Gymkhana, horse pulls draw crowd to Craik

Emily Dixon competes in the pole bending event hosted by the Craik Ag Committee on Sept. 2.

By Joel van der Veen

CRAIK — A good time was guaranteed, and the Craik Ag Committee worked its hardest to deliver on that promise.

“Saddle Up, Shut Up and Hold On Tight” drew hundreds to the Craik fairgrounds on Sept. 2.

The afternoon event included horse pulls and gymkhana, with open and youth categories. A cold plate supper and cowboy social followed the main event.

“We were super happy with how it turned out,” said Kourtney Dixon, president of the revived Craik ag committee. “The people that have come out and supported us is phenomenal . . . We couldn’t ask for better.”

Dixon said roughly 200 paying guests went through the gate, in addition to children 10 and under, who were admitted free of charge.

The Craik ag committee became active again last year after going dormant in the early 1990s.

With permission from town council, they rebuilt the riding arena “from the ground up,” in Dixon’s words.

The arena measures 120 feet by 235 feet. Standing next to it is a building that houses the announcer’s booth and concession stand, along with a fenced-in area serving as the beer gardens.

The project was supported by a grant from Federated Co-op Ltd., as well as various local sponsors, whose names are carved into wooden planks that line the outer walls of the arena.

Seven teams took part in the horse pulls, largely coming from the Qu’Appelle Valley area.

Randy Banga’s team from Stockholm took first place in the heavyweight division, followed by his brother Blair Banga in second place.

Rick Byrne from the Regina area finished in first in the middleweight division, with Kim Kewalo’s team from Pilot Butte taking second.

The gymkhana events drew around 20 entries from Craik, Holdfast, Davidson, Lumsden and Craven. (Detailed results were not available.)

Cash prizes were paid to the top three finalists in each category, with 75 per cent of proceeds being paid out.

Dixon said the committee of eight is hoping to host other events. A family fun day is being planned sometime between now and late October.

For next year, they are looking at installing a roping chute to allow a greater variety of events.

“We’re taking baby steps,” Dixon explained, “so we’re working with what we have.”

On behalf of the committee, she expressed their appreciation for the support of sponsors, volunteers and all who attended.