About 2,000 people of all ages attended the 61st annual Water Valley Stampede Rodeo on June 7 and 8, with guests treated to some great competition under warm weather condition, say organizers.
Started in 1953, this year's Foothills Cowboy Association (FCA) sanctioned rodeo included a number of competitors from Mountain View County, including event winners Jody Laye and Dean Erickson of Cremona and Terry Cummings of Sundre.
“We had perfect weather, not a drop of rain or snow, which was a nice change,” said co-organizer Hilary Hahn.
In all there were 294 FCA entries, along with 24 wild horse racers and 16 wild cow milkers at this year's rodeo.
The other event winners were as follows:
• Bareback riding – Tate Hartell of Strathmore won with a 70 score.
• Novice horse riding – Cody Big Tobacco of Siksika won with a 67 score.
• Calf roping – Dallas McDougall of Bashaw won with a 7.9-second time.
• Team roping – Denver Johnson of Strathmore and Cole Robertson of Okotoks won with a 5.3-second time.
• Steer wrestling – Lance Fraser of Provost won with a 5.1-second time.
• Steer riding – Dawson Shannon of Drayton Valley won with a 7.3-second time.
• Wild cow milking – Derrin Tracey of Strathmore and Terry Cummings of Sundre won.
• In the Rod Hindes 25th Anniversary Memorial wild cow milking event, Jody Laye and Dean Erickson of Cremona won.
• Bull riding – Armando Davila of Stettler won with a 73 score.
• Wild horse racing – Mark Trabysh of Wellington won.
• Saddle bronc – Jake Vernon won on Richard's Rodeo Chuck a Luck.
• Pee Wee barrel racing – Shaylene Lawson of Bittern Lake won with a 17.883- second time.
• Junior barrel racing – Jillian Ranks of Calgary won with a 16.690-second time.
• Ladies barrel racing – Riley Greene of Okotoks won with a 16.719-second time.
There were no qualified rides in Junior bull riding, sponsored by Pengelly Rodeo.
