The opening event of the Saskatchewan High School Rodeo Association season will take place at the rodeo grounds at Wood Mountain Regional Park on August 19-20. Two days of rodeo action featuring both junior and senior divisions run daily starting at 9 a.m. The SHSRA annual general meeting will also take place at the rodeo following the senior competition. A pool party for competitors is also being organized as a social event.
Each day’s competition begins with the junior division events followed by the senior division events. The junior division includes participants in Grades 6 to 8 and the senior division includes those in Grades 9 to 12. Those students who have graduated already are no longer eligible to enter.
To enter, participants have to be members of the SHSRA. There is also a one-time option for those new to rodeo. They can enter in their local rodeo before committing themselves for the whole season. High school rodeo entrants compete for points in events that accumulate over the rodeo season. Those with the highest points have a shot at the high school rodeo scholarships handed out at the finals at the end of the rodeo year in July. Many of the local rodeos give out prizes for participation to encourage the entrants.
The SHSRA rodeo in Wood Mountain will include the standard rodeo events like bronc riding, bull riding and barrel racing. But there are also additional events on the schedule that are designed to prepare younger rodeo athletes for the pro rodeos. For example, chute dogging with smaller calves prepares young rodeo athletes for steer wrestling. Other events unique to high school rodeo are goat tying and breakaway.
Those planning to attend the high school rodeo in Wood Mountain can cheer on local athletes from the south country including Morgan and Kate Anderson from Rockglen, Jill Marcenko from Rockglen, Riley McLintock from Wood Mountain, Brooke Lee from Bengough, Liam and Warren Marshall from Coronach, Karli Cowie from Mankota, Chance and Walker Sjogren from Coronach, Judd Colliness from Kincaid, and from Val Marie Colt Kornfeld, McKenna Legault, Riley Haze and Wyatt Haze.
Rodeo is not just a fun past-time for young students. Competing in rodeo during high school can be a smart career choice. High school students have to keep up their grades to be eligible to enter the SHSRA rodeos. Grades are strictly monitored. They also have to score in the top five in their event to win scholarship funding. The scholarships are awarded at the finals at the end of the season.
Participating in rodeo in high school has helped to develop the students’ discipline and work ethic. SHSRA organizers estimate that about half of those competing go on to participate in college rodeo, mostly in the U.S. where there are large scholarships and more funding for rodeo athletes. Although many Saskatchewan high school rodeo athletes have studied in the U.S., a lot return to take over family ranches in Saskatchewan and use their education in Canada. Rodeo participation has inspired former high school rodeo competitors to pursue careers in animal and veterinary sciences and training horses. Some students from the south country who have participated in Saskatchewan High School Association Rodeo include Kassidy Williamson, Chanse Switzer, Bailey Switzer and Zane Marcenko. They are moving on to take up college scholarships in the U.S.
This rodeo at Wood Mountain is the first event of the SHSRA calendar. Big Beaver hosts the next leg of junior and senior rodeo at the Big Beaver rodeo rounds on August 26-27. The finals of the 2016-2017 Saskatchewan High School Rodeo season just took place in Swift current in July. Wood Mountain has bid to host the finals for next year.
