 HIGH RIVER, ALTA – Members of the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association are excited to see an old friend back on the roster this rodeo season. After a three-year hiatus as an amateur rodeo event, the High River Rodeo has rejoined the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association to once again be a sanctioned professional rodeo, and it appears rodeo contestants are welcoming it back with open arms.
“I competed at High River a few times when it was a pro rodeo, it was great because it’s so close to home and I've been fortunate enough to win my hometown rodeo, it’s pretty exciting that it’s coming back,” said Kendra Edey, three-time Canadian Finals Rodeo Ladies Barrel Racing Qualifier.
Edey notes that there is a high population of rodeo cowboys and cowgirls living in the area that will now be able to call this rodeo their hometown event. She says that this creates a different rodeo atmosphere for competitors.
“It’s a great rodeo in the sense that there are a lot of cowboys and cowgirls in the foothills area so it really is a hometown rodeo for a lot of us, it’s just great to be able to be close to home and have your fans be family and friends and to support the town of High River, it’s great to give back,” said Edey.
Another contestant that is excited to have another rodeo to compete in this season is Sam Kelts, who lives just down the road in Millarville. The nine-time CFR Saddle Bronc Riding Qualifier has a history with the rodeo that spans back to his permit days when he won his very first cheque at High River. Kelts says in this tough economic time, contestants can do a lot to help out the rodeos that are battling through.
“We’ve lost a lot of rodeos so we need to gain some more like High River back, whatever rodeos we can get we need right now,” said Kelts, “We can help the committees a lot if they want some contestants to do some promotional events during the rodeos, contestants need to be a lot more willing to do that. In all reality, rodeos existing is in the best interests of contestants so if we can help promote them it makes sense for us.”
Canadian Professional Rodeo Association Rodeo Administrator, Mark Roy couldn’t agree more with these two contestants.
“A rodeo like High River, the Guy Weadick Memorial, it’s a natural to be a pro rodeo because of it’s name and because of the area around there being so full of knowledgeable rodeo fans, that was one of the reasons why I personally wanted to see High River back,” said Roy.
Roy says the committee has been great to work with and, with the addition of 2015 Committee Person of the Year Gillian Shields and Bar C5, is happy they’ve also reached out to some fresh faces to help produce the rodeo this year. The Rodeo Administrator believes a new perspective on the way rodeos are run is what will advance the sport as a whole moving forward.
 “Everybody needs to change their perspective on the way to produce rodeos, you can’t rely on the same sponsors all the time, you have to also try something different whether it be live concerts or more promotional events for both cowboys and committees,” concluded Roy.
It appears a rodeo in High River, with a good mix of the area’s longstanding history and a twist of something new has rodeo contestants and organizers alike excited for what the town dubbed as a people-first community with an enviable quality of life, has to offer this rodeo season. |
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