Olds College rodeo team head coach Guy Kelley is looking forward to "a full house" when the college holds an alumni rodeo March 24.
It's a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the rodeo team.
"I've been in contact with a few people from way back 50 years ago," he says. "It would be kind of neat to see some people that were (here) back 50 years ago, for sure."
He's not sure if those people will make it, but he's hopeful.
The rodeo begins at 1 p.m. A beef on a bun cowboy social follows at 5:30 p.m.
Eleven events are scheduled. They are pole bending, bareback, goat tying, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, breakaway roping, saddle bronc, barrel racing, ladies' cow riding, team roping and bull riding.
Kelley anticipates 80 to more than 100 people will participate. He predicts many of those contestants will be students currently taking rodeo courses, but he's hoping at least a few will be rodeo team alumni, although he admits the roughstock events might literally be too rough for some of the oldest alumni.
"We've got a few alumni members coming from back in 10 years or so. I mean, obviously (those who were) in the roughstock 10 or 15 years ago, they're probably not going to get on roughstock again, right? But there are a few, for sure," he says.
The rodeo will begin with an extra special grand entry, featuring Foss Irwin from the Wetaskiwin area.
"He's got a six-horse hitch and we're going to have a pretty neat grand entry. We're going to turn all the lights off and he's got LED lights on his wagon team and everything. He's going to come in and we'll have some dignitaries in the wagon to start everything off," Kelley says.
The roughstock events have been opened up to non-alumni, including students.
"Because the roughstock events are hurting for competitors, we've kind of opened it up to some high school kids which we are calling the future alumni," Kelley says.
"People are really gung-ho about it and I guess we'll see. We'll see when the doors open who comes, right? I'm expecting a full house."
