73rd Annual Keremeos Rodeo

I like to think of myself as a country girl - I love being outdoors, I'm strong willed and down-to- earth, I work hard and expect to get my hands dirty to get a job done right, I feel comfortable in my cowboy boots and hat, and I love country music. (I have also developed a pressing need to start riding again since moving to Cawston to rekindle my love of horses. To date, I unfortunately have not yet been able to locate a horse to ride.)

Personally, the decision to attend the Keremeos Rodeo was immediate and instinctual. However, accompanying me were three to whom the decision to attend was not so natural - Bonnie, my long-time friend of Canadian-Chinese heritage; Linda, a twenty-year-old German traveler (who happens to be a vegetarian); and Mary Jane, the recently hired live-in-nanny from the Philippines. I got the impression that each of these three were both nervous and anxious to see what the rodeo was all about, and I am glad to report, that it was a positive experience for all involved.

I feel fortunate to live in a place where there is a rodeo circuit. The British Columbia Rodeo Association (BCRA) hosts rodeos all across the province. These are primarily amateur/semi-pro competitors that are hoping to improve their performances to compete at higher levels. The rodeo did however have professional bull riding on the third day. It made me wonder what other provinces have rodeo associations. It turns out BC, Alberta and the Prairies (Saskatchewan and Manitoba) each have a circuit.

The rodeo was held on a local ranchers property, the entry fee was $10 CAD, the concession was cheap (most impressive was the fact that they had farmers in the back of the kitchen hand slicing the fries to meet the high demand), and the competitions were great! We watched barrel racing, bull riding, wrangling, team roping, bareback riding, saddle bronc, and tie-down roping. During intermissions, we were entertained by an onslaught of country music, a fabulous rodeo clown and even a children's calf chase - where every child in the crowd steps into the arena, half a dozen calves are set loose and the kids have to chase the calves down to capture a ribbon from one of the baby animal's tails.

Linda, being a vegetarian, was very concerned about the well being of the animals, especially the calves in the roping events and the steers in the wrangling event. Though once she was satisfied that the animals were being treated well and many times were able outrun their captors, she was able to set her worries aside. At the end of the weekend, Linda asked me why so many people refused to attend the rodeo when it was such a fun experience. I explained that many people have a negative opinion on 'cowboy culture' and look down upon anything to do with it.

We both agreed that those people are missing out.