Another successful Gleichen rodeo

Andrea Roberts
Times Intern

 

Contestants at the Gleichen Rodeo showed off their skills in the summer heat over the weekend on Aug. 13-14.
The rodeo had a good turnout for the crowds, with a consistant number of people coming out to watch both days. But it was the children’s competitions – the wild pony race and the sheep riding – that saw the biggest crowds.
“We had a great crowd,” said Holly Yule, secretary and rodeo organizer. “The family of the contestants come out but they are small because they travel so far. But the kids’ events are all local – we had some kids from Strathmore, Standard, Hussar and a couple from Calgary. So the kids’ events are some of my highlights of the rodeo.”
While the crowds were plentiful, there was a slight drop in contestant numbers, which Yule puts down to the fact that there was another rodeo happening during the weekend. As finals are fast approaching for many of the rodeo organizations, contestants are trying their best to make it in to one of them.
The Gleichen rodeo is a dual Foothills Cowboy Association (FCA)/Chinook Rodeo.
This is the 15th year this group of organizers, many of whom are family, have been part of this event. They continue to try to get the rodeo’s name out there though use of posters, radio and word of mouth. Holly is joined by her cousin Stephanie Yule and sister-in-law Janet Yule in helping to ensure the word is out there about the rodeo and that it is run smoothly on the day.
Jeff Yule, the chief executive of the organization said a lot of time and effort goes into planning the rodeo but most of them have full-time jobs and ranches to run. He commended the three ladies who plan the majority of the rodeo, as well as their volunteers as it helped the rodeo run better. Many of the volunteers brought along their children aged from three years old to late teens, who helped out where they could too.