Rockyford holds 54th annual rodeo

Times Contributor

 

The Rockyford Stampede grounds were bustling with kids aged 0 to 99, and you could hear the sound of spurs in the air as the Rockyford Lions Club in conjunction with the Ag Society put on their 54th annual rodeo this past weekend.

There is something to be said of our small rural towns coming together like family to put on such great shows and entertainment for their towns and local surrounding communities. 

The stands at the Rockyford Rodeo grounds were filled starting Friday afternoon with Mutton Bustin’ for those kids who live and breathe rodeo. The regular events started Friday evening with chariot races, relay races and the ever-popular chuckwagon races. The Friday night events closed with a family dance featuring live entertainment by TC & Company.

Early risers on Saturday morning were treated to a free chuckwagon pancake breakfast starting at 7 a.m. and had time for it to settle before the Grande Parade down Main Street at 10 a.m. Kids scrambled for candy, freezies, hats, shirts and more as the participants paraded twice through their downtown core. 

A gun fight proceeded after the parade in front of the local grocery store on Main Street by Alberta stuntmen from gunfightersstuntclub.com. This is the second year that Black Bart (Frank Huish) made his appearance in Rockyford. Huish, the leader of the posse, was one of the first to start this group back in 1982. These gentlemen worked in the movie business and liked it so much they started their gun fighters stunt club. They perform all over Alberta at the Stampede and Heritage Park for corporate events. Sheriff (Brian Jackson) and his “good guys” prevailed in the end after failed attempts to jail the bad guys, who ended up blowing up the jail with dynamite. These stuntmen put on an amazing performance with gun fights, fist fights and even shot a hi-fall guy off the roof of the Rockyford Grocery Store. It was a show that was loud and interacted with their captivated audience really well.

Both Saturday and Sunday the rodeo grounds were packed with fans and spectators and contestants waiting for their events to come up. The infield rodeo events such as bull riding, steer wrestling, and calf roping didn’t fail to impress the crowd gathered all three days. New this year was bull “soccer” where two teams of four participants each played a game of soccer on the infield with a bull at large. Some of the guys on the field got so tied up with watching the ball that they forgot about the menacing bull. It was un to watch and the crowd cheered them on from the stands.

Good job, Rockyford, on your 54th annual rodeo.