A Canada Day tradition started from a discussion between friends more than 110 years ago that could still take place today in horse-crazed Foothills — “Hey my horse, is faster than your horse.”
The first Millarville Races were on June 23, 1905 when four horsemen in southern Alberta decided to find out who had the most horsepower.
“Sam Kieran, Charles Kerr, W.H. Cochrane and Tom Phillips were ranchers in the Millarville area and they would wonder whose horse was the fastest — so they set a race to find out,” said Loretta Stabler, a member of the Millarville race-track historical committee.
History doesn’t change too much — just like the present folks in Millarville they were committed to community.
Kieran would be the president of the Millarville Fair for about 35 years.
The races became so popular, the day was declared a civic holiday in 1908 by then Okotoks Mayor William Fisher and a musical band became part of the festivities.
“Millarville races have always been a really staunch part of the community,” Stabler said.
The spread of the food could be overwhelming at the Millarville races.
‘Table cloths were being spread all over the ground; every bush seemed to harbour a family party and we caught sight of roast chickens being brought out and basins of salad. We thought of our poor little parcel of sandwiches that we had been so proud of,” read an excerpt from Monica Hopkins’ Letters From a Lady Rancher.
While the community came out decked out in old English fashion like a scene from Pride and Prejudice and there was plenty of food, the real stars were the four-legged speedsters.
The best horses from around the area competed along with the best riders — no matter what the gender.
All-women races were held up until 1941, after that the ladies were allowed to ride in races featuring the local stock.
One of those ladies, was Iris Glass, the first lady of chuckwagons. Iris trained horses with her husband, Alberta Sports hall-of-famer Ron Glass.
“Mom and her sister Babe (Lauder) used to race there,” said Iris’ son Tom, a chuckwagon driver, who like his dad, is a member of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.
“I used to race there too, I might have started when I was 13 or so. I loved it.”
He said he might have become a full-time jockey except his size made him a better fit to pull the reins and become a world-champion chuckwagon driver.
“I got too big,” he said with a laugh.
A former outrider who used to chase Tom’s wagon, Randy Fisher, is an ex-Millarville race manager and has been involved for about 35 years.
He also had success in the stock horse race.
“It was for people from the local community,” Fisher said. “That is the way the races originally got started — a bunch of farmers got together and they bragged how fast their horse is.”
The soft-spoken Fisher could brag a bit himself, if he wished.
“I won it twice and my son Robbie won it twice,” Fisher said. “It was fun, my history was I was an out-rider on the circuit and a bush jockey.
“I always had a love for running horses – the faster a horse goes the better it went.”
The stock race was a half-mile, but has been reduced to 450 yards — a better fit better for a quarter-horse.
Of course, no race would be complete without making a wager or two.
Pari-mutuel betting was introduced in 1911 — the first year, $13.50 was returned back to the club through the bets.
It wasn’t until 1951 that the pari-mutuel betting came under the auspices of the provincial government.
Betting was done the old-fashioned way — the money was taken and the odds were figured out by using the old-noodle.
The odds and the payout were posted by hand — kind of like a scene from Fenway Park or Wrigley Field of baseball lore.
Nowadays, the pari-mutuel bets are done on a state of the art tote-board, with odds being calculated in seconds.
In days gone by, the only bet that could me made was the traditional $2 wager. Now wagers can go well beyond the toonie can be made.
Thoroughbreds from the Rocky Mountain Turf Club in Lethbridge are currently used for the pro racing.
The annual Canada Day Races start on noon this Saturday. Gates open at 10 a.m.
For more information go to millarvilleracetrack.com
