A day when everyone is obliged to wear red or red and white and possibly maple leaves. Occasionally you'll spot the crazy Canuck version of really tall Cat in the Hat caps (they have a maple leaf). Sometimes there are Canadian flags stuck in ponytails.
This year I went a little overboard with the celebrations by both road-tripping out to the country with friends and then later checking out stuff solo close to home in the city. So, I've decided to create a special Canada Day two part blog; Part 1 will be Canada Day in the country and Part 2 will be Canada Day in the city. See if you can spot any notable differences.
First, my friends and I went to the 109th running of the Millarville Races in Millarville, Alberta. They were so popular this year that we were placed in overflow parking and towed to the track by tractors pulling trailers. Part of the overflow was also because their regular parking lot was reduced in size by tall stone berms -- most likely souvenirs from last year's flood.
Other new things included a mechanical bull that the kids really loved and a VIP tent for sponsors of the races.
For $125 each, people could eat, drink, and be merry with a live band beneath a white pavilion next to the track. There were a few fancy hats and duds there, too. Not sure how well it went over with the regulars, though. It felt uncomfortably like elitism with rich folk partying in their bright white pavilions; separate from the regular folk. I also wondered how the horses felt about running past a really loud band playing near the finish line.
It was at the paddock that I met Vincent, a friendly jockey from Jamaica who caught me snapping a photo of him and decided to chat.
Vincent sported funky sunglasses, a bright yellow jacket, and a toothy grin. He said he had hurt himself a couple years back, broke a few bones, but that he felt good about the horses he was riding that day. So naturally during the races I tried to get as many shots of Vincent as I could. With his funky orange goggles, he wasn't difficult to spot regardless of what colors he wore.
As always, the best fun was shooting the kids running the foot races in between the horse races. Kids from as little as 3 or 4 years of age and up had a chance to win $10 running races ranging from flat out sprint to the three legged race to the sack race. One new race had the winner pick a charity that would receive a $450 donation.
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| Pre-sack race pointers. |
This was the third time I've been to the Millarville Races and it had a different feel this year. More manic, I think.
Maybe it was just me. I felt a bit frustrated. You're so close to the track and the horses move so fast that you have to pre-guess your settings. It might also help to have lenses with really fast auto-focus. I took only one lens, the weather-proof Pentax DA 50-200mm zoom. After a few unfocused shots, I tried pre-focusing on a dirt clod that I thought the horses (at least one horse) would run past with some success. But then I got a lot of jockey bum shots.
The shots got better when we moved close to the starting gate. Then a guy walking on the race track decided to pass in front of me just as the horses were coming around the final bend. Arrrgghh!!
I might have done better if I took my Canon 50D. I chose the weather proof Pentax K-5 because I thought it would manage the dust and dirt clumps better. Unfortunately, the auto-focus isn't as fast as my Canon lenses.
Still, I think I got some okay shots.
When I got home I scarfed down some of my uneaten picnic and dashed out to shoot the city festivities.
Links:
- How to Bet on the Ponies - The Art of Manliness
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