Performances by world champions; a fundraising night for Slave Lake; and a rider who is a former Olympian are just a few of the highlights to look forward to at this year’s Innisfail Professional Rodeo.
The rodeo will take place from June 16-19 at the Daines Rodeo Grounds just north of Innisfail and ,like in past years, will feature some of the top cowboys and cowgirls in the world.
This year the slack competition, which is an overflow of the contestants in the timed events, will take place on Wed. June 15, at 5 p.m. the night before the rodeo and is where some of the world’s top barrel racers, calf ropers, team ropers, and tie down ropers will be the first to compete for the prize money.
This year, the Wednesday night competition will be a special night for the rodeo because all of the money from the entrance fees will be donated to the rebuilding efforts for the Town of Slave Lake.
“All of the money coming in that night will go to the people so unfortunate to lose their homes in the fires in Slave Lake. You can get in for a $10 donation for adults and students and kids are free on Wednesday night,” said Jack Daines.
Wednesday night will also be the kickoff for the barrel racing competition, which will feature over 160 contestants.
“It is the largest entry of barrel racers ever in a professional rodeo in Canada since records have been kept over the last 70 years, said Daines.
“They like the money they like the ground. It will pay over 10,000 to win first.”
Marana, AZ.’s Sherry Cervi, world champion and the current world leader in barrel racing, will be racing on Sunday, said Daines.
Former Olympic skeleton athlete and last year’s Rodeo Parade Marshall Mellisa Hollingworth has now broken into the world of barrel racing and will be riding on the Thursday night of the rodeo.
The total payout for rodeo winnings this year will be $260,000 to the cowboys and cowgirls, said Daines adding that a great part of the rodeo will be that so many World’s and Canadian champions are entered in the competition.
The rodeo parade will take place on Saturday morning and this year’s theme is a Salute to Athletes.
The parade marshals will be a number of NHL players that hail from Innisfail and the surrounding area. Jay Rosehill, from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Curtis Glencross, who played for the Calgary Flames, Chris and Ryan Russell, who played or were affiliated with the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Montreal Canadiens, and Brandyn Sutter, from the Carolina Hurricanes have all confirmed to be attending the parade.
