More than 120 of the top student rodeo competitors from across the province convened in Estevan on the weekend for the Saskatchewan High School Rodeo Association's provincial finals.
The Estevan Exhibition Grounds were packed from Thursday through Sunday with rodeo events in the high school and junior high divisions, as well as a rodeo queen contest and a year-end awards banquet on Friday night.
Four local students competed in the finals. Grade 12 students Casey and Callie Barbour made it to the short go performance on Sunday, which brings together the top contestants in each event from the long go.
Casey and Callie made it in the barrel racing event and Casey was the top local performer, finishing in eighth place. Callie finished ninth.
Casey will now head to the Canadian finals in Nanton, Alta.
Grade 10 student Kathleen Schiml and Grade 9 student Drew Dowhanuik also competed in the finals. Results for them were not available at press time.
SHSRA national director Howard Floyd said he was very impressed by the job Estevan's organization did.
"Estevan was a super host. We totally enjoyed our time in the city and felt very welcomed there by everyone.
"The organization was excellent. We pulled into the grounds Thursday at noon and everything was already ready to go. We had a very good support staff there helping us to be ready. Everything else went off without a hitch."
There was a potential snag overnight Saturday night when rain and thunderstorms hit the city, but the short go in the high school division went ahead as scheduled on Sunday.
"When we got there Thursday, we were wondering what it would be like, but Thursday evening it cleared off and the weather was perfect. It stayed great all weekend. We did get some rain late Saturday night. The grounds in the arena are just phenomenal. They can take a lot of water. Despite the rain, we had the fastest barrel racing performance of the weekend in the short go," Floyd said.
More than 20 volunteers, between the local group and the SHSRA board of directors, worked all weekend long to make the finals a success. There were also directors for each event.
The sport of rodeo is renowned for its sportsmanship and it was no different in Estevan, Floyd said.
"We've got 120-plus kids there who are just giving it their all. Through the entire weekend, we saw great demonstrations of sportsmanship. That's typical of the sport of rodeo. If somebody goes out and has a good run or a good tie-down roping time, they're right there cheering on their buddies to beat them. That's the nice thing about rodeo."
This was the first time Estevan hosted the SHSRA provincials.
In the high school division, which includes Grades 9-12, the event winners were Calonna Slade (barrel racing), Bari Philips and Jaclyn Noll (girls goat tying), Bailey Briere (pole bending), Fayth Panchuk (girls breakaway roping), Greg Gillis (tie-down roping), Tyce McLeod (steer wrestling), Calder Peterson (bareback riding), J.B. Moen (saddle bronc and bull riding), Tee McLeod and Tyce McLeod (team roping), Cassandra Eaton (cutting) and Tyrel Hicks (light rifle and trap shooting).
In the junior high division, which covers Grades 6-8, the champions were Shelby Lockie (barrel racing), Paige Mizu (girls breakaway roping, pole bending and girls goat tying), Ty Skene (tie-down roping), Dallyn Panchuk (chute dogging and boys breakaway roping), Colt Kornfeld (boys goat tying), Jud Colliness (junior bull riding), Kobe Kmita (two-handed steer riding), Riley McClintock and Shana Froshaug (team roping) and Panchuk and Amy Bowditch (ribbon roping).
