Kicking up dirt at the 19th annual Mud Run

August 7, 2018

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The Equity

The six cylinder class of the Danford Lake Mud Run featured several vehicles that were clearly made for the mud. The trenches were flanked on both sides, albeit a safe distance away, with fans cheering the drivers on. s.

An ATV rider plows through the mud in an attempt to post a low time. The Mud Run is one of the Danford Lake Recreation Association’s biggest events of the year.

An old GMC Jimmy sums up the attitude on display at the annual Danford Lake Mud Run. The hot temperatures brought out a healthy crowd to cheer on the drivers.

An old Ford series truck kicks mud high into the air as it cuts a rut down the trench. Despite dry temperatures, volunteers were able to make it extra muddy with lots of water and the help of a backhoe.

An ATV rider in the open class guides his machine down the narrow trench of muck. Many of the younger riders struggled to get their ride through the two-foot-deep mud.

While some drivers made the mud trench look like little more than a glorified goat track, others were not as successful. One participant catches a wench from the backhoe operator to get extricated from the sludge.

CHRIS LOWREY
DANFORD LAKE Aug. 4, 2018
There’s an old saying that if someone is happy, they’re happier than a pig in mud (or something to that effect). But it’s doubtful that any pig would have as much fun as the folks at the Danford Lake Mud Run on Aug. 4.
The event, now in its 19th year, kicked off in the early afternoon under a scorching sun.
The event features several classes of vehicles running through trenches with about two feet of mud at the bottom. The goal is to get your vehicle through the muck as fast as possible.
The two trenches were dug to accommodate trucks on one side and ATVs and dirt bikes on the other.
The day kicked off with four-cylinder trucks and smaller bikes taking a run through the mud first.

Crowds cheered as drivers made it through and celebrated with a rev of the engine, while booing as the vehicles of some competitors weren’t as eager to make it through as the drivers were.
Drivers came from as far away as Plantagenet, Ont. to test their ride’s mettle.
The event is the biggest fundraiser for the Danford Lake Recreation Association (DLRA).
The DLRA has used the funds raised by this event and others to install a new play structure, pave the outdoor hockey rink and build a new canteen building.
The event also provided an ideal opportunity to recognize the man who is the brainchild behind the event.
Although DLRA President Roger Johnson already won the volunteer recognition award from the MRC Pontiac, he was unable to attend the ceremony because – surprise, surprise – he was busy volunteering.
“It was all started by Roger,” said DLRA volunteer Isabelle Cardinal.
Johnson is the one who – despite the dry conditions this year – turned the bone-dry dirt into a bona fide mud pit. He spent days spraying the trench with water and mixing the mud with his backhoe.
He also led the charge constructing the new canteen building. To top it off, he also made sure the building was stocked with fridges and other appliances so that attendees remained well-fed and didn’t get too thirsty.
MRC Pontiac Warden Jane Toller was in attendance to hand Johnson his award in person.
“They have a strong volunteer group here in Danford Lake,” Toller said.
She said that the example Johnson sets for younger people is infectious.
“Kids even came back from university just to volunteer for this,” Toller said.
“None of this would be possible without Roger,” Cardinal added.

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