Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown is basking in the glow of his victory over Cochrane Mayor Jeff Genung in this past Sunday’s annual Rocky Mountain Rotary Club’s Outhouse Races.
“Honestly, it was a lot of fun, and we were lucky enough to win,” Brown said.
Brown suffered a serious accident during the Cochrane Outhouse Races a few years ago, and he admitted he was a little nervous to try again this past Sunday.
“I was a little bit nervous, but I certainly wasn’t afraid to go,” he confirmed. “We had some good kids pushing the cart and we had Trevor, Coun. Tina Petrow’s husband, who designed and built the cart. It felt very safe.”
For Genung’s part, he said he was just happy to finish the race at all this year.
“I really struggled with the steering, and was just so happy I didn't roll my own and have an ambulance taking me off this year,” he said. “So finishing upright was a huge bonus and so, yeah, we have got to do a little more design work (for next year), but the premise of the outhouse races is fun.”
Genung also paid tribute to Brown, who was a great sport to come out for the Mayor’s challenge after his own past mishap in the race.
“It just shows the kind of person or individual that he is, and I was just so happy that he was able to do that,” said Genung. “And then for me to beat him again after that, I think would have been kind of rude on my part. So, I think I'm happy that he was able to hold the trophy up, and just the fact that he was there, I think, that was the win and at the end of the day.”
Brown called the Cochrane Outhouse Races a “great community event,” and said he wouldn’t mind seeing something like it emerge in Airdrie, if it can be organized. In the meantime, Brown admitted victory is sweet as he gets his name engraved on the Mayor’s challenge trophy. He was also relishing the fact that, as per their bet before the race, Genung will be forced to stand up before his town council to speak about the virtues of the City of Airdrie.
“I get to put (the trophy) centre stage at city hall, and poor Jeff has to wear a Thunder jersey, and extoll the values of what a great city Airdrie is.”
Genung said his impending humiliation does nothing to spoil his opinion about what a great event the annual Cochrane Outhouse Races are.
“It was just a great community event and for charity, so there was no losers,” he said. “But I lost. I'll take the loss and move on, but it was just such a great day.”
