The Great Canadian Cow Race
Once again, the Great Canadian Cow Race, sponsored by Royal Canadian Legion Branch 108 in Winchester, was a crowd favourite. The race is based on the old favourite steeplechase game, with competitors riding their wooden cow forward as directed by the roll of the cow dice. Thompson Goddard photo
Volunteers from the Chesterville & District Lions Club were at Dairyfest selling tickets on a draw for a lawn swing set donated by Winchester BMR. The draw will be held at the 2019 Chesterville Fair.
Thompson Goddard photo
WINCHESTER – For over 30 years, residents and visitors to Winchester have enjoyed Dairyfest. The event celebrates the local dairy industry while providing an opportunity for young and old to enjoy a day checking out vendors, listening to music, watching the always popular Cow Race or perhaps watching people chug glasses of milk. This year, the event began on Thurs., Aug. 8 with a talent contest. Friday saw the start of a weekend ball tournament and there was a full day of events on Sat., Aug. 10.
Travelling toward the business section of Winchester on Aug. 10, there was no doubt that a festival was in progress. There was a petting zoo, several vendors, children’s activities a refreshment area and plenty of places to rest. The day began with a Fire Department Breakfast at the Winchester Fire Hall, followed by the Dairy Dash. Other events such as a Milk Chugging Contest, Tractor Parade and Mechanical Bull Riding Contest followed later in the day.
One of the highlights of the event was the Great Canadian Cow Race, sponsored by the Winchester Legion that had six people riding wooden cows, raising money for their charity. A roll of the cow dice in the makeshift corral determined which cow moved and for how many spaces; luckily no one hit a brown space which would have resulted in retiring three spaces. ‘Carefor Carl’ and rider John Barnes won the race, raising one thousand dollars for Carefor Nor Dun Centre.
A big thank you must be extended to all who worked behind the scenes to ensure a safe and delightful time for all at the 2019 Dairyfest.
Carolyn Thompson Goddard, grew up in Chesterville and attended North Dundas District High School. After completing her BA in Political Science at Carleton University she has worked as a medical secretary and library technician. In 2020 she graduated from Algonquin College with a diploma in Journalism and has been a reporter and column writer for The Chesterville Record for over 10 years.
