Rodeo action hits Rocky
by Andrew Manuel

Find a seat and hang onto your hat as the Rocky Rodeo gets underway this Wednesday at the North Saskatchewan River Park.
The Rocky Rodeo is visiting the N.S.R.P. for a second time and with five days of pro rodeo action, spectators will have all they can handle with chuckwagon racing for five days straight. The event will begin with free admission to the team roping event on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. Cart racing will begin at 7:00 p.m. followed by chuckwagons to follow. Thursday will also feature free admission to the rodeo slack events beginning at 11:00 a.m. Cart racing will again begin at 7:00 p.m. followed by the chuckwagons later in the evening. The midway will get started on Thursday afternoon and run through Sunday to give four days of fun to ride enthusiasts. Competition on Friday will get started a little later in the afternoon with carts beginning at 4:00 p.m. Official rodeo competition will then get underway at 6:00 p.m. with chuckwagons taking to the racetrack following.
Saturday will feature the traditional rodeo parade through town beginning at 11:00 a.m. with a special theme of “Salute to the Oil Industry.” The rodeo will begin at 1:30 p.m. with a couple of new additions including wild cow milking and freestyle bull fighting. Lorrie McMeekin, President of the Stampede Board, said this is the first time for both events at the rodeo with top competitors from around Canada taking part. In the freestyle bull fighting competitors are judged on how close they can stay to the bulls, while keeping out of harms’ way. Competitors have 70 seconds to fight the bulls and have to stay as close to the bull as possible for a minimum of 40 seconds. McMeekin said there will be two different kinds of bulls in the event with fighters matching up against Mexican fighting bulls and Brahma bulls. In the wild cow milking event, teams of two will work together to milk cows running freely in the ring. A roper first ropes the cow while a mugger grabs the cow by the horns to hopefully slow it down long enough for the roper to jump off his horse and get a little milk from the cow. The roper then races the milk over to a judge who is watching from the ring. A mutton busting competition for cowboys and cowgirls ages four to six will begin at 6:30 p.m. Registrations for the mutton busting are being accepted at Millennium Sports. The fee to enter is $1 and only the first 30 applicants will be accepted. Saturday will be capped off with cattle penning followed by the chuckwagons with fireworks lighting up the sky after dark.
Sunday will kick-off with a pancake breakfast and cowboy church at 8:30 a.m. before rodeo competition gets underway at 1:30 p.m. Sunday will feature event finals including wild cow milking and freestyle bull fighting. Cart racing will begin at 7:00 p.m. followed by cattle penning and the chuckwagon finals to follow.
McMeekin said he is expecting professional rodeo competitors from all over Canada and with a prize purse expected to reach around $60,000, there should be no shortage of action.
“We have the top level cowboys from both the U.S. and Canadian associations that can be here.”
Admission to the rodeo is $12 per performance, $10 for seniors, though spectators are invited to take in the team roping for free on Wednesday and slack day performances on Thursday.
Rodeo Colouring Contest
This year the Rocky Rodeo is also featuring a special colouring contest for kids. Pictures to be coloured have been distributed to various elementary schools in town and are also available at Creative Artists Dream Ltd. across Main Street from C.I.B.C. There are three age groups to be judged with ages nine and 10 making up one division, six to eight in another, and ages five and under in the final group. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three in each division with $60 for first, $40 for second and $20 for third. Pictures are to be submitted to Creative Artists Dream Ltd. where they will be on display until the close of business on June 12 when they will be judged. The deadline to submit your picture is Tuesday, June 12 before the end of the working day. For more information on the colouring contest call Sarah George at 845-2921.
“The rodeo doesn’t make any money off this, it’s just an activity for the kids,” said Organizer Sarah George.
“Last year we had 140 contestants.”