Rodeo mixed with rain and tears

A pall has settled over the 87th Falkland Stampede -- a mixture of rain and tears.
It was as if the sky of bright hopes had suddenly turned gray, following the sudden death of young Tiffany, the daughter of Kelli Rose, the president of the rodeo's sponsoring body, the Falkland Community Association, and then Thursday, the Ol' Columnist learned of the severe health problems confronting Oz Leaf, considered Mr. Falkland, for decades. And then came the thunder and lightning and sudden squalls.
Last Saturday, I had spoken to Kelli and set up an interview for Sunday afternoon; then when I called Sunday around noon, I found her in tears and learned her daughter had passed way. It was a shock since people throughout the village had found Tiffany to be smiling and happy individual. Kelli's husband, Jamie, said his wife was going through periods of depression.
On Thursday morning, I hauled out some past stories on Oz Leaf and was planning to run the materials I found as a Friday column in the Vernon Daily Courier, however, a little 'voice' prompted me to drive through the rains to his home. The blinds were drawn and then when I checked with some village friends, it was learned he had a scheduled heart bypass, at least that was what I was told, plus a hip replacement.
I thought back at few years and remembered Leaf to be like Ol' Man River, who just kept rollin' along.
In the past Leaf, now 77, was always Mr. Falkland, particularly around Stampede time, nailing up signs and getting the rodeo grounds prepared for the 'Biggest Little Rodeo,' which always draws the top cowboys in the land.
Also in past interviews, I learned some interesting facets of this the Ultimate Volunteer.
Oz wasn't a cowboy, but a baseball man. In fact, he had a 25-year career as a baseball player and manager at the 'A' level and even was president of the North Okanagan Baseball League for eight years.
Maybe not today, but when I last saw him he looked like he could go a full nine innings on the pitching mound despite his injuries from October 2002 when he tumbled down the steps of the Community Church during the annual supper; breaking his hip and requiring stitches above his eye. I know of his injuries because I was there trying to help him up.
The one-time pitcher and first baseman plus owner of the hardware store, Leaf began life in the Vernon Hospital on June 21, 1928 and was named after his doctor, Osbourne Morris and his father, Emil.
Unfortunately, his dad died of cancer when he was only 1 1/2 years old. "My mother raised us kids on her own, with help from welfare, and some of her brothers and sisters helped out when things got tougher," he remembered in a bevy of notes he handed me about his life.
He attended school in Falkland until 1942 and when Oz was 14, he quit to work in McClounie's Store and worked there for the next 26 years and "when Mr. McClounie passed on, I was given the opportunity of purchasing the hardware department. The building was sold to Harold and Blanche Rose and I continued to work in the hardware part for another 19 years."
In 1987, the Leafs built the hardware store, now occupied by the public library.
Traveling back in Oz's history, he married Donna Graham in 1961 and they had a son, Scott, in 1966. A few years later, a daughter, Apryl Dawn was born. The Leafs, of course, are now proud grandparents.
Donna Leaf was a major part of Oz's baseball career, for she was among those who were with the women Broncettes, who held fundraisers for the Falkland Broncs. "It was a great time," Oz remembers, fondly. The Broncs won the North Okanagan championship in 1956, 1960 and 1964.
Leaf definitely could be considered the leading volunteer and community supporter for Falkland and, perhaps, the entire north Okanagan.
In a rundown, Ozzie was volunteer fire chief for 23 years; active, of course, with the Falkland Blackjacks, which became the Broncs; he has a lifetime membership in the Falkland Community Association; and even today he's a director of the FCA.
He retired from the business world in 1994.
So what does Leaf do with all that spare time?
Well, of course, there's curling, horseshoes and before the NHL season-long strike, the Vancouver Canucks on the TV.
He's still a baseball fan during the major-league season, but his interest died somewhat after the Toronto Blue Jays traded John Olerud to the Seattle Mariners. Olerud has since retired from baseball.
Known for his enthusiasm for the community, Leaf once told me he is sold on "rural living and Falkland is a good place to live."
Although he and others have heard of the demise of the annual FalklandStampede, he definitely believes it will continue because "there's no reason it can't."
As for his volunteerism, Leaf admits he has been president of almost every community group, with the exception of the cemetery committee.
While there have been discouraging moments for the 87th running of the Falkland Stampede, one of the directors, Jodie Lang, said yesterday that despite internal problems and troubles surrounding Kelli Rose and Oz Leaf, the show will go on.
"Everything is going ahead, we have prime rodeo stock, we have top cowboys," said Lang outside her home, as the rain continued to spit. "We definitely had a lot of things happen ... things going against us, but we're able to pull through." She added, " When you have problems like this, people reach out more."
Then she turned into a weatherperson while looking at the dark skies: " It's going to be nice weather and the weekend is going off perfectly."
The rodeo events start Saturday at 1 p.m.; followed the parade and rodeo on Sunday and winds up with a heavy horse pull and rodeo finale on Monday afternoon.
Both the Ol' Columnist and Lang predicted the attendance to reach 20,000 for the three days.