By Lasia Kretzel

World Bunnock Championship still growing

Aug 2, 2013 | 5:45 PM

There's no bones about it, Saskatchewan loves Bunnock.

The 21st annual World Bunnock Championship runs this weekend in Macklin and this year, it’s bigger than ever. For two and a half days, more than 1,500 people will descend on the town – located 250 km west of Saskatoon, along the Alberta border – doubling its population.

Tournament organizer and Bunnock enthusiast Kim Gartner said what started out as 80 four-person teams in 1993 has grown each year.
“This year registration went so fast,” Garnet said.

“In six hours we had registered 320 teams, which at that point was the maximum we would take. So we expanded the tournament again this year and we’re at 384 teams.”

The 19th century bone tossing game resembles a mix of lawn bowling, lawn darts and horseshoes. Teams take turns tossing horse ankle bones at the opposing team’s row of bones. The first to knock down all the bones in a specific order wins.

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The game supposedly began in Siberia when bored Russian soldiers couldn’t drive horseshoe spikes into the cold, hard ground. Instead they discovered horse bones could stand on their own.

When Russian and German immigrants moved to Canada in the early 20th century, they brought the game with them.
Gartner was playing the game by the age of three.

“It was a game we already played growing up. Never thought it was all that unique. We just thought everyone did it,” he said.
Teams from all over the world including the United States, Japan and Australia come to compete for $40,000 in cash and prizes.

But the money isn’t the only thing that keeps people coming back. Gartner said generations of families meet in Macklin, with ages from three to 83.

“They’re making [the tournament] a family vacation and a family reunion atmosphere,” he said. “You’re always making new friends. You introduce yourself before the game starts. This is the 21st year and we’ve never had a fight.”

The event runs every August long weekend from Friday to Sunday. One hundred teams play at a time on 50 courts and games last 30 minutes.
Beyond the tournament, the weekend is packed with food, drinks, music, dancing, games, a car show, a trade show, fireworks and a street fair.

The tournament brings more than $500,000 to the town and all the money goes back to community events like the seniors hockey team.
Spectators can get in for a small fee and can sign up to be a spare player. Gartner said once people try it, they’re hooked.

“You come in, you have fun. You’ve always got a chance to win,” he said.

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