INNISFAIL — If it’s June, then it’s rodeo time for Innisfail and area citizens.
It will also be Father’s Day weekend with the 61st annual Daines Pro Rodeo going ahead starting today with final performances on Sunday at the Daines Ranch, six kilometres north of town along the C & E Trail.
With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing its cancellation in 2020, and last year’s rodeo delayed until September, the upcoming edition will be the first time since 2019 the Daines Pro Rodeo will be ready to hit the saddles at its traditional time of year.
“All the cowboys are back going and they’re battling it out right now,” said Kyle Daines, organizer of this year’s event. “I’m surprised at how many guys are going with the price of fuel but they’re going and giving it.
“We’re getting all the best stock we can and everything feels back to normal going back to Father’s Day weekend and the amount of support we get from the community is awesome and we’re thankful. We can’t wait to start the rodeo.”
This year’s Daines Pro Rodeo, however, will go on with an undercurrent of sadness.
On Dec. 28, the legendary Jack Daines passed away at the age of 86. A famed rodeo competitor, announcer, promoter, and builder, Jack organized the first Innisfail Pro Rodeo more than 60 years ago, and developed it to be one of the top rodeos in Canada.
There’s a special tribute being planned in Jack’s honour at this year’s event.
“We'll have a special deal on Sunday (June 19), a special tribute to Jack,” said Daines. “I'll be at the beginning of a performance at two o’clock. We're going to get the family there, and we're just going to have a little video that we're going to play. It will be a five to 10-minute deal.”
Prior to all the weekend action at the rodeo the Daines Ranch will be hosting two days (June 13 or 14) of qualifying races for this year’s Calgary Stampede.
On June 8, the Daines Ranch also hosted a Cowboy Dinner to kick off the festivities for the 61st annual rodeo.
Later this evening, the thrilling three-day rodeo officially gets underway at 7 p.m.
Daines said the ranch is expecting up to 340 contestants from Canada and the U.S. over the three days of competition in a battle to earn a share of the $40,000 of total prize money.
“I would say just in the barrel race alone we’ve got 141 girls entered,” said Daines.
On Saturday at 1 p.m., there will be a Family Day special event that will feature novice riding events, including bareback and saddle bronc riding, as well as junior barrel racing and freestyle bullfighting.
“What it is, is just one guy in the arena going against one of them little Mexican bulls,” said Daines.
That night at 7 p.m. there will be more full pro rodeo action, which will go again on Sunday, June 19 at 2 p.m.
Tickets for the 61st annual Daines rodeo are $25 for each adult, and that will also get attendees free camping at the Daines Ranch.
