107th Running of the Millarville Races – Sunday, July 1st 2012
t may be a century-long habit, but the Millarville Races never get old. A beautiful summer day marked the 106th running of the Millarville Races on July 1 2011, Canada Day, with more than 3,500 coming through the gates for a day of horse action, shopping a smaller version of the famous Millarville Farmers' Market and delighting in children's activities through the afternoon. The thoroughbreds delighted the crowds throughout the afternoon, coutesy of the Rocky Mountain Turf Club who have been bringing the races to Millarville for more than a decade. There was an $8,500 purse up for the Millarville Derby, a $7,000 Paint Stake and $7,500 for the Millarville Sprint. Aside from tens of thousands of dollars up for grabs in premier thoroughbred racing purses, there were also the three historic races for mostly bragging rights, including the Stock Horse Race, Ladies Side Saddle and a Pack Horse Race. Mike McLean from the High River area will have his name added to a storied trophy for a mostly wire to wire victory in the Stock Horse Race, the grandaddy that started it all back in 1905 with local farmers, ranchers and acreage owners battling once around the track in a no holds barred, mud-in-your-eye trample around the track. Meghan McLean of the Millarville area beat out Cait McLean and Michelle Chauncey to take the trotting Ladies Side Saddle Event with the elegantly dressed Caitlin McLean and Chauncey later bringing the crowd to its feet when letting go with an impromptu, yahoo, giddyup side saddle race in front of the grandstand for no reason other than it was probably fun. The Pack Horse Race was won by G.I.T Landscape from Strathmore, with team members Rob Pettifer, Gerald Isley and Cody Isley, in spite of their pack horse exiting the track and vacating the MRAS premises it would seem, along with a competitor's horse, on the final turn. A lengthy off-track search resulted in G.I.T managing to get to the finish area and upacking in enough time to overcome some penalties for leading their horse out of the wilderness while their two competitors eventually showed up for a neck-and-neck finish. Spectators also spent the day enjoying a sized-down version of the Millarville Farmers' Market, a beer gardens, VIP areas, gathering to look over the horses in the paddock area before placing bets and laughing as the kids barrelled across the infield in sack and three-legged races.
Thank you for coming to the Races!
2011 Races Committee Co-Chairs
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THANK YOU TO OUR VALUED SPONSORS IN 2011
Horse Racing Alberta, Lifestyle Homes Inc, Elbow River Casino, Precision Geomatics, Farmway Machinery Ltd., Turner Valley Golf Club, Pharmasave Black Diamond, Desert Sun Patios, CBC's Heartland, Mark Teskey, John Vath, Bar None Ranch, Cycleworks Motorsports, Dr. Ted Shacklady, Equipment Express, Millarville Motors, Blatzies Backhoe, Bar D Consulting, Tosh Ranch, Clayborne Farm, The Clem Gardner Family, Bennet Milton Investment Group, Hidden Valley Ranch in Memory of Dave & Agnes Roberts & Harold Stephens, and the Millarville Racing & Agricultural Society.