Latest news with #rodeo
CBC
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
What do rodeo fans love about the Ponoka Stampede? The answer may surprise
The 89th Ponoka Stampede is on, and an estimated 100,000 rodeo fans are expected to visit over the week. We asked some of them what keeps them coming back for more.
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
The Ponoka Stampede is big money for this small Alberta town
Social Sharing This isn't Trevor Jones's first rodeo. For 50 years, the family business of Jones Boys Saddlery and Western Wear in Ponoka, Alta., has been custom fitting cowboy hats and boots and outfitting locals and out-of-towners alike. And starting today, things are about to get a lot more busy with the start of the 89th Ponoka Stampede. Running until July 1, an estimated 100,000 rodeo fans are expected to flock to the town's biggest annual event. "It's just like a buzz in the town, everybody is excited to be here," said Jones, who's the fourth generation in his family to sit on the stampede board. "It's been a passion of mine since I was a little kid. I remember working up there, stocking boxes and bringing barrels out." Ponoka, a town of about 7,500 people, is 100 kilometres south of Edmonton. WATCH | Here's what the Ponoka Stampede means to the town: Ponoka Stampede equals big money in this small Alberta town 6 hours ago Duration 2:36 The Ponoka Stampede has more than a $1 million in prize money up for grabs for cowboys and chuckwagon teams. Stampede officials estimate the annual economic impact to the region is in the vicinity of $20 million, so here's what businesses have to say about 100,000 rodeo fans flocking to town. Jones said the stampede is a wild ride with boots, buckles and bandanas flying off the shelves in a week that "practically sets up our whole year." "It's just lineups everywhere. Businesses are busy, all the hotels are booked, I think the whole town does very well with the stampede," said Jones. Those include businesses you might not necessarily associate with rodeos, like Busted Ladies Lingerie. Owner and professional bra fitter, Sherry Gummow, said three quarters of her clients come from outside of her postal code. "We would not survive without our out-of-town customers," said Gummow. She points to a map of Canada in the store covered in red pins from all over the country. "We don't get Duck Lake, Saskatchewan, on a regular day," said Gummow. "People come because of the Ponoka Stampede. It's a family holiday. So we've got grandma and mom and granddaughters and they all come and get fitted." She figures the stampede represents a 40 per cent bump in business and as the president of the chamber of commerce she's had others tell her "the profit that they experience for a year, some of them earn it during the stampede, that's the gravy so to speak." It's not just rodeo fans spending. People come for the trade show, the midway, the country music concerts and the free camping which draws an estimated 4,500 RVs every year. "It's amazing what it's grown into," says Ponoka Stampede board president Rick Wiresba. His family has been involved since 1936 when there was a corral and a few benches, featuring local stock and prize money ranging from 50 cents to a whopping $6 per event. "You go up there and look and you can't imagine that facility being there 90 years ago. It's probably one of the best venues for an outdoor rodeo, quite honestly for an outdoor rodeo. We're pretty proud of it." Stampede officials estimate there is an economic impact of $20 million from the annual event. And that cash is not just going to local companies. Chuckwagon teams vie for $450,000 in prize money and cowboys compete for $579,000. Ponoka Stampede Championship titles come with $75,000 in prize money for riding events like the saddle bronc, and this year there is $90,000 on the line for bull riding, making it the richest pro rodeo in the regular season in Canada. "There's also what I would call soft economics that goes on every year at the rodeo," Ponoka Mayor Kevin Ferguson said. He said more than 800 volunteers from service groups and clubs throughout the region do everything from handing out programs to working the concession stands. "For them, the big part of their seed money for the year, to make those clubs operate, comes out of the Ponoka Stampede," Ferguson said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Yorkshire cowgirls prepare to face world's best
Eloisa (pictured in action) says barrel racing is not only "fun" but "scary" [Supplied] "It's the adrenaline rush I love. It's the best", says Eloisa as she tacks up a pony called Peaches, before swinging into the saddle and trotting out from a barn into an arena dotted with metal barrels. As she and Peaches then set off at a gallop, kicking up dust as they go, the 14-year-old, in a wide-brimmed hat and jeans with a large silver-buckle belt, looks every inch the Wild West cowgirl - even though all this is taking place in the perhaps more mundane setting of Mirfield in West Yorkshire. Moments before, a tractor had sprayed water onto the soft surface of the arena before the three large barrels were rolled into place, arranged into a cloverleaf pattern. Advertisement Now, Eloisa and Peaches expertly and skilfully swerve around each of those obstacles before charging for the exit. The whole thing takes less than 20 seconds - and that is the aim of barrel racing: it is all about speed over style. "When you first experience the speed, it is quite scary when you're going towards a wall and you've got to spin round a barrel, but it's so much fun," explains Eloisa. It has taken a long time for barrel racing to get all the way to West Yorkshire. In the 1940s, it was a mainstay of the US rodeo scene, as women and girls sought to give cowboys a run for their money in a traditionally male-dominated sport. Advertisement Nowadays, top barrel racers can earn thousands of dollars in prize money, and one of the biggest annual competitions is the National Barrel Horse Association Teen and Youth World Championships in Georgia. It is that contest, taking place in July, for which Eloisa, as well as 18-year-old Anna Turner, from East Yorkshire, are now making their final preparations. Eloisa, 14, pictured with Peaches, says barrel racing can be "exhilarating" [BBC] Sally Heron, who runs 4 Strides Equestrian UK in Lincolnshire, and who has put together the team including Eloisa and Anna, says the championships are "absolutely enormous". Once they arrive in Georgia, the Yorkshire pair will pitted against the "best in the world", she says. Advertisement "There will be 2,500 youths and teens between the ages of 13 and 18, racing for the entire week," Sally explains. "There'll be two arenas running, and they get through three every 60 seconds." Sally says she discovered barrel racing while living and working in America and realising she "wanted to be a cowgirl". "The Western way of training horses is very different to the English way," she says. "I love that way of training." "I love the American lifestyle and the cheering and the clapping and the support, and the warm fuzz that goes with that," she adds. Advertisement Back in the UK, Sally now has her own barrel-racing business and she introduces other riders to the sport. She says she is "now a fully-fledged cowgirl". 'Lot of effort' For Anna, from Bridlington, it will be her second time competing at the event, and she knows it will be tough. The last time she took part it was "unlike anything I've ever experienced", she says. "The atmosphere's huge, and the crowd really gets behind you - and the louder the crowd cheers, the faster the horses run." Although the sport is based purely on speed, many teams enjoy dressing up both riders and horses. Advertisement Anna says: "Bling is definitely part of it. We have our own team colours and dress up our horses. "You can get breastplates, boots and saddle pads. It's all part of the fun. "Including plaiting up, it can take up to an hour to get your horse ready. "Some of the kids even put glitter on their pony. A lot of effort goes into it." Anna Turner, 18, from Bridlington, says it will be her second time taking part in the championships in the USA [BBC] Practice over for another day, Eloisa goes back to the barn for Peaches to be untacked and loaded into a van for the return home. Peaches will not be going to the USA, with the team instead loaning ponies on which to compete. On arrival in Georgia, there will be only one day for Eloisa and Anna to acclimatise to their new steeds. Advertisement However, while she may be nervous, Eloisa says she is most certainly looking forward to taking part in the championships. For her, the excitement at being involved in such a fast-moving and spectacular sport is clear to see. "You come off and your legs are shaking. It's exhilarating," she smiles. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. More like this
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ransom Canyon Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix
Netflix is lassoing a second season of rodeo drama Ransom Canyon, TVLine has learned. 'I couldn't be happier that Netflix is ready to get back in the saddle for Ransom Canyon,' showrunner April Blair says in a statement. 'Our dreamy little corner of Texas Hill Country is full of stories still untold, and we can't wait to bring them to our incredible fans. Get ready for another ride.' More from TVLine My Life With the Walter Boys Season 2 Lands Summer Release - See First Photos Bet Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix Netflix's Building the Band, Featuring the Late Liam Payne, Is The Voice Meets Love Is Blind - Watch Trailer Set in the world of ranches and rodeos, Ransom Canyon stars Josh Duhamel as a brooding rancher named Staten. Yes, Staten, like the island. But is that a total coincidence, or is it a metaphor for how he isolates himself by pushing away the people who love him? You decide! The show's 10-episode first season, which dropped in April, offered all the trappings of a classic drama — love triangles, power struggles and a heartbreaking murder mystery — against the stunning backdrop of the Texas Hill Country. Ransom Canyon's Season 1 cast also included Minka Kelly as Quinn O'Grady, Eoin Macken as Davis Collins, Lizzy Greene as Lauren Brigman, Garrett Wareing as Lucas Russell, Marianly Tejada as Ellie Estevez, Jack Schumacher as Yancy Grey, Andrew Liner as Reid Collins and James Brolin as Cap Fuller. What are your hopes for Ransom Canyon Season 2? Drop 'em in a comment below. Ransom Canyon: Your Guide to Who's Who in Netflix's Sexy, Soapy Western View List Best of TVLine 'Missing' Shows, Found! Get the Latest on Ahsoka, Monarch, P-Valley, Sugar, Anansi Boys and 25+ Others Yellowjackets Mysteries: An Up-to-Date List of the Series' Biggest Questions (and Answers?) The Emmys' Most Memorable Moments: Laughter, Tears, Historical Wins, 'The Big One' and More
CBC
4 days ago
- Sport
- CBC
Ponoka Stampede is 'a big time show in a small town community'
The 89th Ponoka Stampede is on from June 25 to July 1 in the town about 100 kilometres south of Edmonton. Here's a feel for what it's like and how this premier event of the Canadian rodeo circuit has grown over the years.
