Reader here!
It’s been a minute since I’ve been to a Rider game at Mosaic Stadium. Too long, frankly. The last time I went to a game was the 2021 West Semifinal, when the Riders took out Calgary in overtime. (Its always good to beat Calgary in anything.
But since then, I haven’t been back to a game. In fact, 2022 and 2023 marked the first years I haven’t been to any Rider home games since I moved to Yorkton, back in 2006.
Fortunately, I’ll be remedying that when I head to the Riders-Alouette tilt on August 16, with my co-workers.
But, it got me thinking about some of my favourite memories of the Green & White.
Growing up near Conquest, we watched the Riders on TV, and I’ll never forget the night of November 26, 1989, when my Uncle Dave and Auntie Ivy came out to the farm with my cousins Kimm and Dustan, and we watched Dave Ridgway boot the winning field goal at SkyDome in Toronto, as the Green and White won just their second Grey Cup (and first since 1966), knocking off the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 43-40, in what many still consider to be the greatest Grey Cup game ever. We were all super-stoked!
Then, in 1994, I would have just finished Grade 11, when I got to go see my first Rider game in person at Taylor Field. My brothers earned a bunch of tickets through school, I believe doing a bunch of physical activity. Anyway, me and the fam, and one of my best friends, Corry, made the trip to Regina for a preseason tilt between the Riders and the Sacramento Gold Miners! (Remember them? They were the first team to emerge during the CFL’s ill-fated American expansion!) We were sitting in the upper deck in the west grandstand, and suddenly a huge-ass thunderstorm blew in, dumping rain on the crowd, and causing enough lightning and wind, that the game was eventually called at 12:20 of the fourth quarter, due to the storm and a power outage at the stadium. The Riders ended up winning 19-4, and from then on, I was hooked.
On July 1, 2010, The Riders were opening up the season at home, against the team that beat them in the 2009 Grey Cup, the Montreal Alouettes. (That was, of course, the game that saw the infamous “13th Man” penalty, that gave the Als a second chance to kick the game-winning field goal, and of course Damon Duval nailed it, breaking the hearts of Rider Nation.) My Auntie Marie and Uncle Glen couldn’t make the season opener, so I talked my Dad into coming with me. Well, it didn’t take too much convincing! Little did we know that it would turn out to be one of the greatest games in CFL history (and the single greatest game in any sport, that I’ve attended live!) The Riders ended up winning 54-51 in overtime, in a game that had a little bit of everything (including an unreal one-handed catch in the back of the end zone by Montreal’s S.J. Green, and ANOTHER too many men penalty, that almost cost the Riders the game again, though this time, they got the job done!) It’s hard to describe how insane this game was… just watch the highlights!
As an aside, July 1, 2010 was also the night Yorkton flooded. I was on vacation, and after the game, Dad and I were on our way home to the farm, driving through the valley at Lumsden, when we looked east and saw a huge lightning storm, and we thought “somebody’s getting it good tonight.” Little did we know…
And of course there was the Riders’ greatest triumph at old Mosaic Stadium in 2013, as they beat the Ti-Cats in the Grey Cup once again, in a game that had considerably less drama than the ’89 classic. The Green and White led 31-6 at halftime, and the outcome was never in doubt, as the Riders cruised to a 45-23 victory. It was really weird to basically be waiting out the second half before the celebration could begin! Unfortunately, I had to be at work early the next morning, so I couldn’t really let loose. But the trip was totally worth it.
But even more awesome is the memories made at the games with family and friends. I’ve gone to games with my parents and brothers (and future sister-in-law), aunties, uncles and friends. I’ve even been able to take my niece Sofie and nephew Hadley to some games. In fact, I got to take Had to his first-ever game! Uncle got to spoil the kids, fill ’em up with snacks and we got to cheer on the Green and White! What could be better? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… Uncle Time is the best time!
It’s been too long since I’ve caught the Riders in action at home… I can’t wait to get back to the stadium!
