Manor Fun Daze was yet again a great success on July 21. The 33rd annual event brought with it blistering heat all day long until a brief sprinkle of rain during the professional bull riding, followed by a large storm during the cabaret, but by that time the happy crowd was covered by the roof of the dance barn.
The day began with a large scrumptious pancake breakfast provided and sponsored by Spectra Credit Union of Carlyle and Manor. The breakfast was the right way to start off the day for several of the tired cowboys who needed their wake-up coffee.
The breakfast was followed by the annual parade which saw entries from far and wide, making it a very memorable show for the crowd lining the streets. If this wasn't enough entertainment to start the day off the fun continued.
With the slo-pitch tournament starting at 10 a.m., and going on for the remainder of the day, many people decided to take in a full day of baseball while waiting for the evening events. Many also attended the beer gardens throughout the games.
For all the youngsters on hand, the event included a mini carnival with games and a bouncy castle on hand. A favourite of many was the bucking bronco fake bull ride, which threw many children onto the provided mats, causing great laughter amongst all ages. Several of the talented kids also participated in the barrel races throughout the afternoon.
A great pork and beef supper was served alongside potatoes, beans and salads and was provided by none other than Manor's Rycin Holdings. The supper began at 4 p.m. and was merely 15 dollars per plate.
As the bull riding approached, the stands filled up and there was no room for moving in the bleachers surrounding the ring. After a beautiful rendition of our national anthem sung by Karis Reddick, this year's announcers, Racer Bolton and Ward Cutler, took their place in the box and the show was ready to go.
The professional bull riding event included 25 participants this year, which is 6 more than last year's event, making for a long evening. Luckily Supreme Ambulance care was on hand as this year's event proved to include many injuries, including one that sent a trampled rider to the hospital on a stretcher.
During intermission, the half and half draws, as well as other prizes, were drawn. Two West Jet tickets to anywhere that West Jet flies, a big screen LCD TV, and a golf cart were given away at this time, all of which were won by a few lucky locals.
When the show came back, bubble like clouds formed and many of the viewers got a little wet, but this didn't send anyone home, everyone was committed to the event for the long haul. The riders in the short go took their places, with only one of them actually scoring. The winner of the event was none other than Saskatchewan's own Aaron Roy, who was fresh off his Calgary Stampede road trip.
Following the rodeo was a brief pause which brought with it an incredible electrical storm, blanketing the sky in pink and orange lightening, followed by a Cowboy Cabaret where those in attendance were treated to music by "Ten Mile High." The evening wrapped up around 2 a.m. and the sleepy participants went home to bed.
Overall, the day was another great success. Even the blistering heat and sunburns could not stop the enjoyment of the happy crowd.
