Blood Tribe Ag Society hosts successful inaugural rodeo finals

By Lethbridge Herald on August 23, 2023.

Herald Photo by Justin Seward Lucky David was bucked off and had no score during his bull ride on Wednesday during the Blood Tribe Ag Society Rodeo finals at Exhibition Park. However Tuesday's ride of 71 points was enough to give him the finals title and he also took home the season title.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

For the first time ever, the Blood Tribe Ag Society held its rodeo finals during Whoop-Up Days in what turned out to be successful two days on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“This is our first year of having an Ag Society Rodeo Association,” said Floyd Bighead, chief and counsel representative on the Ag Society board.

“And we produced the four rodeos at home, and then with this idea of having the rodeo there with Whoop-Up Days, (it) created the finals. So everything worked out really well.”

Bighead was the rodeo’s announcer and he made sure that a good show was put on for the crowd.

“And you know, that’s part of it. You know, you people are paying good money to come in and  watch a rodeo,” he said.

“They want to be entertained and that’s our goal, is to entertain the people here with the sport of rodeo.”

The focus was to put on a top-notch rodeo with contestants and to bring in that professional atmosphere.

“Kynan Vine, of course, you know, he produces the Canadian Finals Rodeo, The Days of ’47 stampede in Salt Lake City, Uta., and the Whoop-Up Days and he’s very selective at the rodeos he wants to run ,” said Bighead.

“And then, you know, with us coming here with his blessing ,and then you know Mike Warkentin, the CEO (chief executive officer) for Exhibition board, you know, they were on board. And then they just left it up to us, you know, what kind of rodeo we wanted to run and I told my committee, the Ag Society, let’s put on a first class show.”

Bighead did not see any surprises over the two days.

“We have a rodeo group back home, we never have a shortage of help (with) volunteers,” he said.

“It’s always the same people helping us every time out and we brought them all here, you know, just people that run our shows back home. They were all here working behind the chutes and you know just great.”

The youth rodeo program had graduates riding in the rodeo finals.

“It just makes me happy,” said Bighead.

“The kid that won the steer riding, Tage Crow Chief, he came out and he was just like a street kid. He was kind of like the you know gangster type kind of attitude, you know, that got on the steer there (in) their first rodeo with a pair of running shoes on . And then boy now you watch him man, this little guy can ride. That’s just one of our success stories, you know, helping out the young coming in here and we see that  through at each event (with) some young competition. So we hope to keep the sport going strong and that’s our goal is to keep our youth involved and we want to pave a good road for our younger generation.”

There were 80 participants in the rodeo.

The season and finals champions are as follows:

Bareback

Dave Ford

Saddle Bronc

Season and Finals Champ

Cory Fox

Bull Riding

Season and Finals Champ

Lucky David

Tie Down Roping

Season and Finals

Tyson Wright

Steer Wrestling

Season and Finals Champ

Kash Shade

Ladies Barrel Racing

Finals Champ

Cheyenne Black Water

Season Champ

Madison Wright

Jr. Barrels

Finals Champ

Brooke Fox

Season Champ

Rhegan Shade

Tiny Mite Barrels

Finals Champ

Austin Wells

Season Champ

Neenah Little Bear

Break Away Roping

Finals n Season Champ

Natalie Bevans

Jr Steer Riding

Finals n Season Champ

Tage Crow Chief