It is official, Barrhead will host the next three Wildrose Rodeo Association (WRA) finals.
The event, which matched attendance records of previous years, was a huge success according to Barrhead &District Agricultural Society president Randy Schmidt, and the amount of work done by the volunteers responsible for putting it on deserves some recognition.
Rodeos are a staple of Albertan life and it hardly goes without saying that without the help of volunteers, it is quite probable that the event would not have happened at all.
Kudos to all involved.
So the WRA final will continue to maintain its presence within our community until at least 2019, after which bids will once again be accepted by the organization and for Barrhead to continue to be the host, it is a huge deal – not solely for the competitors involved, but for the local businesses that stand to benefit from the exposure as well.
The income generated from visitors to our community helps to keep the doors of our neighbours’ businesses open and it creates a certain kind of buzz about our town.
Mayor Gerry St. Pierre said he is thrilled by the news and County of Barrhead reeve Bill Lee said he is happy the tradition began 31 years ago will remain within our community for a few more, and so should the rest of us.
Many of us will not have to travel a great distance next year to hear the jokes and witty commentary from our rodeo clowns, nor will we miss out on any of the adrenaline-packed action provided to us by those who brave the animosity of both steers and bucking horses.
This year was an event one certainly did not want to miss, considering some of the top contenders were from our area — rodeo mainstays like the Schmidt and Branden families certainly did not disappoint and Riley Borris, a leader in the bull-riding competition portion going into the finals raised the bar to which all other riders will undoubtedly be judged in the future. So enjoy the winter as best you can and mark next year’s finals on your calendar because if this past event was any indicator, the next one is going to be a doozy too.
Congratulations to all of the winners, the competitors, the Town of Barrhead and the Barrhead &District Agricultural Society as well. Maybe this is a chance for both the Town and the County to work together, and to further along their agreements and iron out their differences.
