The summer students traveled to Brooke-Alvinston on June 14th for the Alvinston Pro Rodeo. It was a jam-packed weekend full of cowboys, bulls, and country music. Does that sound like a good time to you? Don’t worry – the Alvinston Pro Rodeo will be back! Read all about our Friday night to prepare yourself for next year.
The gates opened at 5 p.m., welcoming guests into the fairgrounds. There were food vendors, each selling delicious food, as well as vendors with unique attire. We were able to see some local businesses, such as Camlachie Feed. Camlachie Feed is a farm and pet supply store that sells almost everything you may need for your animals. They sell a variety of items, such as fertilizers, seeds, animals such as chickens, and apparel. We couldn’t stop ourselves from checking out the cowboy hats that various vendors were selling.
The rodeo started off with Bareback Riding. Every event in the rodeo was incredibly impressive; we know we wouldn’t be able to do that! Bareback Riding was really interesting because we were unsure of the rules at the beginning. Saddle Bronc Riding confused us as well. We would watch the event and think about how excellent the cowboy did until we heard announcements about disqualification. For example, if the cowboy did not hold onto the horse correctly, perhaps two hands on the bronco during Saddle Bronc Riding, they would be disqualified. Learning about all of the factors in scoring each event proved just how difficult these sports are. The cowboys and cowgirls who compete are incredibly talented.
The other events consisted of steer wrestling, team roping, tie-down roping, barrel racing and junior barrel racing, breakaway roping, junior bull and steer riding, and bull riding. We were able to watch travelling athletes as well as local talents, making for a very engaging night.
The festivities did not end there, though! The rodeo performances wrapped up shortly before 9 p.m. when a mechanical bull competition began. Guests were able to test their luck and try riding a mechanical bull, which I’m sure is harder than it sounds. The competition lasted until 1 a.m., giving every attendee time to test their fate. As the competition underwent, Painkiller Jane performed! Unfortunately, we were unable to stay and watch both the competition and Painkiller Jane’s performance but we heard so many wonderful things. Next year we may just have to stay out even later!
