By Adam Eisenbarth
Talented young cowboys and cowgirls from throughout central Alberta will compete in the Rimbey High School Rodeo May 22 and 23.
Admission is free to spectators who want to come out to the Rimbey Rodeo Grounds and enjoy the young rising stars of rodeo. The Blindman High School Rodeo Club is hosting the event for the first time. The club itself is also new.
“It was just established so that Rimbey High School Rodeo would continue on,” says Nicole Smith, a parent who has helped organize the event.
The Rimbey rodeo will host competitors from district 2, which spans from Olds to Barrhead.
The event will host more than 90 competitors and Smith says it’s thanks to the community that the rodeo club has managed to hold the event.
“We’re just grateful for all the support we’ve had in the community. We had a casino in Ponoka in March to raise money so that we can continue doing this and we had a ton of local businesses and people support us and volunteer for the casino. We’re just really happy to have all the rodeo support to keep this age-old sport alive.”
The rodeo will include barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, breakaway and team roping for the cowgirls while the cowboys compete in bull riding, saddle bronc, bareback, team roping, tie down roping and steer wrestling.
The local rodeo club has plenty of talent to watch for.
“They’re all pretty good,” Smith said. “They’re all exceptionally talented people in this area.”
In the past, the ag society held this event but it was passed on to the rodeo club.
“They didn’t really want to do it this year so we took over and we’re doing it ourselves,” said Smith’s daughter Taylor, president of the club. “I was really worried about not having one so that’s why we wanted to do it.”
While it means a lot to the cowgirl to keep the event in Rimbey, she won’t be nervous when the time comes to compete.
“We do this every weekend and it’s just another one for me, I guess.” The 16-year-old cowgirl competes in breakaway roping, goat tying, barrel racing, team roping and pole bending.
This is the last district 2 rodeo before the Alberta Finals in June.
The rodeo will start at 9 a.m. both days, with a chili and salad dinner for $5 on Saturday. A team roping jackpot will take place on Saturday after the rodeo for $25 per entry and will be open to anyone who would like to participate.