The Interlakes area bucked up for the 28th Annual Rodeo, despite some rainy weather on July 21, to make it the most ‘successful’ one in recent years.
“It went very well. I think it was a monumental success,” said Carney Myers, the rodeo organizer. “It was phenomenal, it was our best rodeo ever really, because of the musical ride, of course.”
The musical ride she is referring to is the RCMP Musical Ride which only comes to the province every four years. Myers applied to the RCMP two years ago to bring the 32 members of the country’s federal police force to the rodeo to showcase their skills in horse patterns and drills.
Myers said she heard comments from spectators about their reactions to the ride, which took place during the intermission.
Reactions ranged from awestruck, overwhelming and patriotic.
“It was almost an emotional experience, it really was for a lot of people,” she said. “Just seeing the black horses and the members with the red serge outfits on – that contrast of the black and red and watching the complex patterns and drills, it was amazing.”
RELATED: The RCMP Musical Ride is charging into the Interlakes Rodeo
Normal rodeo events, such as steer wrestling, team and breakaway roping and saddle bronc also happened.
Myers estimated around 2,400 people came to the rodeo over the two-day event, most of them on Sunday due to the better weather.
It rained for parts of Saturday, though Myers said the attendance was considerably larger than any other rodeo the Interlakes Community Centre Association has hosted.
“I think when people got up in the morning and saw the weather was inclement, they decided that they either weren’t going to go or that they would go on Sunday, but we still had good attendance on Saturday and much better on Sunday,” she said.
RELATED: 108 Mile Ranch steer rider scores first place in Pritchard Rodeo
Even though the rain possibly impacted the attendance, the weather didn’t cause any problems during the event.
Because the Musical Ride only tours B.C. every four years, the Interlakes Rodeo will move its date back to August Long Weekend and will be looking to add more kid events such as a calf or clown scramble during the intermission the next year.
“People really seem to enjoy the kids’ events as much as the adults it seems,” said Myers.
According to the Interlakes Community Association’s rodeo director, the event is the associations biggest money maker and all proceeds go into the programs they run, such as pickleball, senior activities, and quilting etc.
It also goes into the next year’s rodeo and improving the grounds.
Results:
1st place
Kiefer Larson (Hazelton) – bareback
Steve Lloyd (Quesnel) – tie down roping
Norman Breen (Princeton) – steer wrestling
Katrina Ilnicki (Williams Lake) – breakaway roping
Wyatt Smith (Quilchena) – Jr steer riding
Laura James (Cache Creek) – barrel racing
Marika Van Tunen (Kispiox Valley) – Jr barrel racing
Kale Mikkelsen (Pritchard) – PW barrel racing
Taya Hamming – Jr breakaway roping
Chad Evenson (Pritchard) and Mike Beers (Kamloops) – team roping
2nd place
Christoph Muigg (Hazelton) – bareback
Clayton Honeybourn (Quesnel) – tie down roping
Wyatte Copeland (Rose Prairie) – breakaway roping
Colby McCullough (108 Mile Ranch) – Jr steer riding
Debbie Roch (Quesnel) – barrel racing
Shaylynn Osterman (Courtenay) – Jr barrel racing
Macey Freemantle (Surrey) – PW barrel racing
Wyatte Copeland – Jr breakaway roping
Isnardy Cash and Jonah Antonine (Cache Creek) – team roping
3rd place
Daine Bortolussi (Williams Lake) – bareback
Jonah Antoine (Cache Creek) – tie down roping
Taylor Schneider (Hedley) – breakaway roping
Rylan Schuk (Tatla Lake) – Jr steer riding
Krystal Campbell (Chetwynd) – barrel racing
Taya Hamming (Vernon) – Jr barrel racing
Kaitlyn Lulua (Williams Lake) – PW barrel racing
Carson Weaver (Kamloops) – Jr breakaway roping
Neal Antoine and Jonah Antoine (Cache Creek) – team roping
