The crowd rode to the rescue at the opening ceremony of the North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo on Aug. 31, turning a technical glitch into an inspiring moment.
The ceremony took place at the arena in Barriere following the conclusion of the parade on Saturday, to mark the start of the B.C. Rodeo Association's three-day "Polaris Championship" Rodeo Finals.
During the ceremony, the U.S. and Canadian anthems are sung, with a rider on horseback carrying the flag of each country. The rider criss-crosses the arena in a loop while a recording of the anthem is played, with a huge Jumbotron screen in the background broadcasting their ride around the arena, flag flying.
After the U.S. anthem was completed, the Canadian flag bearer began her ride. However, to the surprise of the crowd, it was not "O Canada" that was played, but another recorded version of "The Star-Spangled Banner".
The rider held her maple leaf flag high and continued her ride while the crowd decided to remedy the situation by singing "O Canada" in unison. It was a powerful and inspiring moment, and the flag bearer ended her ride to cheers from all sides.
