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THE BRANDON SUN • WINTER FAIR • 2026
2026 • WINTER FAIR • THE BRANDON SUN
Mounted shooting a competitive sport
Friday, April 3, 2026
TIME
EVENT
LOCATION
9:00 AM
“Hunter Jumper Classes See full schedule at Provincialexhibition.com”
North Arena - ACU Agricultural Centre
8:00 AM
Hunter Jumper Horse Show Opens 0.75, 0.85m Jumper
ACU Place Main Arena
10 AM - 6 PM
Royal Farm Yard
Flynn Arena
10:30 AM
Juggles and Spinja
Shur-Gro Farm Services Stage - MNP Hall
10:30 AM
Doodles the Clown
MB Hydro Amphitheatre
11:00 AM
Dogs Do Magic
10:00 AM
Cattle - Klondike Showmanship
Flynn Arena Canadian Tire Ag Action Stage
11:00 AM
Hispanic Association of Manitoba Dancers
Shur-Gro Farm Services Stage - MNP Hall
11:00 AM
Stitch the Mascot
MNP Hall & Roaming
11:30 AM
Ring Master K
MB Hydro Amphitheatre
11:30 AM
Captain Corbin the Magical Pirate
Shur-Gro Farm Services Stage - MNP Hall
12:00 - 1:00 PM
Wayne Lee The Hypnotist
12:00 PM
Doodles the Clown
MB Hydro Amphitheatre
12:30 PM
Easter Bunny
MNP Hall & Roaming
12:30 PM
Dogs Do Magic
MB Hydro Amphitheatre
1:00 PM
Bend & Snap Show
Shur-Gro Farm Services Stage - MNP Hall
Ladies Cart (Draft)
ACU Place Main Arena
Single Roadster Pony Championship (Non Pro) NAERIC DHC Rail Class 2 Splits
1:00 PM
Ring Master K
MB Hydro Amphitheatre
Shawn Parsons shoots at balloon targets using a .45 caliber revolver during an evening demonstration by the Manitoba Mounted Shooting Association. Kara Black Photography
1:30 PM
Captain Corbin the Magical Pirate
1:30 PM
Juggles and Spinja
By Tessa Adamski
Shur-Gro Farm Services Stage - MNP Hall
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Wayne Lee The Hypnotist
T he Manitoba Mounted Shooting about 11 horseback riders who are eager to hit their targets and make the fastest time. Club coordinator Shawn Parsons, who will be riding his 15-year-old horse Soda Pop in the demonstration, said he fell in love with the competitive equestrian sport more than a decade ago. Association is returning to the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair this year with “I really love the sport and the fact that we’re all com- peting against each other, but yet, everybody is willing to support and help everybody,” said Parsons, who lives in St. Andrews, north of Winnipeg. “If somebody has issues with their guns, they’re willing to lend you guns, or if you’re having horse issues, they’re willing to help you with that, but yet they still want you to succeed and be fast and be clean.” Cowboy mounted shooting is a fast-paced sport where contestants navigate a pattern in an arena to shoot at 10 balloon targets using two single action .45 caliber revolv- ers. When riders cross the start line, they pull out one revolver to shoot five balloons and then holster it to pull out a second gun to shoot the remaining five balloons. Riders must cock the handgun and pull the trigger every time they shoot, Parsons said. The shotgun and rifle class work the same way, but most riders drop the horse’s reigns, so they can properly hold their second gun to shoot the final targets.
2:30 PM
4-H Manitoba at Booth
Flynn Arena
2:30 PM
Easter Bunny
MNP Hall & Roaming
The guns are loaded with black powder that dissipates into the air after a few feet, he said. There are approximately 100 different patterns in mounting shooting, which are drawn in advance of each competition, he said. “It’s just a matter of, like, figuring [out] your lines and what makes the quickest time,” Parsons said, adding that riders must estimate how close they need to be from each target, which may help them shave off a few seconds from their overall time. In this sport, timing is everything. At a competition in Regina several years ago, the differ- ence between first and fifth place was point four hun- dredths of a second, Parsons said. Riders face five-second penalties if they miss a balloon or drop a gun, a 10-second penalty if they don’t enter the race through two cones set up as the “gate,” and a 10 to 15-second penalty if they miss looping around one of the barrels in the pattern, he said. Some mounted shooters have clocked 11-12 second runs, Parsons said. “That is like the faster members of our group, obviously, of course, there’s different levels.” Contestants can compete in the men’s or women’s classes or the senior men’s and women’s classes. There are six levels in each class, and all contestants start at level one. “The way it works is that you have to have three people in your class, and you have to win three times to move up to a level two and then you just could progressively move up. So, the top level is a six,” Parsons said.
2:00 PM
Canine Circus - Presented by Fusion Credit Union (time may change)
ACU Place Main Arena
3:00 AM
Philippines Dancers
Shur-Gro Farm Services Stage - MNP Hall
3:00 PM
MB Sheep Shearing Demo
Flynn Arena Canadian Tire Ag Action Stage
3:00 PM
Doodles the Clown
MB Hydro Amphitheatre
3:30 PM
Manitoba Miniature Horse Club
Flynn Arena Canadian Tire Ag Action Stage
3:30 PM
Ring Master K
MB Hydro Amphitheatre
3:30 PM
Bend & Snap Show
Shur-Gro Farm Services Stage - MNP Hall
4:00 PM
Pikachu Mascot
MNP Hall & Roaming
4:00 PM
Captain Corbin the Magical Pirate
MB Hydro Amphitheatre
4:00 PM
Equine Assisted Learning
Flynn Arena Canadian Tire Ag Action Stage
4 PM - 5 PM
Royal Experiences - Sheep Farm Experience
ACU Place Main Arena
4:30 PM
Snap & Bend Show
Shur-Gro Farm Services Stage - MNP Hall
5:00 PM
Preview of Sale Horses - NAERIC
North Arena - ACU Agricultural Centre
5:00 PM
Canine Circus - Presented by Fusion Credit Union
Flynn Arena Canadian Tire Ag Action Stage
5:00 - 6:00 PM
Wayne Lee The Hypnotist
Shur-Gro Farm Services Stage - MNP Hall
6:30 PM
Opening Ceremonies
PlayNow Challenge Cup MBLL Volunteer Award Presentation Canine Circus - Presented by Fusion Credit Union Tim Hortons Children’s Costume Class Stock Dog Demo Tim Hortons Memorial Six Horse Championship Classic B Single Harness Pony Championship (Open) Chore Team Barrel Race Manitoba Mounted Shooting Association
ACU Place Main Arena
7:00 PM
10:00 PM
Grand Prix Calcutta
Viewing Lounge - Main Concourse
ALL TIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE. VISIT PROVINCIALEXHIBITION.COM FOR SCHEDULE UPDATES
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