Some local young Bentley athletes had some unique experiences participating in sports during the summer. Many had the chance to attend the 2008 Alberta Summer Games from Aug. 7-10 in Medicine Hat, and endured very hot conditions.
Erin Seater, age 13, advanced through three tryouts held earlier in Camrose, Red Deer, and Ponoka, to qualify for the Zone 4 Parkland Soccer Team. The team eventually beat out Zone 5 Big Country by a score of 1-0 to capture the bronze medal.
At Zone 4 tryouts in Red Deer on May 24, Briar Gyori (who now lives in Lacombe), Colin Sanders, and Dayne Dupuis qualified to compete in the Summer Games.
Fourteen-year old Briar Gyori, in Midget (15 and under), was a member of the Female 4 X 100 Meter Relay that placed second, was in 7th in the 1500 Metre Run, 8th in the 300 Metre, and 9th in 800 Metre.
Sixteen-year old Colin Sanders, in Juvenile (17 and under), placed second overall in points in the Octathlon, which is a combination of eight different events including the 100 Metre, 400 Metre, 1000 Metre, 110 Hurdles, Shot Put, Javelin, Long Jump, and High Jump. He also placed third in the Male Triple Jump, ninth in the individual Long Jump, and also competed in Discus.
Dayne Dupuis, also 16-years old and in Juvenile (17 and under), was a team member that placed 4th in the Male 4 X 100 Metre Relay. He placed 12th in the 200 Metre Run, and 13th in the 100 Metre.
Shayne Stumpf was chosen to be a member of the Team Alberta Basketball Team and Sheldon Weibe was chosen for the Team Alberta Football Team.
Two other Bentley athletes, 16-year old Dean Sanders sponsored by the Bentley Legion, and 17-year old Stephen McPhee sponsored by the Lacombe Legion, represented Team Alberta/North West Territories, along with 36 other Alberta youth, and attended the Royal Canadian Legion National Youth Athletic Championships 2008 in Sherbrooke, Quebec from August 8-10 after being chosen at the Legion Track and Field Camp they attended at the University of Calgary from July 6-11 where they did lots of training and competing.
They flew out on August 6, attended the official opening of the event the evening of August 8, competed August 9 and 10 before having a free day August 11, and heading home August 12.
Stephen McPhee, in the Juvenile division (17 and under), who entered the Octathlon for the first time, placed first in points overall and set a new Alberta provincial record and was just shy of the Legion record. He earned his points in the 100 Metre, 400 Metre, 1000 Metre, 110 Hurdles, High Jump, Long Jump, Shot Put, and Javelin.
McPhee also had been selected to compete for Team Alberta at the Junior Nationals held in Abbotsford, BC on July 26 and 27 for those aged 18 and 19 years, with the option of sending athletes as young as 16. There he had competed in the 100 Metre, 200 Metre, and Shot Put.
Dean Sanders, also at the Legion Nationals and in the Juvenile division (17 and under), came in tied for fifth with two others in the High Jump, 13th in the long jump, and 17th in the Triple Jump.
Team Alberta placed third for overall medals behind Ontario and British Columbia.
Congratulations to all the aspiring athletes, and to the families and friends and sponsors who supported them so generously along the way, and will continue to do so down the road.
Bentley horse show hosted over very long day
The 2008 Bentley horse show had a long full day August 10 to get through all of the 41 classes for the 55 different competitors.
At the end of the show someone dressed in a giraffe costume, representing the platinum show sponsor was there to hand out the hi-point awards.
To qualify for a high point award a contestant had to compete in six classes with the same horse - Showmanship, English Pleasure and Equitation, Western Pleasure and Equitation, and a Trail class.
The winner of the Pee Wee High Point 10 and under was Ranelle Muncaster of Rimbey who placed first in Pony Halter, Pee Wee Showmanship, Pee Wee Western Pleasure and Pee Wee Western Equitation.
Winner of the Junior High Point ages 11-13 was Shelby Friesen of Red Deer. She won Arabian Halter, Junior Western Equitation and Junior English Equitation.
Tied for the Intermediate High Point 14-17 year age category were Jaycee Bachelder of Lacombe and Amy Taylor of Bluffton. Bachelder won Intermediate Showmanship while Taylor won the Command Class 14 and over, and Intermediate English Pleasure, as well as the 14 and over Egg and Spoon Race.
Winner of the Senior High Point 18 and over was Lynn Johnson of Rimbey who earned first in Senior English Equitation, Senior Western Pleasure and Equitation, and Open Three-Way Versatility.
The Grand Champion Halter went to Julie Hickie of Rimbey riding Phoenix, winner of the Registered Open Halter.
Reserve Champion went to Emily Henschel of Pigeon Lake with LSR Caught the Drift. Henschel had won Quarter Horse Halter, and also won Junior Showmanship and Junior Western Pleasure.
Haley Scott won Grade Halter, Intermediate Western Equitation and English Equitation and the Intermediate Trail Class.
Senior Showmanship and Senior English Pleasure were won by Teala Caton. She also won the Bareback $5 Bill Race and took in over $100.
The Costume Class winner was Kaitlyn Hunter and her sleepy time horse Lacy who was wearing pajamas and was wrapped in a big blanket with stuffed bedtime toys hanging down all over. There was a horse dressed as a sheep with Little Bo Peep riding, a baker horse complete with white pants and chef’s hat, a Hawaiian theme, a western cowboy complete with six guns, a princess horse complete with tiara, and a variety of others.
First in both Pleasure Pairs and Senior/Junior Ride were Lynn Johnson and Ranelle Muncaster.
Intermediate Western Pleasure was won by Dana Kamlah.
13 and under Command Class winner was Emily Jeffery.
13 and under Egg and Spoon Race and Junior Trail was won by Kellyn Christensen.
Shelby Devet won the Junior English Pleasure class.
Young Kendyl Stretch won both the Pee Wee English Pleasure and Pee Wee English Equitation.
Walk/Trot was won by Ashley Hunter.
Pee Wee Trail winner was Mackenzie Skeels.
Senior Trail Class winner was Cheryl Smythe.
All the participants in the Lead Line class were considered winners.
Most participants were fairly local said show coordinator Kelly Muncaster. She was pleased with the turn out, and especially pleased with the level of financial support the show received.
Because of the generosity of the sponsors including the Bentley Ag Society and others, the payouts were larger than had been stated on the entry forms.
Judge was Terrina Maciborski from Elnora and announcer was Russ Finlay.