With an event that’s been a staple in the community for almost a half-century, one might expect the organizers of the Kinsmen Indoor Rodeo to rest on the laurels.
That’s hardly the case for the members of the rodeo committee, as plans are already in the works to improve next spring’s event at the North Battleford Civic Centre.
“Once everyone’s taken some time to reflect on the weekend, we will sit down and have a discussion on what went well and what we can build on as we go forward,” rodeo committee member Heath Gabruch said.
“We want to bring a world class show to the community each year so we like to take a look at what other rodeos are doing in order to keep things fresh. However, there’s also some things that have always stayed the same around here as you can’t make them any better.”
The 47th edition of the rodeo, which took place from April 28-30, proved to be another smash hit when it came to the crowds that were at the Civic Centre.
“We had a sellout on Friday night, which was tremendous, and Saturday’s crowd was really good as well,” Gabruch said. “It was down a little bit Sunday, but I think that was because it was the first really nice day we’ve had on a weekend in awhile, so that may have affected things a little bit.
“As a whole, we were right around the 5,500 to 6,000 person range for the weekend, which is fairly normal for us. From the fans that come out to the volunteers that have been a part of this for years and now have their kids lending a helping hand, it really does feel like a true community rodeo.”
When it comes to the actual rodeo action, Gabruch believes a change in the format this year helped to provide some exciting competition heading into Sunday.
“We added a bonus round this year for the final day so there were two pools of cash for the cowboys to try and win,” Gabruch said. “As a result, people were really stepping up their game for Friday and Saturday.
“With a pro rodeo event taking place over the weekend in Crowsnest Pass, Alta., our stock provider (Battle River Rodeo) actually suggested the change in format for us. It actually made for more of a complete show as the top performers from each day came back Sunday for a chance to have a big payday.”
There were also some new elements for the spectators to enjoy, such as a new high definition big screen that replays were shown on throughout the weekend.
“You want to keep things as a fresh and as exciting as possible during a two-and-a-half hour show,” Gabruch said.
The rodeo committee was still tabulating the funds that were raised from the weekend as of press time, with an announcement forthcoming as to which area organizations will receive donations from this year’s event.
