PICK-UP MAN TO BE HONOURED IN MAPLE CREEK
May 22, 2009

The Cowtown Pro Rodeo in Maple Creek, Sask. is celebrating this weekend.

“This is going to be the 25th consecutive year that Gary Rempel has been our pick-up man. So on Sunday, we’re honoring him with a bit of a presentation,” said Tom Reardon, chairperson for Cowtown Pro Rodeo Inc. “He doesn’t know what he’s getting, but he’s aware [of something] because I phoned him and told him to bring his wife.”

According to Reardon, the committee has been planning this year’s rodeo “forever,” he laughed.

He was kidding, of course, but truth be told it’s been in the works since last year’s rodeo called it a wrap.

Another exciting bonus to this year’s rodeo is a colt raffle. That’s right, they’re raffling a horse, and one with impressive lineage to boot.

“In 2001, when Ross Kreutzer won the $50,000 at Calgary in the bronc riding. He bought some pretty fancy horse flesh, and after he won his Canadian title in ’06, he had a bunch more money and bought some more. He’s got quite a horse breeding program going on,” Reardon said, giving a little back-story to what led to the raffle.

“He’s got a stud there that’s got the nicest disposition in the world,” Reardon continued. “Anybody can ride him and do anything they want with him, and [Kreutzer] takes in some outside mares to this stud, but he’s wanting more so he wants to advertise him.”

During this last winter, Kreutzer offered to give a colt to the Cowtown Pro Rodeo.

“He said, ‘All I want out of it is the advertising,’” Reardon added.

The colt is going to be raffled during Friday’s performance, with tickets costing just $10. All proceeds will be going back into the rodeo.

And it sounds like Rempel, who is considered amongst his peers as one of the best pick-up men in North America, will have his work cut out for him, celebrating 25 years in Maple Creek or not. Kreutzer told Reardon “I’ll bring the mare and colt in to the Friday perf. and Gary can sashay them around the arena. The catch will be he’ll be on the stud and then Gary can just stay out there in the arena and get the next load of broncs on the stud horse.

“I don’t know if Gary knows about that yet, that he’s picking up a load of broncs off Ross’ stud horse, but it won’t bother him,” Reardon chuckled.

Kreutzer, whose company is called Kreutzer’s Mighty Fine Equine Ltd., hails from Maple Creek and will be competing in the saddle bronc riding. A number of other Maple Creek residents are also scheduled to perform on their home turf, including steer wrestler William Beierbach and his wife Donna, who competes in the ladies barrel racing and is currently at 6th place in her event in the Canadian standings.

The Cowtown Pro Rodeo kicks off on Friday, May 22, with rodeo action beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday’s performance starts at 5 p.m., with the third performance on Sunday at 1 p.m.