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Rodeo returning to Exhibition Park in Prince George, June 17-19

Prince George Western Heritage Society trying to create lasting legacy that would put city permanently on provincial rodeo map
Rodeo West of the Rockies 2008
Quentin Schneider of Cawston, B.C., goes for a ride during the West of the Rockies Pro Rodeo Finals at CN Centre in October 2008. Rodeo returns to Exhibition Park on Father's Day weekend, June 17-19 for two days of performances in the B.C. Rodeo Association-sanctioned event.

For seven years, the bucking chutes at the Prince George rodeo grounds have been silent.

It’s been that long since the city has hosted a full-fledged rodeo.

That long wait for rodeo fans will come to an end June 18-19 when bucking broncs, bulls, steers, calves and barrel race/team roping horses will put cowboys and cowgirls to the test in a B.C. Rodeo Association-sanctioned event at Exhibition Park.

“We’ve got top riders from Western Canada coming to our rodeo in all eight major events,” said Chris Scott, vice-president of the Prince George Western Heritage Society that’s promoting the rodeo.

“It’s been overwhelming, people are so excited to have rodeo back in Prince George and it’s going to be an entertainment event that’s second to none,” he said.

“We’ve pulled out all the stops to make that what we’re bringing to town is going to make this rodeo a staple event on Father’s Day weekend for many years to come. The response we’ve got from sponsors and vendors is phenomenal, the city’s excited and we’re working with the BCNE (B.C. Northern Exhibition) and they’re doing a bunch of upgrades to the rodeo grounds right now.”

Dwayne Sorken of Sorken Rodeo in Grande Prairie, Alta., is the stock contractor and he’ll be bringing in bulls and bucking horses guaranteed to launch cowboys out of their saddles, along with a stable of well-trained steers and calves for the timed events. Rodeo clown Houston Stewart of Texas will provide comic relief and he’ll in the rodeo ring working in tandem with the bullfighters to keep the cowboys safe.

Scott wants to make Prince George a regular stop on the BCRA circuit and if it proves popular with spectators he’s hoping that will eventually lead to construction of a covered grandstand similar to what exists in Quesnel and Williams Lake. He envisions the Prince George rodeo will eventually become a larger-scale multi-day annual event, similar in scale to the Williams Lake Stampede.

“We should have a Prince George Stampede,” said Scott. “It’s not going to be a Year 1 or Year 2 thing, but I think after doing a few years of these rodeos it’s going to get into that time where maybe businesses on Victoria Street will start painting western murals on their windows because the rodeo’s coming.

“This is a rodeo town. We just haven’t had rodeo for a while but it’s coming back and it will be here to stay. Prince George is such a great community for supporting events, you look at that Ice Disco they had (at the Exhibition Park oval) this winter, the amount of people who showed up for that, a skating party with music. It just shows the response we get from the community for events like that and that’s why we’re confident the rodeo will be a fantastic event and people are not going to be able to wait to come back for 2023.”

The afternoon rodeo performances will be on Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 19. A jackpot barrel racing event will precede the rodeo Friday evening that’s free for spectators and will feature between 100 and 150 competitors chasing cash prizes. There’s also a Saturday night rodeo dance at the Roll-A-Dome with live music from 12 Gauge Rock n Country Band.

The society’s executive includes president Kevin Cunin, secretary Dawn Procter and treasurer Suzanne Stewart. Cunin is a former saddle bronc rider who was paralyzed in a rodeo accident years ago and is now a team roper who competes using a specialized saddle. Procter has a long history organizing high school rodeo events and the annual Little Britches rodeo at Ness Lake. Stewart comes from a family that used to compete in chuckwagon racing in Prince George.

Scott is picking up the legacy left by his father Glen ‘Moose” Scott who teamed up with his wife Patricia, Ron and Brenda Edgar and Patti Gerhardi to form the Wild West 5 Rodeo Group which brought the top professional riders in Canada to CN Centre for their West of the Rockies rodeos from 2006-08.

Huber Equipment is the title sponsor for the rodeo, with Northland Dodge lined up as the rough stock sponsor. Local food trucks and beer garden will be on site. Tickets go on sale later this week online at www.rodeoprincegeorge.com and if there are still tickets available that weekend they will be sold at the gate. Admission is $20 (adult), $15 (seniors), $10 (kids 6-12) and free (kids five and under). Two-day wristbands and family passes are available at discounted rates.

Scott said the Western Heritage Society, as a non-profit organization, will use proceeds from rodeo gate admissions to fund scholarships or bursaries for local students who want to study veterinary medicine or pursue career paths devoted to equine science or related fields.