Skip to content

Family fun and lots of sun at Rimbey Rodeo

By Janaia Hutzal

By Janaia Hutzal

For Rimbey Review

The sun came out bright for the second day of 2022 Rimbey CARA Rodeo matching the smiles of the cheering crowd.

With about 500 in attendance at Co-operators Agrim Centre on July 9, 2022, the events began with 7-year-old Amelia Woolford’s singing of O’ Canada, which according to announcer Josh Carothers, was not her first time singing the national anthem.

“She often comes up at rodeos and offers to sing,” said Carothers of the muttin buster.

Once “The Cowboys Prayer” was recited, the Rimbey Rodeo Royalties rode off with waves, parading an exit as grand as their entry.

After two years of a pandemic pause, safety came first throughout the day for the riders and ropers. Beginning with cheers for the wild pony racers and wild cow milkers and ending with applauses for the bull riders, family fun and professional collaboration could be seen all around.

With over 100 sponsors and many volunteers, the community came together with gratitude to be able to celebrate the 56th edition of the Rimbey Rodeo as well as 100 years for the Ag Centre. The centre’s actual centennial was last May but was not celebrated because of Covid.

Meghan Speed, office manager at the Ag Centre said that “it means a lot” to be able to celebrate this year.

“It is awesome,” she said. “We have been doing it for so long, and there are so many people who have come in and out of the society and are still around.”

Birthday cake and corn dogs were enjoyed by folks of all ages, who gathered to watch Mayor Rick Pankiw and Jill Moore, president of the Rimbey Agricultural Society board make a splash in the dunk tank before the new Rimbey Royals were crowned.

Rimbey Rodeo Queen 2022 Julia Holtcamp, Rimbey Rodeo Princess 2022 Cassandra Hall and Rimbey Rodeo Junior Miss 2022 Kara Lenart thanked their many supporters as they accepted their new roles of representation with grace.

In the town, the PasKaPoo Historical Park offered tours of the over 54-year-old museum, which Curator Cheryl Jones said recently suffered a devastating loss due to a fire to one of their buildings.

“We are very fortunate to have such a quick response from the volunteer fire department in Rimbey because they saved the rest of the village,” said Jones.

The final rodeo competitions commenced on Sunday at 1 p.m.