INNISFAIL -- The town is once again sponsoring one of Alberta's most prestigious rodeos.
The 59th Annual Innisfail Professional Rodeo at the Daines Ranch begins its three-day cowboy show on June 14, and the Town of Innisfail is contributing $2,500 towards its success.
The local rodeo, officially sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in the United States and the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association, is part of an overall annual late spring tradition and celebration in the Innisfail area. During the morning of June 15, downtown Innisfail will be the scene of the Innisfail Rotary Pro-Rodeo Parade, with the entire Allan Cup runner-up Innisfail Eagles hockey team leading the way as this year's parade marshal.
J. Dustin Daines, the director of the rodeo, appeared before Innisfail council on May 27 with the formal sponsorship request and it was unanimously endorsed. Council was told Red Deer County has chipped in with a $500 sponsorship, and up to 50 local and area businesses and organizations are also adding their support as well.
Daines, the son of famed retired Canadian rodeo champion Ivan Daines, told council organizers are expecting 10,000 fans will come to the rodeo show, along with up to 2,000 cowboys and their families from across North America.
"It really shows we are doing something with it," said Daines, adding the annual event, which costs about $150,000 to put on, continues to grow. "Absolutely. It's (rodeo) becoming more popular with urban folks, partially due to social media, partly to the website design and partly due to word of mouth.
"There are a lot of people who come there. They are close to the fence and see the rodeo. We have great stock there," he added.
Daines also believes the local rodeo's future could brighten even more with the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) being moved to Red Deer in the fall of 2018.
"I think it will. Time will tell if the Central Alberta community is rodeoed out but I think there is enough time between Innisfail, Ponoka and the CFR," he said. "If they are all on the same weekend it would be another issue. I think it is good. It is cowboy country, right?"
The 83rd Ponoka Stampede runs from June 25 to July 1 and is followed by the Calgary Stampede from July 5 to 14. The CFR will be held at Red Deer's Westerner Park this year from Oct. 29 to Nov. 3.
In the meantime, this year's Innisfail rodeo at the Daines Ranch will have about $150,000 in prize money for the cowboys. That's about the same as last year but much more than offered in 2015 when the pot was at about $100,000.
This year's rodeo will kick off at 11 a.m. on June 13 with the Rodeo Slack. For both Canadian and American cowboys and fans, Ivan Daines, now a popular country music recording artist, will get things officially rolling by singing both national anthems.
"Rodeo is a big part of life in Canada and the United States for a lot of people involved with horses and cattle in the West as well as in the East," said Ivan, who this year received the award of Alberta Man of Country Music. "It is always an honour to sing the anthems any time, anywhere. They are both great songs."
The weekend rodeo will feature four professional events; Friday, June 14 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, June 15 at 1:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 15 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, June 16 at 1:30 p.m.
Tickets at the gate will cost $25 ($20 pre-sale). Weekend passes, which includes free parking, camping and well water, cost $100 at the gate ($80 pre-sale).
For more information go to the rodeo's website at www.innisfailprorodeo.com
