Whether you are from Ponoka or a guest camping for the week you will enjoy the sights and sounds of the Ponoka Stampede. For people from Ponoka, the Stampede serves as a high school reunion, a way to catch up with old friends who have, since high school, moved away. For the kids still in high school, Stampede serves as a mark to the start of summer and the end of classes.
For me, Stampede was a high school reunion. I was able to reconnect with many friends that I haven't seen since last Stampede. The atmosphere of the rodeo offers nothing but excitement and it seems as though people of all ages drop everything when it comes to Stampede time.
For businesses in Ponoka, the Stampede brings thousands of people, and business skyrockets. All of the hotel rooms fill, holiday trailers fill the campsite, the school fields and the ditches of surrounding businesses. Resturaunts and fast food establishments are completely full at all hours of the day with hungry rodeo goers grabbing a snack before the next performance or after the beer gardens. If you are a resident of Ponoka, this is the one week you should refrain from eating out.
For parents with small children, Stampede brings stress. With the rodeo comes the midway, and the rides full of screaming children, cotton candy, ice cream and mini donuts, all of the things that keep the children just wired. If you have ever been to the stampede and have walked through the midway during the day, you will know just the craze I am talking about.
For the police in Ponoka, Stampede brings double time. Driving home the other night I passed five cop cars, three with vehicles pulled over. Check stops are setup all over town, and Police station themselves in the beer gardens hoping to prevent fights and weed out any underage'rs. The drunk tank in Ponoka is the busiest this time of year, and if you are lucky enough to have that one friend who always challenges the cops, you will hear many interesting stories about the drunk tank the next morning. You may even be lucky enough to be the friend who gets the early morning call "can you come pick me up, I am at the cop shop".
All in all, I think that Stampede brings much joy to many people, and I for one cannot complain. I had the opportunity this year to volunteer as a bartender during the Saturday night cabaret in the arena. Being on the other side of the bar was humorous to say the least. From this angle you get to watch friends progress through the night, and you watch some pretty funny situations unfold.
Last night I took in the rodeo finals, and watched as my cousin`s boyfriend won the team roping event for the second year in a row! It makes rodeo that much more exciting when you get to cheer for someone you personally know! Congratulations Levi Simpson! The video below is Levi last year at Ponoka Stampede, this year he had a different roping partner. Levi also competed in the Canadian Finals Rodeo last year
Lately I have heard a song on the radio that reminds me exactly of Ponoka. I decided to dig up the lyrics and add my own little stories to them!
Artist: Brody Dean
Song: People Know You By Your First Name
Album: Trail In Life
It's a town just outside of nowhere
with a general store and one lamp pole
we got wheat fields saw mills and coal mines (Ponoka is surrounded by farms any direction you go)
down home country folks
raised on 4H and dance hall auctions (Ponoka has many various 4-H clubs)
spaghetti dinners and parkin lot fights,
ohh we might be a little bit backwoods
but `round here thats alright
Chorus:
where people know you by your first name
what kinda truck you drive (You can always tell who is anywhere by checking out vehicles parked)
how your team did back in high school
so you can't lie
better watch out who you take home
`cause `round here its a fact of life
that people know you by your first name
and what you did last night
so c'mon down to our fund raiser dinner it'll be a highschool reunion I swear
another family fallin' on hard times
so there won't be an empty chair (this recently happened in Ponoka. A farm family lost their young father to a heart attack, and a fundraiser/silent auction was held at the Stampede grounds to raise money for the family. Everyone was there, from farmers to hockey coaches, figure skaters to business people, not a seat was empty)
listen close and you'll hear a local legend
Billy Crocket and that twelve point rack
oh and you thought you were alone skinny dippin in the springs last night
word here travels fast
Chorus:
where people know you by your first name what kinda truck you drive
how your team did back in highschool
so can't lie
better watch out who you take home
with a general store and one lamp pole
we got wheat fields saw mills and coal mines (Ponoka is surrounded by farms any direction you go)
down home country folks
raised on 4H and dance hall auctions (Ponoka has many various 4-H clubs)
spaghetti dinners and parkin lot fights,
ohh we might be a little bit backwoods
but `round here thats alright
Chorus:
where people know you by your first name
what kinda truck you drive (You can always tell who is anywhere by checking out vehicles parked)
how your team did back in high school
so you can't lie
better watch out who you take home
`cause `round here its a fact of life
that people know you by your first name
and what you did last night
so c'mon down to our fund raiser dinner it'll be a highschool reunion I swear
another family fallin' on hard times
so there won't be an empty chair (this recently happened in Ponoka. A farm family lost their young father to a heart attack, and a fundraiser/silent auction was held at the Stampede grounds to raise money for the family. Everyone was there, from farmers to hockey coaches, figure skaters to business people, not a seat was empty)
listen close and you'll hear a local legend
Billy Crocket and that twelve point rack
oh and you thought you were alone skinny dippin in the springs last night
word here travels fast
Chorus:
where people know you by your first name what kinda truck you drive
how your team did back in highschool
so can't lie
better watch out who you take home
`cause `round here it's a fact of life
that people know you by your first name
and what you did last night
here we go
Chorus:
where people know you by your first name what kinda truck you drive
how your team did back in highschool
so can't lie
better watch out who you take home
`cause `round here it's a fact of life
that people know you by your first name
and what you did last night
yeah people know you by your first name
and what you did last night
[Thanks to Jacob Scully for lyrics]
that people know you by your first name
and what you did last night
here we go
Chorus:
where people know you by your first name what kinda truck you drive
how your team did back in highschool
so can't lie
better watch out who you take home
`cause `round here it's a fact of life
that people know you by your first name
and what you did last night
yeah people know you by your first name
and what you did last night
[Thanks to Jacob Scully for lyrics]
http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/brody-dean/people-know-you-by-your-first-name-32844.html
Out to the cows I go!
Have a good day everyone!
Sam
