After a winter hiatus local rodeo hands and members of the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association, are packing their saddlebags and trekking out onto the rodeo trail.
Kyle Daines earned top spot at the first Canadian Cowboys Association event of the year held in Vermillion recently.
Daines beat out 16 other contestents in the March 12 saddle bronc competition with a combined score of 152 in two rides. Second place finisher Jim Berry was three points behind.
The Innisfail competitor got a reride option in the first go round, earning 81 points. He was one of five to stay on his mount in the second go round for eight seconds.
Daines won $1,093.88 for his effort.
This past weekend, March 18-20, contestants also stopped in Camrose to participate in the season's first rodeo, the Camrose Spring Classic Rodeo.
Although this is the first rodeo in Canada for the 2011 rodeo scene, some area cowboys and cowgirls have been trailing to Wrangler Pro Tour Rodeos held in various United States towns and cities.
Contestants will have a slight break now with rodeos gaining full-steam starting with the Medicine Hat Rodeo opening the chutes from April 15-17.
In June, Central Alberta rodeo fans will have the opportunity of witnessing action in four of the top 10 rodeos on the CPRA circuit.
From June 16-19, the rodeo hands will hang their hats in Innisfail to participate in the Daines Ranch Pro Rodeo, offering the fourth largest payout on the CPRA circuit. Besides attracting the world’s best competitors, the Daines Ranch Pro Rodeo committee has received accolades as the CPRA members have voted it as being the best operated rodeo in Canada for several years.
Another popular rodeo in Central Alberta is the Sundre Go Wild Go West pro rodeo scheduled to burst into the rodeo infield from June 24-26.
Over the past few years, the Sundre rodeo committee has worked hard to make improvements to the rodeo every year. In fact, the Go Wild Go West Rodeo is now ranked within the top ten rodeos on the CPRA circuit.
When the rodeo hands pack up and leave Sundre, they will trek into Ponoka to partake in the Ponoka Stampede running from June 27- July 3. With a purse offering over $100,000 in prize money, many of the world’s top cowboys like to drop into Ponoka before they head into Calgary to participate in the World’s Greatest Show On Earth, the Calgary Stampede.
Another highly anticipated rodeo before the Calgary Stampede is the Airdrie Pro rodeo scheduled from June 28 - July 2.
On the Heritage Day weekend - July 28 to Aug. 1 - area rodeo fans can turn into Strathmore, to witness another Canadian classic rodeo, the Strathmore Heritage Days Rodeo.
Besides trekking around Central Alberta to find a rodeo fix, fans can also journey into Saskatchewan and British Columbia to witness highly rated rodeos on the CPRA circuit.
After appearing at rodeos throughout the spring, summer and fall, the 2011 CPRA season will conclude with the Canadian Finals Rodeo scheduled in Edmonton from Nov. 9 - 13.
Besides rodeos in Canada, several CPRA members will trek into the United States to participate in Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association sanctioned events.
Prize money won at both CPRA and PRCA rodeos count towards qualifying for the 2011 World Finals Rodeo slated to burst out of the chutes in early December at Las Vegas, NV.
