My professional audio equipment on the other hand...not so much.  Notorious for "The Sound Guaranteed to Pound", if they're not peakin' (red lights aren't flashing), then something is wrong.  But as often as I head to Blackstock Ford for an oil change (every 15,000 km / 8,100 mi), I'm heading to the Audio Shop to repair something or updgrade something.  After years of replacing blown woofers caused by simultaneous moisture and phat beats, or mushed grills from cabinets toppling in hurricanes, or torched insides from cranked tune-age inside a garbage bag, my repair guy came up with a "Solution".  A mixture of Glue and Sealant spread over the paper cones has almost stood up the test of time.

However, my delivery for repairs and tune-ups this past trip included:

• 1 - Shure PGX Handheld Mic - Torched Inside from a water puddle on top of the base, and a pond underneath
• 1 - Shure PGX Handheld Mic - An unreliable on-off switch on the transmitter, I believe faulty from 95* handsweat dripping inside...ewwww
• 1 - Shure PGX Headset Mic (Microphone) - A trashed mic cable from when the rodeo clown jumped onto a Bareback Bronc Hangup and something ripped it from the transmitter
• 1 - Shure PGX Headset Mic (Transmitter) - An extremely unreliable on-off switch on the transmitter, faulty from dust and being mangled by a huge hit from a bull...same clown
• 1 - JBL Eon Cabinet - Woofer - Torn - 50-50 chance of a patch....most likely blown from being inside a garbage bag and driven like "Normal"
• 1 - JBL Eon Cabinet - Tune-up - An 8" screw rattled out, and the bass of the announcer's voice has loosened the entire control module, so, though it sounds awesome in front of the speaker, behind it, it sounds like it's blown....just need some replacement screws, whew!

Crank it up, stand clear, and hold your ears!!!!  At least when it all comes back from the Speaker ER...

The early scouting report: vendor spaces are sold out. Additional seating is on order. Advance tickets are a scarce commodity as the community and surrounding areas are clammering to get their tickets to this inaugural Professional Rodeo.

One extremely interesting statistic to look at is the traffic to www.JoeScully.com related to keywords surrounding Chesterville's Upper Canada Rodeo. Since the start of 2010, over 243 visitors have landed on www.JoeScully.com looking for information on this event. That number is over 3-times the second event-related keyword source, the 2010 IPRA Canadian Finals Rodeo in London, Ontario. Surprising is that there already is a website for the rodeo, and other well established websites promoting the event as well.

Based on the numbers, based on the advance sales, this event is going to be huge. We're super-stoked to venture East this weekend!

For the 23rd consecutive year, Rodeo stampeded into the Kawartha's as Rawhide Rodeo kicked off the 2010 International Professional Rodeo Association Canadian Tour and Ontario Rodeo Association Season in Lindsay, Ontario.  The setting was the Lindsay Agricultural Society Fairgrounds, making this the 3rd year for Rawhide Rodeo in front of the "still new" grandstands.

Over the two performances, rodeo fans were treated to some of the best Professional Rodeo in Eastern Canada...with 8-second runs in the Tiedown Roping, 80-point Bull Riding scores and other huge runs and rides in all of the disciplines of the Sport.

Off the top, the animal athletes of Rawhide Rodeo were the superstars of the event.  The broncs were evenly split between veteran Bucking Horses and recently acquired colts.  The Bull pen had a few new faces, but mostly featured all of the finals selection herds...staples like #3 Superstar and #MK6 Wired.  After Saturday night's performance, there were only 2 qualified rides in the bronc riding events (Bareback and Saddle Bronc Riding combined for 8 "outs").  And the Junior Bull Riding string were far from the "slightly rank 'jump kicker's'", they all fired out of the chute and turned back in the latch...there were no qualified rides in the Junior Bull Riding.  Out of over 18 gates in the Bull Riding, there was one qualified ride.  Junior Bulls-Broncs and Bulls BUCKED!

The IPRA and ORA talent pool was as strong as their bovine and equine combatants.  World Champions, IFR Qualifiers, National Inter-collegiate Rodeo Finals Qualifiers, High School Rodeo Champions all took their turn calling for a gate as the entry numbers were massive, and everyone wanted to get a jump on the chase for the buckle in Professional Rodeo in Eastern Canada.

5-Time All-Around Champion of International Professional Rodeo, Shawn Minor of Camden, Ohio made a solid ride versus Rawhide Rodeo's #119 Ninja Turtle, the first time the horse had been bucked on Canadian Soil.  They were scored at 74 points in the Bareback Bronc riding for a brand new arena Record.  That rounded out Bareback Riding Saturday night.  A rematch ensued during the Sunday performance between St. Lin-Laurentide, Quebec's Christian Bilodeau and Rawhide Rodeo's #H26 Hitman.  One year to the day, these two rodeo stars set the arena record at 73-points.  Like deja vu, after another successful 8-seconds together, they were scored at 73-points again in 2010.  Finishing second, it still made for an exciting finish to rigging riding.

A long "strap" (barrier) played difficult in a majority of the timed events.  Though the Arena Record for Steer Wrestling was 4.6 in 2008, the closest they could get in 2010 was 6.3.  The 2009 IPRA Canadian Tour Champion and Finals Champion, Tim Kemp was the fastest bull dogger, to continue where he left off at the end of the 2009 season.

As mentioned earlier, the junior bulls went 8-0 against the Junior Bull Riders.  Of note is Rawhide Rodeo's #911...two direction changes and a huge belly-roll in less than 4 seconds...Junior Bull Riding will be tough in 2010!

Team Roping on the whole wasn't the strongest it has been.  42 teams entered, and a lot of No-Times.  Drew Carnes and Tim Buckenmeyer were 7.5 to win, though the flavour of the event was set Saturday Night when an IFR Bull Riding Qualifier and IFR Bullfighter placed second in the performance.  It showed that "it doesn't matter what kind of rowls are on your spurs..."  Raymond Postlethwait and Ryan Smith of Michigan and New York ended up in 6th overall with their 16.  With Erin, Ontario next on the Tour, at $1,000 added and over 50-teams, it would be safe to say team roping will heat up as the summer begins to sizzle.

The Fastest Event of Rodeo, Breakaway Roping was where the best roping was done, at least on Saturday.  Meagan DeWetering of Crediton, Ontario posted a 2.9 second run to win the Lindsay Rodeo and set a brand new arena record.  Beyond the 2.9...the rest were fast as well....2.9, 3.0, 3.5, 3.5 and 3.6 were the times paying off in the event.

The Saddle Bronc Riders were blanked on Saturday Night...even the 2-time IPRA World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider was dusted.  Only one qualified ride was made in the Bronc riding...Alvinston, Ontario's Rod Weese, the reigning IPRA Rookie of the Year was 66 points versus Rawhide Rodeo's #829 Western Star.

The pen was huge in Lindsay, which made for a large barrel racing course.  Hillsburgh, Ontario's Lisa Gray had the fastest run of the weekend Saturday Night with a 16.036 second run.  Joanne Fisher, the reigning Ontario Finals Rodeo Barrel Racing Champion placed just behind her with a 16.245.

The reigning IPRA Canadian Finals Champion, Mickaela Cronin of Mitchell, Ontario was 16.805 in the Junior Barrel Racing, winning the event by almost a half a second over second place.

Tiedown Roping provided a smoke show in the sunshine on Sunday afternoon.  IFR Qualifiers, a former Reserve World Champion, a 10-time Ontario Champion and other talent waited for their moment to rope.  Jarod Nooren of St. Thomas, Ontario, the first cowboy from Ontario, Canada to qualify for the National Inter-Collegiate Finals Rodeo (also the second...qualified the same year as Morgan Grant of Granton, Ontario...two legendary Ontario High School Rodeo Champions from the 2007 and 2008 Classes) waited to Lindsay to make his boldest move in Ontario Rodeo.  A picture perfect, textbook like run that looked quick but didn't seem fast ensued.  Numbers on the watch...8.1 seconds...one of the fastest tiedown roping runs in Eastern Canada, happening at the first rodeo of the season...beauty.  But, as expected, the overall event was steep.  The top-three times were 10.0 or faster, and last "spot" for payout was an 11.5.

Bull Riding.  Wow.  18 Bulls were bucked out Saturday night...almost an entire performance worth alone.  Though many tried, only one was able to ride under the spotlights, as a two-time Rawhide Rodeo Extreme Tour Champion, Clinton Smith of London, Ontario posted a 73 versus Rawhide Rodeo's #504 Blue Duck.  15 more Bulls were bucked Sunday afternoon, and a few more qualified rides were posted.  One of the last to ride, Clayton, Michigan's Raymond Postlethwait (the Bull Rider who did well in the Team Roping earlier in the weekend) matched up against Rawhide Rodeo's #M4 Twitch.  The pair burst out of the chute and Twitch bucked and dived for about 20 feet into the arena and cranked into a spin as Postlethwait matched the bull move-for-move and spurred frantically as the 8-seconds neared an end with a spin into the cowboy's hand.  Judged, "just right", the crowd exploded as the score of "8-Zero, Eighty Points" boomed over the PA.

The 2010 Lindsay Rodeo was one of the best "opening rodeos" prolly ever for Eastern Canadian Rodeo...wrecks...wrecks...wrecks...smokin' runs and "wicked rides".  No matter what the fan's level of rodeo experience was, they were treated to some truly memorable moments of Professional Rodeo.

The big winners of the event, however, were the great people behind Camp Maple Leaf, an organization that offers those that wouldn't normally have the opportunity to go to summer camp, the chance to enjoy what many kids take for granted.  Their charity was the charity of choice for the Lindsay Benefit Rodeo presented by Rawhide Rodeo.

Next for the "Raw Crew" is Erin, Ontario, June 5th and 6th.  High School Rodeo @ 10am Saturday, Professional Rodeo 4pm Saturday and 3pm Sunday.  This will be a massive rodeo...try to take it all in (steak dinner and all!)

On May 7th, 2010, carloads and truckloads of people assembled upon Flesherton, Ontario for the Buck and Doe for Bobbi and Joe.

Surprisingly, many people within the realm weren't sure what a Buck and Doe was!

Wikipedia defines a Buck and Doe as:

A stag and doe party, a hen and stag party, a buck and doe party, or a jack and jill party is a party and fundraiser for an engaged couple.

In Canada, a stag and doe, or buck and doe, is a wedding tradition popular in Southern Ontario.[1] The event is usually organized by the bridal party, but in some circumstances may also be held by the bride and groom before they are married, similar to a 'Jack & Jill.' It acts as a fundraiser for the wedding. Guests purchase entrance tickets and are entertained by draws, food and drink, music and fun and games. It is not a combined bachelor party and bachelorette party, or engagement party, as the primary focus is to raise money for the engaged couple ,[2] so their new life together is not started in debt. The intent of a stag and doe party is specifically to make a profit.[3] Often, people who may not be close enough to the engaged couple to warrant an invitation to the wedding or reception (especially in the case of a small wedding), will attend the stag and doe so as to be part of the overall wedding celebration. Hosting a stag and doe party does not preclude the couple from participating in other wedding-related parties,such as a bridal shower, bachelor party, bachelorette party, and so on.

In the United Kingdom, a buck and doe is a party where the families of the bride and groom raise funds for the upcoming wedding. Games like Crown and Anchor are used and people have to pay for beer in order to offset the costs of the wedding and honeymoon.

Thanks to everyone who endured the Monsoon-like weather, the hike up North (or down South, out East or away to the West), and made the night not only a success, but a great time as well!

Here are some of the pics from the big shin-dig.  Thanks to Sarah Wade Fawcett for taking the shots and posting.

A night of extreme partying!! Games, great music with the happy couple who will be wedd on June 4, 2010. Come out and help celebrate!

May 7th, 2010 starting at 9pm inside the Flescherton Kinplex in Flesherton, ON. Directions available here

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