Pro rodeo saddles up in Lethbridge for three nights

By Lethbridge Herald on August 21, 2024.

Herald file photo by Justin Seward Crossfield's Tyler Craig gets thrown off his bull Ground n Pound during the Lethbridge and District Pro Rodeo at last year's Whoop-Up Days.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge and District Pro Rodeo is set to showcase top competitors from the SMS pro tour beginning tonight at the Exhibition Grandstand.

“This year’s slate of contestants is probably one of the best I’ve seen for the rodeo and the stock is just going to be outstanding ,” said Kynan Vine, the rodeo’s executive producer.

“So some of the matchups in the rodeo this year are going to be awesome and we’re just looking forward to it.”

The Lethbridge Pro Rodeo has been known as one of the top pro rodeos in Canada  on the SMS tour and will attract the likes of world champion tie-down roper Shane Hanchey, team ropers Jeremy Buhler and Levi Simpson and four-time world saddle bronc champion Zeke Thurston.

“We attract the top contestants in the world,” said Vine.

“They are competing for both world points and Canadian points for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas and the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton. So we have world class calibre competitors.”

The Lethbridge and District Pro Rodeo comes near the end of the season in a vital part of the schedule because it’s after next week’s finals that the top 12 competitors in each event make the Canadian Finals Rodeo.

“I think that’s really helped make sure that we get the best contestants in all of the events because (they are) taking one last crack at trying to make it to the Canadian Finals,” said Vine.

Vine said they love it here, when asked about what he often hears from competitors that attend the Lethbridge rodeo.

“There’s a few reason for that,” said Vine.

“One is the good stock. We make sure that we bring in the best stock that you can get obviously in Canada and really in the world. And the other is that we’re always trying to do new things here in Lethbridge. We came back three years ago without having a pro rodeo for a hiatus of six years and went to a tour rodeo, so one of the top rodeos. So money added is a big thing for them.”

Riders experience additional prizing separate from the prize money, hospitality with a warm meal and drink that is handed out by a local 4-H club.

“We do some things here that they don’t do at other rodeos,” said Vine.

“ It’s tough being out on the road and being away from their families and we want to make them feel like they’re at home, and they can come here and we can treat them good and send them on their way.”

The rodeo will also include Relay Races, which is a traditional Indigenous competition.

The rodeo runs nightly at 7 p.m. from tonight through Saturday.