Ivan Daines' big bash – the 40th annual Friends and Heroes County Music Pick-nic -- was everything he could have possibly hoped for.
Even the weather gods cooperated, mostly. It was such a good all around time the legendary cowboy and country singer took a celebratory hitch wagon ride on Sunday (Aug. 14) on the rig of his long-time friend, Wetaskiwin cowboy Foss Irwin, with the lovely Tanya Nydokus, an up and coming Red Deer singer, at his side.
“When Ivan was finishing open rodeo and I was just starting, we used to listen to all his old country tapes and chase the rodeo trail all over Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan,” said Irwin who was offering free rides throughout the 40th annual event.
In the meantime, while the five-day show at Daines Ranch attracted great crowds for the 50 to 100 friends and heroes who came to perform live country music, there was a host of other attractions, including the Canadian Championship Horse Training event, a presentation on Horse Sense Horsemanship, youth rodeo, barrel racing, and a celebration by Daines himself for the release of his new double CD that commemorates the 40th anniversary of his annual event.
“I wrote a song about this (40th anniversary) a couple of weeks ago. It had just hit me that I should write a song about this and so I did. In the first one Ian Tyson and Dick Dameron played their Martins. I put in the song Made Their Martins Ring, and that Martin guitars are a great, great instrument,” said Daines, both surprised and inspired on the popularity and longevity of his annual event “I never thought it would get this big. People ask me why I do it. I love horses. I love music. That's why I do it. If I did it for money I would not be doing it.”
Before the music wrapped up on Sunday with western gospel music and then later with Daines' son Denver and Nydokus on stage in a performance to salute to Alberta's First Nations citizens, the Daines pick-nic was a non-stop show that assembled some of the best county stars found anywhere in Alberta, Canada and the United States, including David Frizzell and Lacy J. Dalton.
Calgary country singer Dana McCulloch, who last played at the event in the early 1990s, came up for this year's milestone show, noting his father Ernie performed at it in its earliest years.
“This is really downhome. It is a real family atmosphere here. It's like you know everybody even though you don't. It's very personal here,” said McCulloch.
As for Daines, he was all smiles on sunny Sunday, the last day of the event, marveling at the success of his pick-nic, and insisting there will be a 41st and many more beyond.
“People made the comment, and very sincerely, ‘If people missed this weekend they missed something very special in Alberta,” said Daines. “It was a very special weekend with the great Canadian and Nashville entertainers. It was five days and nights of great fun.”
Ivan Daines
"I never thought it would get this big. People ask me why I do it. I love horses. I love music. That's why I do it. If I did it for money I would not be doing it."
