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Gompf’s team transports Cinderella

A fairy tale comes to life on Winnipeg Streets for an Oak Lake family and their beautiful team of horses.

On Saturday, Nov. 19, Trevor Gompf along with Tim Gompf, Kylie Gompf and Denver Gompf, hauled “Pa’s Girls” (Garnet Gompf’s Team) into Winnipeg for the annual Winnipeg Santa Parade.

A couple of weeks before the event, Trevor was contacted by Manitoba Hydro about pulling their fancy carriage in the parade accompanied by no other than Cinderella and Prince Charming themselves. Of course, he knew Pa’s Girls could do it, so agreed to be there for the grand parade. Also, how often do you get to haul precious cargo like Cinderella? You can’t turn that opportunity down!

When the day came, the girls (Sadie and Sally) were bundled up in their blankets and loaded on the trailer for their ride to the big city. Although this wasn’t the girl’s first trip to the city, it was the first trip there in the cold and their first Winnipeg Santa Parade. They had been to the Brandon Santa Parade a few years before.

Now, if you have ever hauled a stock trailer in downtown Winnipeg, you know it is not an easy feat. But trying to haul a 28ft trailer in downtown Winnipeg with streets that are blocked off and traffic backed up, now that’s a different story. Thank goodness for a helpful (good) Samaritan and some kind people who waited to let the big rig in, we made it to our destination. Well, we made it there in our own sort of way as some barricades may or may not have been moved, thanks to Tim and Denver.

As we parked and got Sadie and Sally harnessed, we realized that it was much colder in Winnipeg than it was back home. Trevor and I (Kylie) were worried that the costumes we had to wear would not fit over our bulky winter clothes. For the most part, I think we worried more about that than how the girls would act during the parade. Needless to say, we were thankful the costumes were large enough to go over our coats.

When the time came to hitch the team up, we came down the street to see this elegant carriage sitting there waiting for us. I don’t think the Girls have ever pulled something so fancy. The carriage was white with winding steel in the shape of a sphere, just like in the Cinderella movie.

The crowd of people already there for their own parade floats were in awe. Many were taking pictures and wanting to get closer to see the horses. For a lot of people there, it was probably one of the first times they had ever been that close to a horse or even seen a horse, so that was an experience in itself.

When the parade started, Cinderella and Prince Charming climbed up into the carriage and we were off.

We had about half a block to go before the parade really started and for the most part, we couldn’t see anyone. Well, when we came around the corner at Portage and Main, that was something else! There were people among people among people, lined up for as far as you could see. Trevor and I couldn’t believe it for a minute or two but the Girls just walked right along as if they had seen this all before.

It was great to see so many smiling faces and hear all the kids’ excitement when the horses passed them. I would like to think there were probably a thousand more pictures taken of Pa’s Girls than any other float in the parade.

Overall, it was a great day full of laughs and surprises. Trevor was able to drive the team through the whole parade, proudly escorting Cinderella and Prince Charming to the end. I was on the carriage with him but was mainly moral support and extra eyes to make sure everyone was safe. Without Denver and Tim there to meet us at the end, help harness and unharness, oh and move all the barricades, we would still be sitting in Winnipeg trying to get out of there with the trailer.

At the end of it all, I would say Grandpa Garnet is smiling down on us and enjoyed watching us work together to get his Girls hitched up to hit the town and brighten a few folks’ day.

-Kylie Gompf

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