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Local cowgirl wins bull poker memorial for late father

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One strong willed cowgirl kept people on the edge of their seats at the 34th Annual Calgary Police Rodeo on Saturday, August 13. 

Local Drumhellerite Victoria Houghton was volunteering at the Calgary Police Rodeo in Cochrane, when she was surprised to find the Bull Poker event was named in memory of her father, Brent Houghton, who passed away in July of 2015. 

Bull Poker involves a group of participants sitting around a table. A bull is unleashed in the pen and the last person to keep both hands on the table wins.

With an open spot left in the event, Houghton signed up last minute to participate, determined to win.  

Houghton sat down and watched as the three cowboys next  to her were picked off one by one by the bull. As the last one left at the table, she was deemed the Brent Houghton Memorial Bull Poker Champion. 

“It was amazing. It was one of the best feelings in my life. I felt so overjoyed and felt like my dad was there with me,” says Houghton. 

Brent Houghton was on the Board of Directors for the Calgary Police Rodeo before his passing. 

“He did a lot of fundraising work for the charities they donate to and he did all the designs of the buckles. He organized the events and was just a really big part of the rodeo in general.”

Houghton shared with  inSide Drumheller what was happening in her head during the event. 

“I wasn’t scared. I was determined to win. I wasn’t going to move unless I was getting knocked out by a bull. Afterwards, all my friends and family shared a couple tears with me. Everyone was pretty shocked.” 

Houghton plans on competing in the event again next year. 

“I have always been interested in rodeo and I have always wanted to get into it. I’ll be doing it next year, for sure.” 

The adrenaline rush after the event was unlike anything  Houghton has ever felt before. 

“It got the blood pumping, for sure. I was shaking. I had to do a shot of whiskey after to calm myself down.”  


Jamaican me proud!

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Jamaican-born local businessman Marcel Robinson cheered on his fellow countryman Usain Bolt as he won gold in the Men’s 100m final at the Rio Olympics on Sunday night. Marcel came down to the inSide Drumheller offices on Wednesday to strike Bolt’s famous pose, ahead of Bolt winning gold for the third time in Thursday night’s 200m final. 

Motorcycle tinkering a family affair

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 A family that tinkers together stays together. And eventually will hit the road together on a small collection of motorcycles.

The Mail caught up with 15-year-old Daniel Law in his garage tinkering with his 1971 Honda Trail bike. The bike was his great uncle’s and sat at his farm for years. He brought it home and undertook a restoration. He learned that this bike may have sparked the love of motorcycles in his family.

“This was the exact same bike my Dad learned to ride on, down in McGrath,” explains Daniel. 

Today the family has five bikes ready to hit the road, and Daniel has one more, partially in a box in the garage and partially in his bedroom.             

Growing up, there was always a bike around the home. His father has a Kawasaki Voyager touring bike and the kids all took their turn riding around with father Brian and mother Cindy. In fact, as his older sister Sarah and brother Devin came of age, they all began riding.

It is one thing to have a bunch of cool bikes, it’s another to keep them roadworthy, and that’s where the tinkering comes in.

His father, always handy, has restored an antique 1924 International Farm truck and Daniel explains that a Princess Auto industrial motor became the basis of a project. Working from a template they also built a go kart from scratch. 

A few years after they moved to the valley, he acquired the Honda trail bike he has restored. He has also busted his knuckles working on the rest of the family bikes.

“The newest bike we have is a 93. They are all old enough and  it takes a bit a work to keep them going, but we take good care of them the best we can,” he said.

A 1969 Yamaha CT 175 two stroke trail bike is his next project. 

“It’s a work in progress. I was going to restore it, but now I think I’ll just turn it into a dirt bike,” said Daniel. 

Daniel tells The Mail, he turns 16 next  April and then he will be licensed to drive. He, along with his mother and father, are planning  a trip in the Kananaskis, where he will ride his Honda 650 touring bike. His little brother Ben, 11, will have the choice of three bikes to ride along with until he catches the spark.


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