Macklin welcomes world
The population of Macklin will more than double this weekend from 1,500 to almost 4,000 as players from as far as the Czech Republic, Japan and Chile gather for the local obsession, a game called bunnock.
Also known as “bones,” bunnock is a mixture of horseshoes and lawn bowling played with horses’ ankle bones. Two teams compete to knock over a set of bones quicker than their opponents.
“It’s the best game in the world,” said Kim Gartner, administrator of Macklin, which is just east of the Alberta border, 250 kilometres west of Saskatoon. He said that the game has been played in Macklin for as long as most of the townspeople can remember.
Gartner said the game came to Macklin with the European immigrants, who used to play with the bones left over from horses killed during war.
“When our ancestors immigrated to Macklin, they brought the game with them,” he said. It became a staple at weddings, family gatherings, or anywhere else groups needed to entertain themselves.
Twenty years ago, the game had died away somewhat in the community, but then the local Credit Union decided to host a tournament as a way to promote Macklin.
Now preparing for its 20th anniversary, the Bunnock World Championship is hands down the biggest annual event in Macklin. This year, the cap of 320 teams was reached in less than 48 hours, with a waiting list of more than 80 still hoping to get in.
The game is popular enough that a company in Macklin manufactures kits of synthetic ankle bones. In the tournament itself, however, only real bones are used.
They’re provided by the town’s bunnock organizing committee.
On top of everything else, Macklin will celebrate their 100th anniversary alongside this year’s tournament, with a parade, a fair and many other events rounding out the weekend.
“It’s lots of fun. It’s my favourite weekend of the year for sure,” said Tim Hollman, a Saskatoon native who has been participating in the tournament for over 10 years.
Hollman’s father is from Macklin, and he and his brother have been playing the game since they were 10 years old.
“If we had to do any type of chores, we’d say, ‘Let’s go out and play a game of bones. Loser does the chores,’ ” he said.
Last year Hollman and his team of family members came in second in the tournament.
Many of the teams are not there to compete for a title.
“You just try to do better all the time, and that’s about it. It’s fun. For old people, kids, whatever. Everybody can play,” said Fred Schwab, also of Saskatoon. He and his wife, who is from the Macklin area, and their two daughters have been competing together for 14 years. It’s a family tradition he doesn’t see ending any time soon.