The return of rodeo will offer a new wrinkle to fans this year in Millarville.
After a one year hiatus, the Okotoks Pro Rodeo is back at the Millarville racetrack Aug. 27-29 with dozens of local competitors set to take the infield along with some new family friendly events.
“We’ve got the seven pro events and lots of competitors,” said Trevor Reidy, marketing director with the Okotoks & Foothills Pro Rodeo Society. “We also have three novice events, the boys steer riding, novice saddle bronc and novice bareback. We’ve also got the ladies breakaway roping coming back, the mutton bustin, the wild pony race and we added another event for kids this year – the dummy roping.”
The latter entails a dummy with a set of steer horns with the young competitors aiming to rope it as quickly as possible. The children’s events have proven to be a popular draw with all of the spots booked, Reidy added.
On the professional side, some of the top athletes in the sport who call Foothills home will be on site – including Longview sisters Bradi and Kylie Whiteside in the barrel racing and breakaway roping, tie down and team roper Steele DePaoli of Longview along with Okotoks’ Harley Cole and Jonny Webb in steer wrestling.
The 2021 event marks 30 years of the Okotoks Pro Rodeo, including last year’s event cancelled due to the pandemic, and its fourth year in Millarville.
The excitement for the event has been palpable all summer.
“Everybody is really excited about having rodeo back,” Reidy added. “We’ve had a table set up out at Millarville Racing selling raffle tickets for a John Deere gator since June, we’ve had the raffle table at different locations in town as well, and invariably they’re excited about having rodeo back, they want to know for sure when it is.
“It’s been really well received, just plain excited. I think part of it is rodeo back, part of it is they get a chance to be social again. It’s a really good thing.”
Reidy said it’s been a challenging yet exciting time to get all of details ironed out for organizers.
“We’re out of practice and of course we had to start in April instead of January so it’s been a challenge,” he said with a laugh. “You’re always nervous about it until the first day is done and then you’ve either really messed it up or done really well.
“If you’ve messed it up you get a chance to correct it. Yes, it’s exciting, but also nerve-racking.”
The rodeo is also offering a free shuttle bus for spectators departing from Okotoks and Black Diamond locations to the grounds in Millarville on all three days. The shuttle will have pick up and drop off points at the Okotoks Recreation Centre, at Walmart in Okotoks and at the Black Diamond park-and-go lot.
Draw 1 is 7 p.m. on Aug. 27, the slack is Aug. 28 at 9 a.m. with draw 2 to follow at 6:30 p.m. and draw 3 is a 1p.m. start on Aug. 29.
For full details on the rodeo visit okotoksprorodeo.com.
Foothills area competitors
Barrel Racing
Suzanne DePaoli (Longview) — Draw 1
Bradi Whiteside (Longview) — Draw 2
Kylie Whiteside (Longview) — Draw 2
Lisa Zachoda (Okotoks) — Draw 3
Toni Dixon (Millarville) — Draw 3
Kerilee Noval (Turner Valley) — Draw 3
Jesse Madsen Smith (Turner Valley) — Slack
Kendra Edey (Longview) — Slack
Katie Jackson (Millarville) — Slack
Steer Wrestling
Harley Cole (Okotoks) — Draw 3
Jonny Webb (Okotoks) — Slack
Tie-down Roping
Clay McNichol (Okotoks) — Draw 1
Steele DePaoli (Longview) — Draw 3
Team Roping
Lochlan Christianson (Okotoks) — Draw 1
Clay McNichil (Okotoks) — Draw 1
Steele DePaoli (Longview) — Draw 3
Breakaway Roping
Bradi Whiteside (Longview) — Draw 2
Kylie Whiteside (Longview) — Draw 2
Steer Riding
Holden Atkinson (Black Diamond) — Draw 3
