ESTEVAN - The Estevan Exhibition Association (EEA) is putting the final touches on the rodeo that is to be held on the Labour Day long weekend.
Events will be happening from Sept. 3-5, as part of the Kakeyow Cowboys Rodeo Association (KCRA) rodeo tour. They received 171 entries, 80 for Saturday and 91 for Sunday, with participants coming from all across Saskatchewan and also a lot of locals joining the event.
EEA president Tamera Huber said a lot of work has been put into the rodeo over an unusually short time they had to get ready, but everything is coming together fine.
"Everything is going quite well, all of our board members have been very busy talking to business owners seeking sponsorship, organizing the different parts of the event," said Huber, adding that they'll be happy to accept any help from the community at any time.
And while everything is being done on very short notice, Huber praised the incredible support they've been receiving from the business community despite the trying times many find themselves in these days.
"It makes you proud of where you come from," Huber said.
The annual parade is scheduled for Sept. 3. The rodeo will begin with a slack performance in the morning of Sept. 4, and there will be a rodeo performance in the evening of Sept. 4, starting at 5 p.m. Sept. 5 will see a slack at 9 a.m., and the rodeo performance was moved to 2 p.m.
There will also be a rodeo cabaret on Sept. 4, with Third Degree Birnz performing. Beer gardens and food trucks will be on site each day.
Everything will look a bit different this year as Estevan is getting the KCRA, which is a more family-friendly rodeo, and Huber hopes the rodeo will give Estevan a taste of what to expect from the KCRA, as it will be the rodeo circuit for the Energy City moving forward.
"It's going to be different because it's a different kind of rodeo. This is a newer experience for us as well," Huber said. "I think it'll be interesting because it's a more family-oriented rodeo. So I'm interested to see what the numbers are and the age groups that we're going to get for contestants."
The rodeo will also bring in new features Estevan hasn't seen before.
"There's hooves versus hawgs, a new thing to the rodeo. A few people are aware of it … I think this is going to draw more crowds ... I got to see it two years ago, and it is quite a unique event, dirt bikes racing horses."
Hooves vs. hawgs will take place Friday night after the kids’ rodeo.
People can choose to purchase day passes or opt-in for a weekend option, which is $25 per adult and $15 for kids 6-15 years old.
Usually, the EEA has much more time to bring a rodeo to Estevan. However, this year was very different. With ever-changing health measures, until the last minute, they weren't sure if they would be allowed to have at least one of their biggest fundraisers of the year, which they had last in 2019. Fortunately, the restrictions were lifted just in time to be able to pull it together.
"Our board members are extremely excited. They are working like crazy to get this organized," Huber said. "There is a tremendous list of things that need to be taken care of, from advertising to permits of all kinds. And our secretary is wonderful in that aspect, organized all that. Then there is the arena prep that takes hours and hours, and trucks full of water over and over and over. One of our board members works for Genco Asphalt. And he has taken care of that rodeo arena for years and does a beautiful job with it."
While most preparations are done, the EEA is still in need of more volunteers for the gate. All information is on the Estevan Exhibition Association Facebook page.
"If you want to come out and participate in some way, but you don't want to fully participate in the activities, you can always volunteer somewhere," Huber said. "You can volunteer for multiple positions. There's different shifts for the gates, and then I believe that there's going to be different shifts for the cabaret."
Huber added she doesn't know what to expect for the turnout but hopes a lot of people take the opportunity to enjoy the weekend full of excitement and interesting features.
"It's been so long since we've been able to have major functions anywhere in the world. It would be beautiful to see a huge turnout. I mean, people that have never been to a rodeo it'd be wonderful to see them come out. I think it's just going to be a fun weekend. Yeah, it's going to be exhausting, but we've all been waiting for it," Huber said.
"Come on out and support us. It's a fundraiser for us. The first fundraiser we've been able to have in two years. And we just want to see everybody's smiling faces," Huber added.
