A handful of Cochrane and area youth experienced a rare opportunity to take part in one of America's biggest parades – the 130th annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA.
The three-hour-long parade along Colorado Boulevard took place on New Year's Day and is an annual event that features colourful floats, bands and equestrian groups in a spectacular event that is followed up by the Rose Bowl in the afternoon – one of the biggest bowl games in major football.
The 2019 parade featured several hundreds of people from the greater Calgary area – members of the Calgary Stampede Showband and Showriders, as well as staff and families cheering them on from the sidelines.
"The amount of people there was incredible," said Addison Janzen, first year Showrider. "(The parade) was pretty slow so it gave us a lot of time to interact with people."
Of the 16 Showriders, five are from the Cochrane area – fifth-year member Kayla Cartwright and first-year members Taylor and Amber Fielding, Gemma Segnitz and Janzen.
Janzen, a 16-year-old Grade 11 student at Cochrane High School (CHS), began riding at rodeos at a young age and learned about the Showriders at age 13. Following some unfortunate circumstances with a lame horse, it prevented her from trying out for the riding team until last summer.
Now, she and horse Winnie, on the heels of the excitement of last week, are ramping up for a very busy spring season that will see the Showriders performing every weekend through to the Calgary Stampede.
"It's a lot of work ... a lot of travelling and working with your horse. It's a great opportunity."
Opportunity also came knocking on the door of two Cochrane musicians and members of the Stampede Showband – flutist Jasmine Lemmon, who is in Grade 11 at CHS, and 19-year-old Bow Valley High School grad and base drummer, Jared Smith.
"It's what my whole life is based around at the moment – work and playing in the band," said Smith, a four-year Showband member who also made his first trip to the Rose Parade. There are 164 members in the band.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience ... it's not something I ever thought I would get to do," said Smith of the exciting week spent in Pasadena, from Dec. 28, 2018 – Jan. 3, 2019.
To learn more about the Showband, visit stampedeshowband.com. To learn more about the Showriders visit stampedeshowriders.com.
Update: After this story was published the Eagle learned another Cochranite was also part of the show:
Curtis Gammon, who is in his fourth year with the Stampede Showband in front ensemble and sixth year in the Calgary Marching Bands, also had the honour. Gammon, who attends SAIT in the Radio Broadcasting program.
