Strathmore hosts first ever Youth Rodeo Super Series

Times Contributor

 

Ignited from a rooted passion for rodeo, two families have come together to create Strathmore’s first ever Youth Rodeo Super Series, July 21 and August 18.

“The Stevens and us, started a rodeo club that runs throughout the winter a year and a half ago, it’s called the Wheatland Cowboys and Cowgirls Association. This past spring when we heard the Ag Society was looking for ideas, we went to the meeting and from that, we said, ‘here we have the beautiful grounds, let’s use them more’ and it kind of just budded from there,” said Christa Aleman, co-organizer of the Youth Rodeo Super Series. 

Aleman said that every other week, the Wheatland Cowboys and Cowgirls Rodeo Society would receive well over 60 participants, which supported the idea to create the Youth Rodeo. The hope is to bring in participants from all over Southern Alberta.

Reaching back to Aleman’s roots, Christa and her husband Gerald grew up in a rural farming community and have “always watched rodeo and loved rodeo, but we didn’t do it ourselves.”

When Aleman’s eldest daughter began rodeo when she was only four, “that was what sort of thrust us into it.”

“We’re new to the rodeo end of it but it’s something that our oldest daughter had a passion and desire for so she sort of sparked it in our whole family, so we’ve been involved the last five years,” said Aleman.

The immense response and feedback from parents, participants and volunteers, some carrying years of expertise, confirmed Aleman’s belief that the Youth Rodeo is well on its way into becoming an annual event. Aleman hopes the Super Series can expand to three to maybe four rodeos next summer.

Receiving such great response could make one wonder why there have not been youth rodeos organized in the past. 

“Everything trends, it’s reciprocal, and I think that there is a huge growth and people are looking at getting back to their roots and rodeo is our heritage. We really have a passion to show people the benefit of rodeo and what it does for family and what it does for the community.”

Aleman described rodeo as being very hands on, which can be very beneficial to the kids. 

“There is a lot of prep work before the events and after, caring for horses, their animals. You’ll see kids out in the arena, setting up barrels, raking, doing whatever needs to be done.”

Aleman emphasized that rodeo is for all ages, “from the age of two all the way up to 82.”

“In our winter series, our youngest number is (the age of) two. It’s a passion that starts young and when families are doing it, then everybody does it, that’s the true joy of participating in something like that.”

The Youth Rodeo will be taking necessary safety measures during the event, but keeping in mind, “we are dealing with animals and anything can happen.”

“Everybody takes their precautions themselves, nobody is going to choose to endanger their child, therefore we take extra precautions to deal with whatever may come from that.”

 The Youth Rodeo Super Series is well on its way into becoming a successful event. Aleman does not see why the same would not occur in later years. 

Participants can register online for the first rodeo July 4-10, and phone entries begin July 11, from 3-8 p.m. For the second rodeo, participants can register online from August 1-7, and phone entries begin on August 8 from 3-8 p.m.

More information can be found at www.strathmoresuperseries.ca