INNISFAIL – The stands were packed; the music was loud and the cowboys gave it their all.
The rodeo was back.
In fact, the 2021 Daines Ranch Pro Rodeo from Sept. 2 to 4 at the legendary Daines Rodeo Ranch was belatedly celebrating its 60th anniversary of thrills, spills and down-home gratitude for a great western Canadian tradition.
“To be honest, it was simply amazing,” said Kyle Daines, one of the event’s organizers. “Everybody was out there having a good time and everybody kind of forgot about the real world. Everybody just came out and enjoyed themselves.
“You come through the gates at the ranch and it’s just different out there,” he added. “You are out on the hill watching the rodeo under the lights and it was just a lot of fun to see people laugh, talk and be around each other. It’s the rodeo way to just go out and have some fun.”
And besides COVID, which forced the cancellation of the event in 2020, this year was different for another important reason.
The main rodeo competition was held during the evenings for the first time.
“It was awesome. It’s just a little different atmosphere, a totally different look at rodeo,” said Daines. “We love our afternoon performances. You get more of the family and kids and stuff, and in the night time it’s more of a party crowd you can say. Yes, it was a fun show, fun to be part of and the weather could not have been better either.”
As for going forward, and lessons learned from these challenging times, Daines is quick to point the family is “very lucky” with the new committee it has in place to move to future levels of rodeo excellence.
“We have to give a big shout out to them for the amount of work they did, and volunteering. Right now, we have a heck of a team,” said Daines, highlighting some early event challenges. “On Wednesday (Sept. 1) we had a two-hour job to hang banners and it turns into seven hours because of the wind and the rain. Everybody is out there bearing down and working hard. A lot of our committee realizes how hard a rodeo is to put on. It’s an awful lot of work.”
As for the COVID factor? Daines said it did not present any challenges to organizers.
“Not at all,” he said. “COVID did not really effect us all.
“We just want to sit back and reflect on the weekend,” he added. “Within the next week we will be gunning for 2022. We will be back.”
As for the main rodeo competition at the 2021 Daines Ranch Pro Rodeo, below is the unofficial final results:
Bareback riding: 1. Cole Goodine, 82.5 points on Duane Kesler Rodeo’s G7 Little Rotten, $1109.20; 2. (tie) Strawbs Jones and Jacob Stemo, 81, $693.25 each; 4. Michael Solberg, 80, $227.30
Steer wrestling: 1. Landon Beardsworth, 4.0 seconds, $1405.30; 2. (tie) Walker Guthrie and Ryan Shuckburgh, 4.4, $1130.35 each; 4. Tanner Turcato, 4.5, $855.40; 5. Cody Cassidy, 4.8, $672.10; 6. Stephen Culling, 4.9, $488.80; 7. Matt Richardson, 5.2, $305.50; 8. Cole Rutledge, 5.4, $122.20
Team roping: 1. Tate Schmidt/Kagen Schmidt, 4.5 seconds, $1894.57 each; 2. Wyatt Eirikson/Denver Johnson, 4.7; $1567.92; 3. Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 5.1, $1241.27; 4. (tie) Travis Nickolson/Jared Pancoast and Logan Bonnett/Keely Bonnett, 5.3, $751.30 each; 6. (tie) Dylan Knapp/Walker Galloway and Devin Wigemyr/Trey Gallais, 5.9, $163.32
Saddle bronc: 1. Lucas Macza, 81 points on Duane Kesler Rodeo’s 40 Dutch Treat, $1034; 2. Brady Dinwoodie, 77, $775.50; 3. Lane Cust, 76, $517; 4. Kole Ashbacher, 74.5, $258.50
Tie down roping: 1. Dylan Knapp, 8.2 seconds, $1426.92; 2. Erik Dublanko, 8.5, $1240.80; 3. (tie) Wyatt Hayes, Logan Bird, Jason Smith and Riley Warren, 8.8, $775.50 each; 5. Darren Dublanko, 8.9, $310.20; 6. Aaron Mosicki, 9.0, $124.08
Ladies barrel racing: 1. Lynette Brodoway, 15.879, $1816.08; 2. Valerie Gillespie, 15.979, $1556.64; 3. Vanessa Salisbury, 16.097, $1297.20; 4. Lacey Caldas, 16.098, $1124.24; 5. Amanda Vold, 16.113, $864.80; 6. Kerilee Noval; 16.115, $691.84; 7. Brooke Wills, 16.118, $518.88; 8. Shaylee McMann, 16.131, $345.92; 9. Kayce Liptak, 16.148, $259.44; 10. Reata Schlosser, 16.156, $172.96
Bull riding: 1. Zane Lambert, 84.5 points on C5 Rodeo’s LT Double Vision, $1240.80; 2. Lonnie West, 83, $930.60; 3. Griffin Smeltzer, 73, $620.40
Ground money: $103.40 each
Breakaway roping: 1. Kendal Pierson, 1.78 seconds, $1340.44; 2. Brooke Pomeranz, 2.39, $1165.60; 3. Brittany Schuk, 2.56, $990.76; 4. Lakota Bird, 2.66, $815.92; 5. Lawrie Saunders, 2.69, $641.08; 6. Traci Aipperspach, 2.81, $466.24; 7. Jayne Thurston, 2.82, $291.40; 7. Kyle Whiteside, 2.96, $116.56
Personnel:
Stock contractor: C5 Rodeo; Sub-contractors: Duane Kesler Rodeo. Vold Rodeo; Timed event cattle: Lazy B Timed Event; Judges: John Gillis, Cam Morris; Announcer: Dustin Edwards; Secretary: Sylvia Kerr; Timers: Dusty Daines, Monica Wilson; Pick-up men: Jim Berry, Jeff Resch; Bullfighters: Tanner Byrne, Houston Gleason; Flankmen: Tyson Cardinal, Duane Kesler, Nansen Vold; Music director: Ryan Petruicki; Video/replay screen: Super Vision Sound and Visual
