Country Stories

The Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry Association continues to evolve and it’s most evident here on our web site.

We started collecting senior stories in 2020 to address the isolation seniors experienced. From that project was born the idea to apply for a small grant to collect more stories from seniors in remote areas. Our grant proposal was successful and funds are being used to cover some of our costs for travel, video, website and printing.

We chose to cover the Bindloss/Buffalo area and we are pleased to present our new video series, Country Stories. (Most recent videos posted come first).

The Thirty Mile Horse Race

Happy Campbell’s daughter Cathy Sutherland reminisces about her dad and everything he taught her about horses.

A Tornado of A Wedding

Marie Kulyk tells about the trouble her granddaughter had getting married, with delays, pregnancies, COVID and finally, weather!

Rattlesnake Stories by Harold Schnee

Harold Schnee is an advocate for rattlesnakes, arguing that they are beneficial and not so scary. In this video he shares just some of his rattlesnake stories.

Mistakes Can Turn to Blessings Raymond Dubeau

Many Redcliff residents remember having a Dubeau pony. Raymond DuBeau would give local kids a pony for the summer. They came back in the fall, quiet and trained. DuBeau’s grandson tells us more.

Our Veteran George Hope

Former Redcliff Legion President George Hope reminisces about his service during WWII and his service to the Legion and community.

Ode to the Rancher’s Wife

Darrel “Doc” Florence has great admiration for ranch women. He shares his various experiences with them when he worked as a veterinarian and the poem he wrote about their valuable contributions.

Cowboy Lament

Doc Florence wrote the Cowboy Lament, Jen wrote the music and then recruited her talented granddaughter, Jessica Schnell to sing it with her. This poem appears in our Country Stories book.

When Cattle Wore Neckties

Jen Zollner talks to the great-grandsons of Henry Cavan, the first white baby born in Dunmore and namesake of nearby Cavan Lake about the impact he had on agriculture in the Medicine Hat area.

What’s In a Name?

Frances Sanderson was named after her grandfather, Francis. Could this be the reason Frances was a tomboy?

When Life Hands You Lemons

Young Jim Wilson’s life is changed forever when he carelessly reaches into a hay baler. Hear Jim’s account of the event and hear the poem, When Life Hands You Lemons, written by Jen Zollner, presented by Shelley Goldbeck, DTM.

Vi’s Christmas Story

Vi Rieger contracted polio as a two-year-old and she broke her leg on Christmas Eve when she was four. In this double feature, you can hear both stories, Vi’s Christmas Story and There’s a Bluebird on Vi’s Windowsill.

To Ginger with Love by Amy Brusky

Amy Brusky shares her memories and her own original poem about her favourite horse, Ginger. Amy also painted the pictures and sketched the drawings included in the video.

Meet Harry Leo Forbes

Harry Forbes (103-years-old when this was captured) has written six books and is almost finished writing his seventh book. He is a wealth of historical information and has his own page on our website: Harry Forbes Remembers. We publish a new story from Harry or his sister, Helen monthly. In this video we hear some of his early memories and hear the poem created from those stories.

The Lone Wolf of Bindloss

Meet Harold Fieldberg, an amazing man who has his fingers in many pies. He tells the stories of his mother’s encounters with wolves throughout her life. It ends with the poem, The Lone Wolf of Bindloss, written and presented by Jen Zollner.

Carol Eisenbarth’s Barn Story

Buddy Gale Barn Story