Pair of rodeos in Medicine Hat this weekend

About 200 participants will compete during the first big event at the Dunmore Equestrian Society’s Indoor Arena.

Beau Cooper, who’s competing in tie down roping as a pro at the Broncs and Honky Tonks Indoor Rodeo in the city said the youth event helps competitors work through the ranks.

“The high school rodeo has done great things for me and a bunch of other people and a lot of people you see that go to the NFR [National Finals Rodeo], they all high school rodeo and stuff and that’s where they got started,” Cooper said.

“It’s definitely a good place to get started and get your rodeo career kicked off.”

Barrel racing was underway Friday afternoon at the indoor arena in Dunmore as event continue through the weekend.

Competing in the event is 16-year old Addison Kraft of Irvine, excited to be close to home and enjoy the rodeo environment and familiar faces.

“How my friends can become family and the connections you can get from this atmosphere. It’s a really good atmosphere to be around and the people are super nice and it’s a good place to be,” Kraft said.

“I’ve been with all these people since I’ve been in Grade 7, so they’re like a family to me. I’ve known these people, I’ve grown up with them, and we’ve all grown together as people.”

Kelly Creasy, the president of the Dunmore Equestrian Society says the high school competition will go until about 6 or 7 p.m. on Friday, before getting back underway on Saturday at 9 a.m.

“We start first thing with the rough stock and we have 480 runs to make tomorrow [Saturday] we think it’ll probably go you know till about the five or six o’clock time, and it’s open to the public free of charge,” Creasy said.

“Come and have a look at our arena and watch the competition and then we start again 9 a.m. on Sunday with junior high second day and we’ll run that through till noon or one o’clock.”

For Cooper, who competed in tie down roping at the National Finals Rodeo and won at the Calgary Stampede, both in 2023.

He was rodeoing in Texas over the winter, and is happy to have a familiar stop at the Broncs and Honky Tonks Indoor Rodeo.

“A lot of the people that have families and full-time jobs and stuff, this is the first rodeo they’re going to for the year in the CPRA [Canadian Professional Rodeo Association]. And so you kind of see all your buddies and your friends again and everybody kind of has a visit and gets the year started off.”

With the high school rodeo running earlier in the days, it allows people to also enjoy the Canadian Professional Rodeo event in the evening at the Cypress Centre Friday and Saturday starting at 7 p.m and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

by Jesse Gill

Pair of rodeos in Medicine Hat this weekend

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