I have called it Covy Christmas before, and now that we have finished the Airdrie Pro Rodeo, and head into the hot months, I have something other than racing to talk about.
This past week, my younger sister Alyssa graduated from high school. As the oldest out of my two siblings, I never thought I would say it, but I couldn’t be more proud!
Being a big brother to a little sister, I spent years tormenting her. She dished it back and it seemed like we would never be friends. After a couple years apart, with myself long moved out of the family home, it seems like being at each other’s throats for the younger days of our lives has only made us closer.
She graduated from George McDougall High School just like me. She even claimed a spot on the 120 club, which awards students for gaining 120 credits or more during high school. Students only need 100 to graduate.
She works hard, and has grown up to be a young woman I can be proud to say is my sister.
Today, we don’t argue or fight, we hug and spend the few moments we find to hang out together in this busy world without as much as a insult thrown… it’s weird what growing up can do to someone.
The Airdrie Pro Rodeo was extra special to me this year as I have grown very close to our Airdrie Pro Rodeo Princess Rebecca McKay.
I have always appreciated rodeo and volunteering, but until I spent time with her, I didn’t really catch that grassroots passion for the sport that drives individuals like her, and the rest of the Rodeo Committee to work tireless hours for the five-day event.
She spent countless hours looking for local events and other rodeos to attend to promote the local rodeo, and I was lucky enough to help her, the royalty program and the Airdrie Pro Rodeo out with some volunteer time. The rodeo could not have asked for a better ambassador than Miss McKay. I look forward to working with them in a greater capacity in the future.
You haven’t quite experienced rodeo until you have travelled to small town rodeos with royalty… it is a blast.
A column by myself would not be complete without talking about my racing exploits. Last time you read my musings, I was heading to Salt Lake City for motorcycle racing.
As you read this, I am in Toronto shooting the IndyCar series as it hits the streets of T-Dot. This event has always been a great one, from what I have seen on TV, and I cannot wait to cheer on Canadian James Hinchcliffe as he chases his first win on home soil.
This track has always produced great racing. I have only ever been to Toronto once before, attending a Newspaper Photographer Association of Canada convention a number of years ago, but have always been a fan of the track they put on the cities streets there.
For this event, I will be shooting for the website Motorsport.com, whom I have done lots of work with in the past for. I will be taking the place of their senior art director Eric Gilbert at this race, and have some pretty big shoes to fill.
He takes some incredible photos everywhere he goes, but after years of seeing his stuff from Toronto, I know there is a huge task ahead of me.
I can’t wait to get in the air and over there, and when you are picking up this paper I will already be at the track. Flick on the race on Sunday, and see if you can spot me in one of the corners… or just watch the race for entertainment’s sake. Like I have said, more people need to give auto racing a chance.
What makes this event so cool? I get to share my passion with Rebecca as she will be heading to Toronto to shoot the race with me.
