The Water Valley Rodeo has wrapped for the year and already the planning has started for next year's event, said organizers.“We'll be celebrating our 60th anniversary in 2013,” said Hilary Hahn, rodeo secretary for the Water Valley Stampede Association. “We're still in the planning stages, but we would like to honour the sponsors, volunteers and contestants of the past who have made the rodeo possible.”She added that the organization is looking for historical photos and stories from the past 60 years, to help commemorate the annual rodeo.A loyal crowd turned out for the recent event, held on June 2 and 3.“About 1,000 people a day showed up to watch,” Hahn said. “The weather was pretty good, except for one small hailstorm during the calf roping event on Saturday.”There were no stock injuries during the event, she added. “There were minor injuries of some cowboys,” she added.Official results will be posted on the Foothills Cowboy Association website at www.fcarodeo.com.Overall, organizers were pleased with the recent improvements that were done to rodeo buildings.Through a $7,500 grant funded by Mountain View County and the Cremona Recreation Board, rodeo facilities were enhanced and upgraded.“Fiddler's Fort transformed in 2011 from a raggedy outdoor fenced area, over which we strung a large, sometimes leaky, tarp each year,” said Hahn. “It also had a dance floor that had seen better days.“Now, it is a large, enclosed shed with a great dance floor.”As well, a lean-to was added on this year, providing a roof for the outdoor portion of the beer gardens, Hahn said.“The building was initiated by the Water Valley Stampede Association, but quickly became a community effort, with generous local sponsors, tradespeople and volunteers providing materials and countless hours of labour,” she added.“This rodeo would not happen without the steadfast support of our sponsors, who believe so strongly in not just supporting rodeo but also our local community.”
