The weather was certainly kind to the Maryfield Agricultural Fair, which celebrated its 97th year on Thursday, July 28, with temperatures in the mid 20's and good sunshine. "It's a lot better than last year, said the owner of "Taffy's Inflatables." In 2010 it rained, forcing the business to put some of the inflatables inside, while leaving others unused. "I think it's a good show" he said, "There are a lot of kids here for such a small community." And looking at the massive inflatable pirate ship, with kids coming in and out of the entrance , and the older kids playing the mini golf, his opinion was well justified.
Around the arena, the grounds were dominated by a number of horse trailers, with animals tied up to them, some of them enjoying a quick snack of hay in the open air. One or two riders were already on their mounts, warming up for classes or the events of the Man-Sask Border Circuit. Cars were coming through the entrance, drivers stopping to pay the modest entry fee, and then parking on the grass. But most of the action for the day took place inside the large Maryfield rink and arena. On one side of the building, the various equestrian events took place on deep sand. On the other side, there were the non-equestrian events, and in the middle (beside the kitchen) burgers were being made and sold, and cake decorating classes were held between noon and 3 p.m.
As the morning progressed the number of visitors increased. They meandered through the rows of exhibits, from home baking to artwork, exhibits that would be sold later in the day to raise $1,900 for the upkeep of the rink. There were also some vendors in the building, one represented the Watkins line of products, and another one offered Sunset Gourmet. There were pies for sale, a photographer displaying wedding photos and talking to prospective clients, and even young people from Elections Canada presenting the opportunity to help in the election later in November. And over in one corner, antiques appraiser Vern Reese was kept busy, as a constant line of people brought him items to evaluate and educate them on. One man brought an old gun, a woman brought a pram, and a kid's rocking chair also made it to his table.
Highlight events included the whip cracking performance by Australian, Will Gough, now from Borden. He was assisted by young Melissa Saunders, an upcoming expert in this spectacular art. Their demonstration involved plenty of audience participation, as "volunteers" came onto the sand to watch whip cracking "close up and personal." Two young people held ribbons between them, and in no time Gough whipped it shorter and shorter, eventually cutting a tiny strip held between the teeth of the teenagers. Another demo involved snaking a whip around a girl, after it had already made a mini sonic boom as it cracked noisily. Rob Hill, one of the organizers of the fair, held a newspaper in front of him as the whip ripped it apart.
As Gough rested for a moment, Saunders tried her act of whip cracking while on a unicycle, but the deep sand on the arena floor made it almost impossible to complete her performance without falling off. She also stood on the back of a white horse, that was itself standing on a small podium, and again she cracked the whip, as Gough steadied the animal below her. All too soon the performance was over, it had been greatly enjoyed by everyone.
Then it was time for "The price is right" held by staff from Borderland Co-op in Moosomin. Potential contestants had put their name in a ballot box, and as names were picked, the successful candidates came forward, whopping and hollering and lifting their arms in the air. A variety of games were played, and the eventual winner of the showcase finale was Bonnie Corbett from Maryfield. This was the third time Borderland staff have organized the event in Maryfield, and Jason Schenn, General Manager at Moosomin, was quick to praise Member Relations Co-ordinator Tera Harper for her exceptional work and dedication in putting it together.
After a delicious supper, served at 5 p.m., Rob Hill prepared the audience for the arrival of "Queen Elizabeth the Twoeth" also known as stand-up comedian Donna Sanders, from Regina. There was a technical glitch when the CD player failed to play the national anthem, so the audience sang the patriotic song instead, as Sanders made her way from the back of the rink, accompanied by Maryfield's Mayor, David Hill. For the next hour, Sanders (dressed quite convincingly for the part) delighted the audience with a non-stop monologue that included quick quips, jokes about the real royals, and digs at local councillors and organizers of the fair. In closing, she gave out awards to event co-ordinator Freda Hill and Mayor David Hill.
All in all, the day was everything people could have asked for. It had sufficient variety to appeal to most ages and tastes, and with the quality entertainment being presented, it ensures the demand will be there for the 98th show in 2012.
