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P.G. rodeo out to lasso more stars |
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Written by TED CLARKE, Citizen staff
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Thursday, 24 April 2008 |
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MILE HOUSEDAWSON CREEKNORTH HEALTHCARE FOUNDATIONWESTERN CANADALAS VEGAS
The country’s best wranglers and riders are starting to get busy again on the pro rodeo circuits of Western Canada and if last year is any indication, they’ll be spreading the word about Prince George as ambassadors for the West of the Rockies Pro Rodeo Championship Finals.
The fight is now on to be on the list of qualified performers at CN Centre when the West of the Rockies finals are held, Oct. 17-19 and the talent pool will likely run deep. Eleven of last year’s performers in Prince George went on to the CFR.
“At the CFR, we had Canadian and world champions who had never been to our rodeo giving us suggestions, and that was a huge compliment,” said Patti Gerhardi, events and marketing co-ordinator for the Wild West 5 Rodeo Group promoting the rodeo. “World champion (steer wrestler) Lee Graves wanted to come to Prince George but he didn’t come to enough B.C. rodeos -- you have to do three. We turned down the world champion.
“We have such a good reputation with Wild West 5 and how our community treats the competitors so well. We treat them well and they have a good time.”
A big part of the love affair with Prince George stems from the fact rodeo performers can stay put for three days, a rarity during rodeo season. Usually, cowboys lead a vagabond lifestyle in the rush to climb the money standings and a weekend can involve appearances in three different rodeos on consecutive days, separated by hours of highway travel time.
The West of the Rockies finals is the last event on the Canadian pro rodeo calendar before the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton. The finals are open to the top B.C.-based performers in each of the seven events, as well as the top-10 money earners from the B.C. rodeos.
Although the West of the Rockies circuit lost Cloverdale due to a city council decision to ban calf roping events, and Princeton is also off the list because it dropped its CPRA affiliation, there are still some well-known B.C. rodeos on the circuit that serve as qualifiers for the Prince George finals. That includes the Williams Lake Stampede and Falkland Stampede, as well as pro rodeos in Armstrong, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Merritt, Cranbrook.
For the first two years of its existence, the West of the Rockies finals were held in Penticton. An unsuitable indoor venue and low attendance both years resulted in shift to Prince George in 2006 and it has taken root as an annual event the public will support. Attendance in the two years of the three-day rodeo totaled close to 13,000.
“It was down a little bit last year but we had more out-of-town people,” said Wild West 5 president Glen ‘Moose’ Scott. “There are a lot of benefits that can be generated by the rodeo but you have to continue to work to make it better.
“The rodeo has grown in leaps and bounds, and is starting to have a major impact on the city’s economy. It’s become such a huge event, we now have to concentrate on it year-round.”
Estimates of spending at city businesses and local service industries was pegged at $1.3 million in 2006. That jumped to $1.7 million in 2007. As a non-profit society, last year the Wild West 5 Group turned over $4,925 in rodeo profits, which went to the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation and the Northland Dodge Healthy Children’s Fund.
The rodeo is adding some new events this year that pertain to the cowboy lifestyle, including a western fashion show. There are also plans to organize a rodeo parade and a youth rodeo. The Telus pancake breakfast, stock dog show, behind-the-chutes tour and the on-site trade show in the CN Centre concourse will also return.
Rodeo clown Dennis Halstead will be back performing for the CN Centre crowds. Halstead was one of four finalists and the only Canadian in the running to earn the job in Las Vegas at the National Finals Rodeo. Miss Rodeo Canada, Jenna Berreth of Rolly View, Alta., will make the trip to Prince George. Roy and Earl Call’s C-Plus Rodeo of 150 Mile House will be the West of the Rockies finals stock contractor.
Gerhardi said there are other provinces interested in following a similar format pioneered by the West of the Rockies circuit.
“The Alberta and Saskatchewan circuits want to to the same thing and Manitoba too,” Gerhardi said. “That could lead to something else down the road.”
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 08 October 2008 )
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