Down and dirty: Danford Lake hosts the 20th annual mud run

August 6, 2019

Caleb Nickerson

caleb@theequity.ca

CALEB NICKERSON

DANFORD LAKE

Aug. 3, 2019

The Danford Lake RA grounds were filled with the roar of engines on Saturday as hundreds of people gathered for the 20th annual Mud Run. Gearheads put their trucks, quads and even snowmobiles up against one another and the pits of soupy mud to claim bragging rights and hundreds in prize money.

The event is the primary fundraiser for the RA, explained Alleyn et Cawood Mayor Carl Mayer, who was posted up at the entrance selling tickets with his daughter Erika. Carl explained that the event had humble beginnings, starting off on the lawn of the hotel down the street before migrating to its permanent home at the RA grounds.

“They started at the hotel,” he said. “It was so small when it started, beside the skating rink.”

Carl estimated that around 750 attended this year’s festivities, which are the main fundraiser for the RA throughout the year. This year’s proceeds would be going towards siding for the new kitchen building, as well as putting in a proper septic system.

He singled out RA President Roger Johnson, as someone who’s been instrumental in the creation and growth of the event, even shutting down his business to help prep the grounds.

“Our first mud runs actually, Roger used to lend us the money to get us going, then we’d pay him back,” Carl explained. “He’d use his own money to get us started.”

Still, the event wouldn’t be what it is without the help of dozens of people donating their time and energy for a good cause.

“I haven’t watched a Mud Run in about 15 years, because I’ve been volun-told,” Erika said with a laugh as she handed out wristbands to attendees.

“In a small community like this, you couldn’t do it without the community’s help,” Carl concluded.

The winners for the day were as follows:

ATV 2×4 -1st Jessy Dubois, 2nd Pierre Mayer, 3rd Dustin Dubois

ATV 4×4 -1st Jason Paquette, 2nd Jacob Lafontaine, 3rd Martin Rochon

ATV Open class – 1st Derek Lalond, 2nd Jacob Lafontaine, 3rd Jessy Dubois

Trucks 4 cylinder – Thomas Gagnon 1st, 2nd Carter Chamberlain

Trucks 6 cylinder – 1st Chad Kluke, 2nd Matthew Pellerin, 3rd Jessie Dubois

Trucks 8 cylinder – 1st Jean-Michel Lajambe, 2nd Maxime Robert, 3rd Bob Landry

Trucks open class – 1st Daniel Lajambe, 2nd Maxime Robert, 3rd Bob Landry

Womens class – 1st Christine Girard, 2nd Becky Early, 3rd Amanda Mainville

Skidoos – 1st Kyle Lance.

Jean-Michel Lajambe tears through the mud on his way to a win in the eight cylinder truck class on Aug. 3.

An ATV rider pops a wheelie after clearing the mud pit on Saturday afternoon, much to the crowd’s delight.

A Jeep gets bogged down in the muck despite the best efforts of the driver and passenger.

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