Brandon’s Royal Manitoba Winter Fair delivers the farm to the city

BRANDON — As soon as the doors opened on the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair Monday, seven-year-old Braydon Mahoney pulled on his mom’s hand and led her to the farm yard — or as he called it, the petting zoo.

“It’s only two dollars for a cup of their food and the lambs come right up and lick your hand,” he said with a laugh.

The timing of the fair is perfect, said Jewel Sundell, who added now that it’s spring break, she and her three daughters can take their time and wander around.

“I came every year as a little girl,” Sundell said. “I’m a teacher, so this is good for my three daughters. They are animal lovers, and they love being able to interact with them. After this, we’ll head upstairs to watch the horse jumping.”

Horse show jumping is just one of the events at the fair. There are hackney and heavy horse competitions, livestock sales and displays, live entertainment, and more than 300 commercial and agricultural exhibits from across the Prairies and the United States.

The fair takes over every inch of the Keystone Centre until Saturday, and besides being one of Western Canada’s largest agricultural events, it is one of only two fairs in Canada to receive Royal designation from the late Queen Elizabeth.

This is Fred Gilbert’s 67th consecutive year as a competitor.

“Our first winter fair was in 1957, and at that time, the arena was in downtown Brandon, where the police station is now,” Gilbert said.

“When I was a kid, I had an old pinto pony, but the Hackneys always beat me, so as I got older and started to get a little more competitive, I wanted one, too.”

The Hackney horse breed was used in Great Britain as a carriage horse and was very stylish to drive. After horses were replaced by cars as a primary means of transportation, they gained popularity as show ponies.

“The ponies have a neck like a swan, and they are judged on that, as well as how they trot. It has to be high — the higher the better,” Gilbert said.

Gilbert compared the high energy of his Hackneys to Jack Russell terrier dogs.

“They know it’s game time, they’re bucking and kicking and can’t wait to get in the trailer. They’ve all got personalities, too, so that makes it fun.”

In competition, there are three divisions: roadster ponies, pleasure ponies and harness ponies. Depending on the class, the horse is hooked up to either a two-wheel cart or a four-wheel buggy, said Gilbert.

“We have pleasure ponies in two-wheel carts, so they have to walk, stand, back up and have really good manners. The four-wheel carts are for the high-performance animals; they’re a little more spirited,” he said.

And, Gilbert added, he’s in it to win it.

“Sure, we’re here to socialize and for pleasure, but we want to show the highest of our game, too. When you’re in it for 67 years, you should be a winner, or close to being one,” he said.

The layout for the horse show jumping competition in Westoba arena changes for each event, and that’s exactly the kind of challenge Piet Van Genugten said he likes for his partner — his horse.

The heights of the fence jumps change for each class as well, starting at three feet, then three feet six inches, and the highest, four feet.

Before each class, the rider walks the route and memorizes it, so he can guide his horse through the course.

“The jumping is up to the horse. We have to get him there as proper as possible with a nice rhythm and momentum,” Van Genugten said.

“So, you find a takeoff spot for your horse then you allow him to make a nice jump. A good horse will enjoy jumping and takes you to the jump, so if you go around the corner and the horse gets his eye on the fence, you can feel him get excited. And that’s always a good sign,” said Van Genugten, who is from Okotoks, Alta.

Along with the equestrian events, children’s entertainers are featured in the amphitheatre as well as the Manitoba Room on the Royal Courtyard Stage.

Seven locations along halls and on concourses have been set aside for trade-show booths, with merchants selling everything from T-shirts and jewelry to cowboy boots and hats.

And since the mission of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba is to connect urban and rural communities through education, six major Manitoba agricultural industries have been given “a lot of breathing space” in the Flynn and Enns arenas, said Mitchell Eastley, co-chair of the ag education committee and one of the provincial Ex directors.

There are representatives from Manitoba beef, pork and chicken producers. Dairy and egg producers are represented, as is the Manitoba Sheep Association.

The goal, said Eastley, is to bring the farm to the city.

“Think how many generations there are now who are removed from the family farm,” Eastley said.

“Some people forget where their food comes from. When they go to the grocery store, they think that’s where the food comes from. But no, there’s a significant chain of how that food got to the grocery store — from the farm to the food processors and then to the store.

“You’d be amazed how many kids have never set foot on a farm, and that’s just incredible, so we bring the farm to them,” Eastley said.

Today’s theme is Co-Ops of Westman 4-H Day, which means hands-on demonstrations on the Ag Action stage in the Flynn Arena.

Wednesday’s Family Day will feature a performance by children’s entertainer Fred Penner in the amphitheatre.

— Brandon Sun