Interlakes Rodeo a 'monumental success' due to RCMP Musical Ride

Interlakes Rodeo a ‘monumental success’ due to RCMP Musical Ride

The 28th Annual Event drew 2,400 people over the weekend

  • Jul. 26, 2018 12:00 a.m.

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


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