BRANDON, Man. – They cuddled with sheep, gazed in awe at the Clydesdales and giggled at the ostriches. Kids were everywhere at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair.
Jennifer Bruneau, who helped her family run the petting zoo, said more than 1,000 kids a day flocked to hold, touch, cuddle and shower affection on baby farm animals.
Bruneau said she gets a well-deserved day-off after the week-long fair – and so do the animals.
Parents at the fair said the show was good value for the money. Wilf Penner from Oak Bluff, Man., said this was his third year bringing his family to the show. “It’s a good place to wile away a few hours,” he said. And it cost him less than $20 in admission fees.
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Seed show
Penner’s kids loved the animals, but the grain farmer was more interested in the seed show although he confessed annoyance that names of seed varieties were not provided.
Vanessa Marginet, from Holland, Man., didn’t care what type of seed she was playing with. The six-year-old was absorbed with shoveling shiny flax seed into sand pails as throngs of people pushed by.
There were lots of city kids at the fair too, but don’t assume they don’t know one end of a farm animal from the other.
Haley Alfonso, 8, competed in childrens’ hunter and jumper shows for her second year with her white Welsh pony. She said she wasn’t nervous, but a little vexed with her horse, named Tantrum.
Tantrum was dressed as a sheep to help Haley win the red ribbon as Little Bo Peep in the costume class. But when it comes to jumping, the horse lives up to her name.
“She’ll jump the first one,” sighed Haley, rolling her eyes. “But then she’ll stop at the next in-gate.” Haley said she’s been to the fair “every single year” with her mother Patty, who also competes.
Horse competitions
Horse shows are a major part of the 87-year-old fair. For a group of riders from Elder Stables near Headingley, Man., the fair is a major part of the year because of its size, heated competition and prize money.
But they also come to see who’s there. When they weren’t competing, Cathy McNicol, Susan Adey, Pam Elder and Lauren Stiver checked out other riders and trainers from their spot in the front row bleachers.
Adey said the fair was part of her childhood and she still loves it as an adult.
“All the riders sort of grew up together and we’re really good friends.”
