CPRA KICKS OFF 2009 RODEO SEASON IN LETHBRIDGE
March 12 , 2009

The Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) springs into its 2009 season this weekend in Lethbridge, Alta. The Dodge Extreme Pro Rodeo will run March 13 and 14 at Lethbridge Exhibition Park.

Three-time All-Around Champion Steven Turner is slated to compete in both the steer wrestling and bull riding events. The Cochrane, Alta. cowboy has been staying in shape since 2008’s Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) playing hockey, and keeping his rodeo skills sharp competing in PBR events and PRCA rodeos south of the border. “I went down to Odessa and Fort Worth and then I went to Florida, Connecticut, Tennessee, Kansas. Pretty much all over the place,” he said. And now, he’s ready to get back in on the Canadian circuit, starting with the spring rodeo in Lethbridge, just two and a half hours southeast of Calgary, Alta.

But forget easing back into things: these early rodeos can make or break a season. “It’s easy to think these $1,500 rodeos don’t mean a whole lot, but if it comes down to the end of the year and you’re needing a couple hundred bucks or a thousand bucks to make the finals, they’re pretty important, so I think it’s good to get off to a good start. You always want to win as much as you can because it takes the pressure off later on,” the 26-year-old said, adding he plans on doing a little spring cleaning in his events. “I hope I do pretty good. I always plan on winning.”

Up against Turner is 2008 Canadian bull riding champ Tyler Thomson, while last year’s novice bareback champ, Denver DeRose of Kamloops, B.C. and Brooks, Alta. bareback champ Kyle Bowers, who just returned from a solid effort in Houston, will buck it out at Exhibition Park, just to name a few of the athletes scheduled to compete in seven different events over two days.

Nearly 3,000 spectators attended last year’s spring rodeo, and admission rates are just $10 for adults, $5 for youth 11 to 17, and free for children 10 and under. Rope in a few new sights and sounds, and you’ll be hard-pressed to saddle up more entertainment value for your buck.

“This year, we have added a few booths selling merchandise at the rodeo,” said Nicole Struth, Event Coordinator at Exhibition Park. “People can show up early… check out the booths, and enjoy some entertainment prior to the event starting at 7 p.m. nightly.”

Entertainment at Exhibition Park includes Boss Hog’s Beer Garden, and ticket holders will be treated to the Country Cabaret held each Friday and Saturday night following the rodeo, featuring performances by the Keister Family Fiddlers and Lethbridge’s homegrown Breanne Urban & The Southern Flyers.

According to Struth, the spring rodeo has, in some capacity, been running for a number of years, either through Kesler Rodeo or Exhibition Park, or a partnership between the two organizations, and she expects everyone that comes out will have a great time.

What’s Turner most looking forward to?

“The Keslers always put on a pretty exciting rodeo. They’ve got a lot of young bulls and young horses, so it’ll be interesting,” Turner explained as the number one reason he thinks rodeo fans should head out to Exhibition Park. “It’s always pretty wild down there.”