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PAGE 20, WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAYIAUGUST 2,1989 Robinson competing in Games By Mike Johnston A Brooklin teen is pitting ber pony skills against the best in the world during the next two weeks at the Mounted Game Championships in Northern Ire- land, July 31 to Aug. 14. Vicki Robinson, 14, made the Canadian Mounted Games team in April and left for Ireland last Friday to compete in an inter- national meet. Robinson has been a member of the Durham Pony Club since she was six. Each team competing in the event is comprised of five riders. Along with Canada, countries competing include Ireland, United States, England, Den- mark, Holland, Italy, Sweden and Belgium. Mounted Games involve a rider and pony going around an obstacle course ( usually sticks) while picking up and setting down certain objects. One event also has the riders passing socks back and forth after going through the obstacle course. "It requires speed and skill on a pony," says Robinson who wil' attend Anderson CVI in Septem- ber. Riders must have good balance as they jump on and off their ponies to pick up items. In this case, a pony is not a young horse, but a special breed used for the event. A team will usually take part in 20 games, with each comple- ted within a minute. This was Robinson's first year trying out for the tean. "Mounted Games are more popular in Ireland. and Britain than Canada," says Vicki's mother Sue. Canada hosted the event two years ago with the United States hosting last year. While in Ireland, all team members will stay in 'a school and wiil have the opportunity to tour Ireland. One problem facing Robinson and her teammates will be un- familiar ponies. While in Ireland the team will be provided with ponies with which to compete. "We don't know what the ponies will be like. It could take a while to get used to them," said Robinson. Robinson has received lapels and pins from the Town of Whitby, Durham Region and the federal government to trade while in Ireland. A Canadian flag was also pre- sented to the team by Browns Canvass of Oshawa. When Robison returns, she will also join four of her team- mates from the Durham Pony Club which recently captured the Central Ontario regional cham- pionships held in Uxbridge. That win meant a trip to the Prince Phillip games at the Canadian National Exhibition in Augst. Auis was the first time Dur- ham has ever won the event. Team members include Robin- son, her sister Heather, Tanya Dervent, Daina Codlin and Keith Reid. VICKI ROBINSON of Brooklin is in Canada at the World Mounted Northern Ireland representing Games. Free Press photo Bob Burt's labor of love FROM PAGE1£ Kenora. One day he even went to Hornepayne, an isolated com- munity in Ontario's north. He and a friend from NBS were responsible for the North- ern Ontario Recordinig Awards. During their travels they recor- ded talent. The winner for the year got a recording contract. For 14 years Burt left for work at 3 a.m. to do CBC's 'Ontario Morning.' It can be heard in Deep River, Bancroft, Cornwall, Kingston, Peterborough, Orillia, Parry Sound, Manitoulin Island to Windsor. "About four years ago I was asked to take over the program- ming for Fresh Air," says Burt. "It was an honor to be asked but I was so emotionally attached to the show I had created and run for so many years." Putting emotional attachments aside, Burt answered when opportunity knocked and has been producing 'Fresh Air' ever Hayride at Heber Down A hayride will be held Wednes- day, Aug. 9, 7 p.m., at Heber Down Conservation Area. Tickets are $1.50 per person. The hayride will begin just north of the picnic area parking lot. Vacation bible school Aug. 21-25 The Sunshine Factory Vaca- tion Bible School will be held Aug. 21-25, 9:15 to 11:30 a.m. at Meadowcrest Baptist Church, Vipond Rd., Brooklin. SPJ and Romar the Robot will be at the Sunshine Factory each day for films, songs, games and crafts. Call 655-4554. The War Amputations of Canada Your suppgrt assists CHILD since. "It was a feather in my cap -- allowed me to -sleep in; to do nostalgia instead of hard-core currènt affairs. The items are light, usually human interest. "The show has aired for 21 years and is a huge success. It almost has a cult following. "If it ain't broke, you don't fix it," says Burt. Fresh Air seems to be working fine just the way it is so Burt hasn't made a lot of changes. "Every year we have an open house where the audience can come and watch the show", saYs Burt. "This year we had it at the zoo. People came from as far as Vermont. One elderly couple drove all night and arrived at 5 a.m. "There was a huge line-up by 5 a.m. One man loves the show so much be tapes it for three months then takes the tapes to Florida so be can listen to the program down there. It's so great to get up in the morning and go to work. I'm always so dumb- founded by the all the letters we get." An average of 400-500 letters a week are answered personallyby hosts Bill McNeil and Allan Mi- ler. "The most exciting thing I per- sonally did was something called 'Radio for the Arts,' a fundraiser which took me six months to get ready for," says Burt. "We broadcast from Toronto, Windsor, Sudbury, Thunder Bay and Ottawa. It was a gigantic show that went on from six in the morning to six at night. Every area had set up a b1g stage. Toronto had set up. from city hall and I coordinated.everye thing from our studios. "For the last 15 minutes we had planned a finale having a band play, using one player from every location and a rhythm sec- tion located in our studio. Peter Appleyard played an instrument and conducted the finale. "Although it didn't go without a hitch, eventually it did go and sounded marvellous." Burt doesn't take his good for- tune for granted. He's beèn all over and people have opened their homes and their heartsto him. He gives as good as be gets. His home is a little bit of Hol- lyWoòd; but 'coWhhbin- douhti'y' style. Welcoming and unpreten- tious, the property has a man- made pond which flows 600 1,000 gallons of water per hour, a nature trail, guest house, ten- nis court, horseshoe pit (Where tournaments are held), barbecue pit and movie theatre, which has been somewhat dormant since the dawn of the VCR. But the inovie house is where the Burts hold an annual 'ski movie night,' now in its 25th year. Burt used to get his movies from Warner Bros. and Fox. "For years I would get together with two or three of my neigh- bors and we would invite 300- 400 people for three or four days," says Burt. "We would roast a side of beef or a pig, take hayrides. People actually came and staked their spot. There were tents everywhere. It was an event for several years, In- ivtations were full ofpictures from the year before. We never had any problems. No fights - nothing." The annual events have scaled down to an annual media cor- nroast which is a mixture of media and neighbors and instead of four days they usually stay two. Burt has done a lot and seen a lot since the days of being a starry-eyed boy putting on shows for the neighborhood kids. WETLANDS ARE NOT WASTELANDS Wetlands purify water, help control flooding, and provide valuable wildlife habitat. For more information on the importance of wetlands, contact t>%I 4hUitNH MIMA Pd Box 28