball is a racquet sport, combining parts of tennis, badminton and table tennis, which was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, not far from Seattle, Washington. Originally it was developed by three fathers as a backyard game for their children.

Since then, the game has become popular with adults and has been slowly spreading across the United States. According to a 2016 report by the U.S. Sports & Fitness Industry Association, there are over 2.5 million pickleball participants in the U.S.

The sport is now growing in Canada and internationally, as well. In rural Manitoba, pickleball is often brought back by returning snowbirds who have enjoyed the game during a winter stay down south. Some secondary schools also have used this in gym classes. It’s an easy-to-learn game that can be played at a fast and competitive level for young, athletic types, or at a slower, recreational level for children or seniors.

Where did the name come from? There are various accounts, and one version suggests it was named from the term “pickle boat,” a somewhat derogatory term meaning a rowing team which has leftover oarsmen not chosen for other boats. Another version is that it was named after a dog belonging to one of the three inventors.

An official pickleball court measures 20×44 feet, the same size as a doubles badminton court. The net is a slightly modified tennis one averaging a height of 36 inches. There are right and left service courts, like tennis, and a seven-foot non-volley zone (called “the kitchen”) next to the net. For unofficial recreational purposes, the size can vary, using a court existing from another sport. It can be modified for indoor or outdoor play. In our town, the game is played in the curling rink with two courts marked out. Rules are similar to tennis but with a few modifications.

Players need a net, a pickleball and a pickleball paddle which is smaller than a tennis racquet, but larger than a ping-pong paddle. Today they are made from lightweight, composite materials, weighing about eight ounces. The pickleball, about the size of a tennis ball, has holes through it, like a whiffle ball, and there are different ones for indoors or outdoors. For a recreational game, no special clothing is required (although an Internet search shows there is an official line of apparel available, and several websites selling specialty pickleball T-shirts). Equipment is also available online or at some sports equipment stores. The paddles cost about $40 each, or can go up to $100 plus.

Like tennis, pickleball matches can be either singles or doubles. The ball is served underhand, diagonally, from below waist level, and points are scored if the opponent faults (doesn’t return the ball, steps into the non-volley zone, or hits the ball out of bounds). A win is the first to score 11 points, and leading by at least two. The receiving player(s) must allow the ball to bounce once before any volleys are allowed, and cannot spike from the non-volley zone. Players announce the score each time before they serve, to keep track of their progress.

In Manitoba, several towns now have pickleball games and it seems to spread as more people learn about it. In MacGregor, since the curling rink is used, the sport starts up in April, after the ice is taken out. Last year only one court was made, but this year, with increased interest, we have two courts, so eight people can play at a time. If more than that come, then players take turns. Our recreational program supplies the equipment for those who don’t have their own.

Fortunately we have a couple of players with some experience, who are able to explain the game to beginners like myself, and offer a few hints to improve our score. The game as we play it, isn’t too strenuous, since most of us are seniors or middle age. It’s an enjoyable way to socialize and get a little exercise at the same time. If your community has a facility where pickleball could be played, it’s definitely worth investigating.

The post How about a game of pickleball? appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

His mom was among the first high school rodeo competitors from Manitoba to cross over into Saskatchewan in the early 1990s, and made the team going to Oklahoma City to compete in the National High School Rodeo Finals.

“I’m very proud of my mom and dad, as they both have competed at high school, amateur and professional rodeos in their events of barrel racing, tie-down roping and team roping,” said Dunham. “Thanks to them rodeo is a blessing in which I have grown up around and now, as a Grade 7 student at Hartney, am able to compete in a number of boy’s events.”

Those events don’t only require a lariat (breakaway roping, ribbon roping and team roping), but also quick hands with goat tying being his favourite.

“At this level, striving to do my personal best, I find goat tying to be a lot of fun,” said Dunham. “Rodeo allows me the chance to hook up and compete with friends my own age.

“I have two favourite competitors — my dad, a past Canadian Cowboys Association champion and Tuf Cooper, a world champion tie-down roper,” said Dunham.

By watching his parents cherish the sport of rodeo, Dunham has come to realize that rodeo is more than an athletic event. It’s a show that allows camaraderie to be developed between participants, personal goals to be made and met, and a lifestyle that highlights an impression of the western heritage.

Education on roping and riding has come through his parents, but other points in life’s lessons and sports involvement come from teachers and coaches.

Dunham is an all-around athlete, involved in hockey, baseball and badminton. He is also an avid outdoor sportsman, involved in hunting, trapping, and fishing.

The post Manitoba student enjoying rodeo appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Presently competing as a high school rookie in the Manitoba High School Rodeo Association (MHSRA), Jenel Boyes, a student at Hartney School, has been in the saddle since she was two and barrel racing since the age of four.

Following in the footsteps of her parents, Rachelle and Terry Boyes of Deleau, the Grade 9 student began with MHSRA in 2011.

“One of the reasons I joined the MHSRA was because my mom competed in Saskatchewan and my grandpa and grandma, Art and Marilyn Cochrane of Onanole, enjoyed it so much that they helped start up high school rodeo in Manitoba, said Boyes. “My grandpa is still volunteering 20 years later, serving as president and the national director.”

Boyes says team roping is her favourite event because it’s fun but challenging, and adds the best part is being able to work with one of her closest friends as a roping partner.

“Friendship plays an important role in the sport of rodeo, as does comradeship, grit, determination and patience,” said Boyes. “The western lifestyle keeps me on my toes and ready for my next challenge including keeping my grades up.

“The MHSRA is like the beginning of a long, long road that’s filled with valuable, fun and serious lessons. There aren’t enough words to describe how the MHSRA will help you get where you want to go and have a great time getting there,” said Boyes. “I’ve competed at Canadians every year, the first year in just pole bending and barrel racing at Virden. The second in poles, barrels, breakaway and ribbon roping and last year I competed in all six junior events in Alberta. I’ve qualified for Nationals every year, but I have only represented Manitoba once in the 2013-14 season. I qualified and competed in all six junior girls events at Des Moines, Iowa, and I hope to qualify again this year and be a part of Team Manitoba.”

Both of Boyes’ parents competed at the semi-pro level and her mom even went pro for a couple of years, making it to the Canadian Finals Rodeo. “My parents have helped me train and be a better competitor, but my grandpa and his devotion to rodeo and helping others has been my biggest inspiration. I want to make people proud and prove the doubters wrong, I’ll stop at nothing less,” said Boyes. “Being involved in rodeo has helped me a lot, it has improved my balance, hand-eye co-ordination, and carrying all those oat pails, square bales and water buckets has made moving what used to be too heavy things a lot easier.” Boyes and her family live near Deleau, and she attends the K to 12 school in Hartney. When not riding or roping she plays hockey and baseball. Upon graduating in 2018 she would like to take equine sciences or a farrier’s course. She is also hoping to continue her rodeo journey, maybe college rodeo and then professional.

The post Third generation continues family’s rodeo passion appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

He has impressed family and friends in becoming an all-around cowboy. As a rough stock competitor he has competed in bull riding, and in timed events — tie-down roping, and team roping. Salmon, who has been riding alone since he was three years old, is hoping to expand into steer wrestling and a new event to high school rodeo — reining cow horse.

Salmon feels the competition from rodeo focuses on the individual rather than other competitors.

“The MHSRA has allowed myself to have lots of lifelong friendships, develop teamwork and sportsmanship, plus being a confidence booster in my ability to get the task at hand completed,” he said. “Involvement has fuelled the fire within to improve on my horsemanship and riding skills — horseback and on the back of a bull — as the only way to be on top is to practise.”

On top of his busy schedule of school, involvement in an apprenticeship program, roping four to five times per week, and training horses for others, Salmon has earned a number of awards over the years.

“I won team roping one year as a header and the next as a heeler in my junior years, and many high-point year-end awards in bull riding, team roping and junior events,” said Salmon, who hopes to continue his apprenticeship studies in heavy-duty mechanics at a rodeo college upon graduating in 2016.

The son of Sandra and Ray Salmon has represented Manitoba at the Canadian Finals since he started in the MHSRA as a Grade 6 student. He has also won the team-roping championship, along with partner Shelby Gillies of Neepawa, at the 2013 Canadian Finals in Alberta.

Competing with horses that Salmon has put the finishing touches on and developing a bond with high-performing mounts, he has been successful in different venues across Manitoba.

This year Salmon and the rest of the MHSRA membership, will be looking forward to again portraying a cowboy — all-around style.

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A 19-year-old kid still living with his parents who spent all his free time skateboarding didn’t seem a likely candidate for business success, especially selling skateboards in a remote agricultural service centre with a declining population and a rising median age.

What the skeptics could not foresee was how Machan’s passion would tap into an unrealized need for youth recreation in the community of 3,900. Within a few years, Swan River was overrun with skateboarders and community groups were rallying around a plan to build a new $400,000 skateboard park.

He told the recent Take the Leap conference in Dauphin that his first year in business was tough. He stocked mostly core skateboard brands, unknown outside skateboarding circles, and that year made only $18,000 in profit.

But undaunted, he persisted, believing his shop would cultivate what he sensed was a growing interest in the sport.

“For me there was nothing more fun than skateboarding,” he says. “Before I was married that was all I did. I woke up, sat at that shop, and spent all night skateboarding with whoever wanted to skateboard. The next day the same thing. That didn’t make me a lot of money but it did get people excited (to skate).”

Over time Machan started selling more recognizable brands and lifestyle products, at the urging of his wife. As skateboarding became more mainstream, his customer base grew too.

New park

After several years in business, as he gained the trust of people in Swan River and local interest in skateboarding grew, he decided it was time for a new park.

The existing park was built in a tennis court near the school. The wood structures were starting to rot and fall apart. Kids had spilled into public areas, in front of businesses and high-traffic areas, because the temporary park couldn’t contain the swelling numbers.

Machan organized a group called the Skateboard Union that would raise money to build the park. He invited adults to get on board and several parents joined.

“I was old enough and respected enough as an adult, and not a kid anymore, that people could put some faith in me to lead it,” he said.

The core group of people in the group had solid reputations in the community — a local credit union worker, a postmistress in the nearby community of Durban, and social worker Byron Fried.

Fried’s son, in high school at the time, is an avid skateboarder. He was having trouble finding rails to ride so a couple of times a year he and some other kids would tour around the province — using the facilities in other small towns.

They stopped in Dauphin, which had a park in their curling rink in the summer, drove to Ste. Rose, and even went as far as ‘The Forks’ in Winnipeg.

“So we thought we’ve gotta get something going in our backyard if we can,” said Fried.

Building support

The group set to work applying for grants. Machan went to local service clubs asking for money.

Support poured in. They got funding from the provincial government, different local organizations, individual residents, and from the town of Swan River itself.

“One thing I’ll say about the park is that it was a real community effort,” said Fried. “The town really did partner with us and was one of our main partners in the end.”

The group raised close to $400,000 and managed to land a British Columbia-based landscape architect named Mark van der Zalm who had designed other well-known parks, including the Chuck Bailey youth park, the first covered outdoor park in Canada, to design the park.

Van der Zalm’s grandmother lived in Swan River.

Suspense built as the park began construction that winter. Bad weather, including several snowstorms, meant the workers had to set up a tent, covering any signs of progress.

“We really couldn’t see much,” recalled Fried. “They kept the tent up for quite a long time and then towards the end they took it down.”

“The kids couldn’t wait to get out there.”

Today the park is bustling and more than just skateboarders use the space. BMX bikers tear up and down the bowl. Parents bring their kids, teenagers come with their friends and even the nursery school sometimes brings tots to run up and down the ramps.

Heather Nielsen, the chamber of commerce president for Swan River, credits Machan for its success.

“He created his market. He got together a group of individuals to get a skateboard park started. He went against all the naysayers and today it’s one of the busiest places in town.”

“One thing I’ll say about the park is that it was a real community effort.”

The post Skateboarding into the future in Swan River appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

It says that in 2012, the country’s top 100 landowners cumulatively increased their private holdings by 700,000 acres to a total of 33 million acres, nearly two per cent of U.S. land mass.

Liberty Media chairman John Malone tops the list with 2.2 million acres, edging out CNN founder Ted Turner, who has more than two million.

Rounding out the top five in order were the Emmerson family, Brad Kelley and Canada’s Irving family.

The report says this year Stan Kroenke elevated his position from No. 10 to No. 8 after his recent purchase of the historic Broken O Ranch, described nationally as “one of the largest agricultural operations in the Rocky Mountain West.” Kroenke also owns the 540,000-acre Q Creek Ranch, the largest contiguous ranch in the Rocky Mountains.

New additions to the top 100 list included No. 28, Dan and Farris Wilks, billionaire brothers who recently purchased more than 400 square miles of land, mostly in the eastern half of Montana. The Wilks brothers, oilfield services entrepreneurs, own the prized N Bar Ranch in Montana, which is known for its wildlife and fishery resources.

Another new addition is No. 96, Arthur Nicholas. The co-founder of Nicholas Investment Properties owns Wyoming’s historic Wagonhound Land and Livestock, an AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeder.

The report can be downloaded at http://fayranches.com/blog/2013/10/01/2013-land-report-100-sponsored-fay-ranches.

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