“Our Heavenly Father, we pause at this time, mindful of the many blessings you have bestowed upon us. We ask, Lord that you will be with us in the arena of life.
We as cowboys do not ask for special favours.
We don’t ask to draw around the chute fighting horse, the steer that won’t lay, or to never break the barrier.
We don’t even ask for all daylight runs.
We do ask, Lord, that you will help us live our lives here on earth as cowboys, in such a manner, that we make that last inevitable ride, to the country up there, where the grass grows lush, green and stirrup high, and the water runs cool, clear, and deep, that you’ll take us by the hand and say—
‘Welcome to Heaven, cowboy, your entry fees are paid.’”
With heads bowed and hats off, a respectful silence filled the arena as the announcer started last weekend’s rodeo with the above “Cowboy’s Prayer.”
Featuring skills from Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, and British Columbia, Kindersley’s 27th annual rodeo went down in the books as another great success. Stiff competition, heart-stopping bull riding moments, and events such as the kid’s on foot rodeo filled the weekend of May 24-26 with electrifying memories.
“To be honest I’m thrilled about how well the weekend went this year,” said Tyler Ritchie, Committee President of the Kindersley Indoor Rodeo. “We worked really hard to help make the rodeo run smoothly and quickly, and we made it so each performance was under three hours each night, so we are happy about that.”
The hard work of the rodeo committee certainly pays off each year, as Ritchie explained that cowboys/girls sometimes call him up and say that Kindersley is one of their favourite stops in the circuit. “Which is saying something, as indoor rodeos are often very challenging; what with the music, the enthusiastic crowds and the video screen, it’s tough for the contestants to concentrate. But many seem to enjoy this added challenge, so in the end, everyone is happy.”
Chock full of full of rodeo and community events, the weekend had something for everyone. BBQ cook outs, pancake breakfasts, and the dress and decorating competition, all primed the pump of community enthusiasm for the evening performances.
The annual ‘Goldenboot Award’ was handed out to the staff at Country 104.9FM, one member for being the best dressed and the whole staff for best decorated business in Kindersley. This wasn’t the only awards given out over the weekend, as the family of Fritz Patten presented the weekend’s wining saddle bronc rider, Ben Anderson, with the Fritz Patten award. Anderson carried the weekend’s saddle bronc laurels with a point score of 82.
In order to pull off such a busy weekend, several members of the community and the committee worked together to make every event go smoothly. “There are so many ‘moving parts’ in an event like this,” noted Ritchie, “but everyone pitched in and did an amazing job. From the servers in the Beer Gardens, the ticket ladies by the front door, to the volunteer who is still sweeping out the last bit of dirt from the arena; I want to thank them for their cheerful dedication.”
Ritchie stated that the enthusiastic response from the community makes it all worthwhile. “We hope that everyone loves the events and keep coming back to them, so when the cheering crowds fill the stands night after night, it definitely encourages the cowboys and girls, the committee and the volunteers to keep doing what they love.”
Image Source: Mallorie Rast/Kindersley Social
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