Old time fiddles and ponying up

Photo Randy Vanderveen Grande Prairie , Alberta 25/04/10 Sterling Cuthbert of Redwater, Alberta warms up Sunday morning in a practice session as he gets ready to play in the 23rd Annual Fiddlers' Jamboree at the Douglas J. Cardinal Performing Arts Centre, Sunday. Cuthbert, who grew up in the Dawson Creek area, used to play in a band 50 years ago with another performer at this year's Jamboree, Maurice Tenborg of Grande Prairie.Photo Randy Vanderveen Grande Prairie , Alberta 25/04/10 Maurice Tenborg of Grande Prairie, Alberta warms up Sunday morning in a practice session as he gets ready to play in the 23rd Annual Fiddlers' Jamboree at the Douglas J. Cardinal Performing Arts Centre, Sunday. Tenborg, who grew up in the Dawson Creek area, used to play in a band 50 years ago with another performer at this year's Jamboree, Sterling Cuthbert of Redwater, Alberta.No matter what it is that you enjoy in life, to get better at it you are going to have to practise.
It doesn't matter whether it is music, photography or a sport — to improve the skills you have now you need to keep doing it.
This past weekend I shot two events which might not at first glance appear to go together and hopefully by the end of the blog you will see there is a link.
Sunday, I photographed the annual Old Time Fiddlers' Jamboree. Here you have people dedicated to their craft.
Some, have only been playing music for seven or eight years and others have been doing so for more than 50.
Two gentlemen I met Sunday actually used to play in a band together 50 years ago and then both played solo during the Jamboree.
Doing something for that long means two things.
One- they must love what they are doing it. Fifty years is a long time — most of us don't work in a career for that long. It is a lifetime of enjoying music and the fiddle.
Second  they must practise their instrument.  If those two musicians didn't keep working on their skills through practise and performing they would still be making the stereotypical screeching noises associated with beginning violinists.
Trust me, these men weren't playing that way.
The second event I photographed was less formal in nature.
It was the annual "getting the wagon and outriding horses into shape" spring training at Kelly Sutherland's land east of town.
Photo Randy Vanderveen Grande Prairie , Alberta 26/04/10 Horses at Kelly Sutherland's land east of the city get some exercise to build up their legs and wind as they are ponied through a track on a field. Four trucks were ponying four horses each Monday morning. The first race of the season— Grande Prairie Stompede— is only a month away.For those of you who aren't aware, Sutherland, who has won the Calgary Stampede's Rangeland Derby 10 times and has been crowned World Champ 10 times, is one of the best chuckwagon racers out there and after more than four decades of racing he still is extremely competitive and always fields a strong team of wagon and out riding horses.
He also puts in the practice to get himself and his stock in shape for the season which starts in May.
Sutherland, his peers on the World Professional Chuckwagon Association circuit, and their horses would not be able to compete if it weren't for taking the time to get in shape.
While this week the training consisted of ponying the horses alongside a pick up to build up the animals' legs and wind, a good deal of time will also be spent making practise turns around the barrels.
It is practise that provides the foundation for a good season.
Whatever it takes to improve your skills — just do it.
If you are a writer, why not start a blog —just something to get you thinking, working with words and grammar and forcing yourself to hone your craft.

Photo Randy Vanderveen Grande Prairie , Alberta 25/04/10 Elaine Jones, who describes herself as a "fanatic" about archery, enjoys a sunny Sunday afternoon on the Game Country Archers outdoor range at Evergreen Park Sunday afternoon. Jones took up the sport two years ago.If you are an athlete – practise. An archer — shoot. A photographer — photograph.
Play with light, lenses, techniques but get out there and shoot. Reading about something won't make you better. The actual experience does.
Still not convinced. Then ask yourself this question. Who would you rather have operate on you if you require a medical procedure — a surgeon who has read all about the surgery, is on every forum, has a collection of all the finest instruments needed or a surgeon who has performed the very surgery you need countless times?
Now is the time to pony up and fine tune those skills (see I told you I could join the two events together).