The house that Jack built may have held its 54th and final Innisfail Professional Rodeo last weekend.
“There comes a time with everybody that you've got to sit down and say that's enough,” said Jack Daines. “If somebody picks it up and carries on, then there will be a 55th. At this point, I don't think they will.
"Organizing a rodeo is hard work," added Daines. "The Ponoka folks have a committee that looks after all the events, but here it's just me."
However, this year's annual rodeo classic did go on from June 13 to 15, even with rain threatening the opening day of the highly anticipated local pro rodeo.
And it did rain -- hard enough to muddy the rodeo ring and Daines Ranch campground. Still, rodeo fans drove from many, many kilometres around to witness the ultimate battle between man and beast, and to pay tribute to a legend.
Lethbridge native Todd Woodward was one of those cowboys looking to make his mark on the rodeo and punch his ticket to this year's Canadian Finals Rodeo, which is being held in Edmonton from November 5 to 9.
“I steer wrestle in somewhere around 50 and 60 rodeos per year,” said the cowboy while preparing for an evening event. “I've been competing since high school, and one thing about this sport is that it is not easy. Your placement in the event doesn't always depend on your skill, but which animal you get in the draw.”
Woodward, who won the Canadian title in 2007, noted the rodeo stock comes from Doug Wilkinson and this was only their second rodeo so they should be lively.
For five-year-old Winchester Slade, who was one of the Tim Horton Muttin Busters, this was his first rodeo.
“I think the tough part will be hanging on,” said the rookie rider.
After Muttin Bustin opened the pro rodeo on Friday night, competition began in earnest with the Wild Rose Riders circling the ring for O Canada and the United States' national anthem.
The rodeo ran nearly flawlessly over the weekend with good weather and good audiences enjoying the events from Friday to late afternoon Sunday.
Once the mud settled back on the rodeo ring, only one cowboy could claim top prize in the ring for each of the events.
Travis Reay took first place with a time of 4.1 seconds in steer wrestling, while Dantan Bertsch gathered 79 points in novice bareback. The Team roping competition was lassoed home by Levi Simpson and Ryon Tittel in 4.8 seconds, and Nate Baldwin took tie down roping in eight seconds flat. Novice saddle bronc was won by Keenan Reinhart with 77 points, and Owen Berreth claimed the boys steer riding event at 77. Ky Marshall scored 89.5 in bareback to win the title, and Brock Radford won bull riding with 89.5 points. Sam Kelts and Link Mountain took saddle bronc at 88 points while Laci Suitor handled the competition in ladies barrel racing with a time of 15.87 seconds.
