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| 2007 Well a new year and a lot of stuff to look forward to. In advance I'd like to thanks the fans, volunteers and sponsors for helping out with each and every rodeo. You can not put on a rodeo with out any of these three. So please if you're a rodeo fan please support any sponsor that supports rodeo. January 2 Cowboy New Years was a blast! It's a great way to bring in a new year. The highlight of the night was Ty Pozzobon. This young BCHSRA bull rider took it all! After the show his dad walked by and aid "Well, I guess he's hooked now" Also confirmed I'll be announcing the Cilliwack High School Rodeo the second weekend in April. February 9 Baby Austin has his 2 month check up and the doctor said he's off the chart for his height and weight. I said to Michelle "If he keeps growing like this we'll have to mortgage the ranch to feed him!" February 25 Worked the PBR event in Chilliwack Friday and Saturday night. Rob Plekas and I were the Pro Rough Stock Trauma Management medics for the weekend. A rather quiet weekend with a few tense moments. One was when Joe Oakes got bucked off Blackhawk Down and his right spur got hung up in his bull rope. After being drug halfway across the arena the spur let loose. Rider is doing fine...just a bit of a sore knee. The stock once again was first class! B&S, S&E, Coyote Creek and C Plus were the contractors. Looks like Justin Voltz was the big winner again this year. I do believe that's three in a row in Chilliwack for Justin. Ran into Dennis Halstead "Denny the Rodeo Clown" This guy has got be one of the best Barrelmen/clown on the circuit. Rob and I got hooked into being into one of his skits....Yes I was the idiot eating the bananas! It was great to see the stand full or near full on both nights. Clint Ellis and his group put on a first class show. A group of us are off to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo again this year. I've got to clarify something....Greg Witt talking to Guy Anderson, not Cam Raison (blame it on Cam, everyone else does) is the reason why we have the Houston Connection It seems as though Cam and Guy can not agree to who met who when so......No more Crown Royal for you guys!!! March 1 I met with the powers that be for this years Cloverdale Rodeo and shook hands on a deal that will see me co-announce the 2007 show! Bob Tallman is still the main man...I'm just there to help. For those of you that know me, you know I think Bob is the best rodeo announcer in the world. Over the last few years I've had guidance from him, Will Senger and Marnie Gigliotti. Also gotta thank all of the rodeo associations that have given me a chance to hone my skills over the past year! This truly is an honour and it's made my year! March 6 Just got back from Houston, once again had a great time. I've mentioned this before...the southern hospitality thing...I've been through a lot of the 50 states and there are some nice people...friendly people...but the people in Southern Texas have them all beat! Southern Texas Hospitality! Always a smile and willing to help. For those of you that don't know the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo lasts for 21 days! Yes 21 days!!! This is the biggest regular season payout in North America. A total rodeo purse of $1.275 million, an increase of more than half a million dollars over previous years, makes RODEOHOUSTON the world’s richest regular-season PRCA rodeo. The 2007 RODEOHOUSTON will feature five Super Series rodeos, each with two preliminary rounds and a championship round. The top four competitors of each event from RODEOHOUSTON Super Series I – V will advance to a RODEOHOUSTON Super Series Semifinal. The top four from each RODEOHOUSTON Semifinal advance to the RODEOHOUSTON Super Series Championship, with the remaining six getting a second chance in the RODEOHOUSTON Super Series Wild Card. The top two competitors from each event of the RODEOHOUSTON Super Series Wild Card will advance to the RODEOHOUSTON Super Series Championship. The HLSR has also raised millions of dollars towards education. And....yes there a thousands of volunteers that help run the entire show. Spent a lot of time on the grounds...kinda funny thing happened on the Saturday. I was waiting for the boys(Rich, Randy, Cam, Grandpa, Big Mike and Rookie Mike) by one of the gates at Reliant Stadium. As I was waiting I had about 15 or 20 people stop and ask if I could help them find the Miller Lite Zone, the gate to get to various sections, how to get to a parking section and it went on and on. Of course I tried to help them or point them in the direction of someone that could. Hey...every one in Houston is nice so I thought I'd return the favour. As this is happening I couldn't quite figure out why they'd ask me...must've been the clean shirt and Wranglers! By the way Rookie Mike(Mike Ward) had his first Houston experience. He was like a kid in a candy store. It'll probably take him a month or so to re cooperate We caught Clay Walker after the rodeo on Saturday....Great show! Clay has always been one of my favs. He dedicated "Live Until I Die" to his Grandma who had passed away the week before. Turns out he had written that song about her. Well....the emotion as he was trying to tell the story....let's just says he put a tear in my eye and I imagine a few others too. Also saw Josh Turner on Monday night...another good show. I took some pictures of Austin with me and I think everyone in Houston is sick of seeing his cute little face. In the years past the guys I go with got sick of the jokes...this year I think they got sick of me showing every one the pix of Austin. Hey....what can I say...I am a proud parent! Every year we pick a DVD...or it picks us...something to watch when we get home or when we wake up. Past movies have include Napoleon Dynamite and Anchorman. The year was Borat! This is one warped video...love it or hate it..It made me laugh. Here's the thanks and such...If I miss any one sorry. -Cam for lining up a great condo about a 1/2 mile from the grounds. -Grandpa for not drinking all of the booze. -Jan and Monica, sorry I missed lunch at the ranch(lack of sleep and too much party) - Kathy and Greg Witt. Greg thanks for taking our money at cards and in the bull pots. -Pam and Stacy...I guess Stacy has a new hobby this year...the 4:30am goat meeting. -David Booth and the volunteers at the International Room(Canadian Daycare) -James and Jeanette Mushinski. James it was a pleasure to see you walking around so soon after your visit to the doctor. -The Volunteers at the Chute Club, the Hide Out and the Hold 'em and Hit 'em Club. -Misty and Lynette for cleaning the kitchen -Leon Sontag and Mr Tom Schultz for the invite to the private booth. -Also Leon...thanks for the visit to the other, other, side of Texas!(2 for 2 Leon!) March 17 Talked to Helen Larsen from the Chilliwack Rodeo and lined things up for this year. August 10, 11 and 12 are the dates. Congrats to her and Ed...their daughter Cindy is getting married this May. Some of you may remember Cindy from the Saddle Shop(when it was open) in Cloverdale. Also gonna try something new. The Fraser Valley Reining Club is having a spring schooling show on Sunday, April 22nd at Murray Creek Ranch in Langley. I've been to the Super Slide when they had it in Cloverdale....funny thing though...I don't remember the announcer saying much! Hmmmmm.... Little Austin is growing like a weed,, almost 4 months old. You know...being a parent is great...but when do these kids sleep? March 22 As some of you know, I do some work at the JIBC Fire Safety Training Center. A little bit of a surprise when I went in for my shift today. Global TV was filming some footage for a show they run called "Vanity Insanity" (TV Tropolis, Saturdays @ 11 pm and 3 am ET/PT) You will see some fire, smoke, fire fighters in the segment that deals with a female fire fighter. Not sure when this will be on. March 30 Went to see Randy Travis, at the Red Robinson Theatre in Coquitlam, with my lovely wife Michelle, Santa Dad, Mom, Rich and Nat. Funny thing....A few years ago I used to do a little work with Red(NO!!! Not in the 50's and 60's) This guy lived the dream! It didn't really sink in until tonight, when I saw the pictures of him and Elvis, him and Buddy Holly, him and Paul McCartney, him and Little Richard.....this goes on and on and on. Red Robinson is a rock and roll icon! A young kid from King Edward High in Vancouver who helped shape the history of radio and music in North America. Click on this link to find out more about Red and the beginning Anyways....back to Randy Travis! My wife and I had "Forever and Ever, Amen" as one of our songs at our wedding. So we left Baby Austin with the Outlaws/Inlaws and headed out. We've been trying to see Randy for a few years. Never been able to get there. It was a safe good show with some stories and jokes. All of our favorite songs were played... All in all and safe and happy night. By the way Baby Austin slept for 7 hours straight last night....we're hoping for the same tonight!!! May 8 Been a while since I've had a chance to update this...sooo busy! The BCHSR in Chilliwack was a great success! Well organized and well attended. This was stop number 2 of many. The competitors were on the island and then moved to this event in the valley. From there it's to the Okanagan, then up Highway 97 and back to Kamloops for the BCHSR Finals in June. Also did a Reining event. Did not know what to expect except that I would not have to talk as much! Definitely a treat for those of you that get sick of hearing me! This was a schooling event for the Fraser Valley Reining Association, so it was pretty relaxed. First event of the year for almost everybody and some new horses get a work out. I had a good time and I think every one else did! Yes...Austin...He is so cool! He's definitely developing his own personality! 5 months old now and growing like a weed. His two favorite things (besides food and sleep) are his Jolly Jumper and walks with his mom! More pictures soon! Cloverdale Rodeo is just around the corner and I can hardly wait! May 22 This a some what sad day for rodeo in North America. The Cloverdale Rodeo has cancelled four of it's events. Calf Roping, Bull Dogging, Team Roping and Cowboy Cow Milking. This , after the unfortunate death of a calf during one of Saturday's performances. These events were not cancelled because of the animal rights protesters(I will get to that soon), but because the powers that be , feel that rodeo needs to change and are focusing on the four most popular spectator events. Bareback, Saddle Bronc, Barrel Racing and Bull Riding. I guess the up side of this is that there will be more prize money for the competitors in these four events. I've had a feeling these changes would be coming for some time, even before this weekend. I hoped they wouldn't, but they did. Please let me say that I am an animal lover. I hate and will not tolerate animal abuse. I am a meat eater, I do have leather boots! You can do a computer search on rodeo animal abuse and will come up with about 500,000 articles. Most of these are based on false information. Rodeo animals are not abused! Abused animals will not perform. No performance, no show! Simple as that! On to the animal rights protesters! These people pretend to care about animal rights. How many of them are meat eaters? How many use animal tested products? How many own leather shoes or boots? I've posed that question to a number of them. The was no response...just a long silence. A friend of mine recently told some protesters that if they are willing to sit down and have an intelligent conversation, that he would be there. Intelligent, not the one that yells the loudest wins...not lie based facts, but intelligent!! Now that I've got that out...This years Cloverdale Rodeo was a blast! I had the opportunity to work with Bob Tallman in a different capacity. I was the other voice on the mic, the guy that was thanking the sponsors and the one in the arena making the 50/50 draw. I would like to thank the Cloverdale Rodeo people for giving me the chance to do this. I do hope I kept everyone happy! On June 23, at 7 pm, I will be in North Kamloops for a World Professional Bull Riding event. This is at Whispering Pines, north of Kamloops. The place I had the run in with Sawing Logs last September. My body still hurts. Take exit 374 (HYW 5N) and turn left at 3rd set of lights (Halston Ave). Drive over Halston Bridge and turn right on Westsyde Rd. Stay on Westsyde Rd. approx 25 km until you see the arena. When you think you've gone too far...keep going! It's just over that next hill. Austin? Growing...and growing...and growing! Will have more pix soon June 27 Finally have time to write about this past weekend! Was up in Kamloops for a World Professional Bull Riding event and a stag! Had some help from Big Scott and Richie(setting up equipment and running the sound). Man that's nice, not having to worry about anything but talking. We had 30 riders in the long go and the top 6 made it to the short go. When it came down to it, an Ontario cowboy, YES...Ontario cowboy, by the name of Luke Drennan was up against Formula 51, a S&E bull that had never been covered. After the dust settled...87.5 and the top money for Luke. Ed of S&E said that Formula 51 had an off night....happens to the best of us. Saw some of S&E's new stock and there is one that impressed the heck out of me. Wrecks to Riches...keep an eye out for this one. Also had a chance to work with my Australian, bull fighting, mate, Matt Darmody. This guy is good..real good! Hopefully you'll see him soon. The stag...a guy I used to rodeo with, Chuck Simonin, is getting married July 1. Had Luke, Chris, Uncle Tom, Chuck, Rich, Scott and me do a bit of golfing at the dunes, some bull riding at Whispering Pines and some drinking at the Thirsty Dog(Thanks Johnny) All in all it was a great weekend and I hope everyone had a good time. Congrats Chuck and Michelle....sorry we can not be there this weekend for your wedding. This weekend....Little Britches in Chilliwack. Start times are 9a on Saturday and 8a on Sunday I may have little Austin out there on Sunday!!!!!! July 1 Canada day up Canada way! Just got back from the Little Britches Rodeo at Heritage Park in Chilliwack. 77 of the best young cowboys and cowgirls, in BC, competing over two days. It sure is a treat watching the sportsmanship and the work ethic of these youngsters. Baby Austin and Michelle finally got to meet a bunch of the people I've worked with and worked for over the past 15 months. Most of them did not believe I was married and had a young son! Talked to the Peachland rodeo club and will be up there, July 28-29 for their Little Britches Rodeo. Watch for these up coming events: BCLBR-July 28-29, Peachland Chilliwack Rodeo, August 10-12, Chilliwack |