After last year’s cancelled derby, the village of Mortlach will once again be hosting its yearly ATV rally this Saturday, April 13, and the third annual event hosted by the Mortlach Recreation Board will help raise funds for recreational initiatives in the community.
Registration for the derby starts at 9 a.m., although early bird arrivals usually start to trickle in around 8:30 a.m. The shotgun start is planned for 12 p.m. sharp and riders will depart from the Centennial Rink to explore an expanded track running approximately 50 kilometres.
“Now the ATV rally is hopeful that there could be as many as… 400 entrants,” said Terry Bittles, owner of the Pit Stop Diner in Mortlach.
This marks a strong contrast to last year’s rally which had to be cancelled due to a large amount of snow and resulting mud from the spring melt along the intended track.
In the event’s last active year, 2022, resident Laurel Johnson said the village saw around 480 off-road vehicles in attendance. Still, Bittles noted that it’s hard to predict what the actual numbers will be this year, and a lot of entrants are likely to sign up at the last minute as new entries are accepted until just before the shotgun start.
“Two years ago there was a lineup (of traffic). You could see this stream of cars and trailers coming down the highway from Moose Jaw (at) about 10 o’clock (in the morning),” Johnson recalled from her experience in 2022. She works at Bakke Buildings which is situated just south of the Trans-Canada Highway and near the entrance to the village.
The yearly ATV rally takes place in the early spring to avoid causing an excessive amount of damage to the fields set aside by area farmers for the event.
“They’re out to get dirty and have fun,” Mortlach resident Mike Beaudoin pointed out.
Once on site, participants will be required to sign a waiver before entering the derby. Each rider must wear an appropriate, DOT-approved helmet and minors (under the age of 16) must have their waiver signed by a parent or guardian.
This year’s event won’t have a quad or other big-ticket item to raffle off as in the past, but it will include a 50-50 draw and a game of chance similar to a poker run.
“It’s not a poker run (but) it’s a game of chance,” Johnson said. “So, at every stop they get tickets and can buy cards (using those tickets).”
The 50-50 draw from two years ago saw the winner walk away with something in the neighbourhood of $1,100, so depending on participation, this is still a significant prize.
Prior to a recent spring snowfall in the area, Johnson said the route was sufficiently dry and the path was about to be laid out this coming weekend.
There will be a $20 entry fee per vehicle accepted in cash only. Funds from this will be used to help maintain Mortlach’s Centennial Rink and will also go towards renovating the rink’s roof which has recently started to leak.
Event organizers are asking that all off-road vehicles be thoroughly washed prior to arrival as a measure to help prevent the spread of invasive species such as clubroot to the area.
For more information, contact either Corey or Lindsay Newsham at the earliest opportunity. They can be reached at 306-690-3288.
