The 22nd annual Grain Millers Harvest Showdown returned to Yorkton with some changes this year. The first, perhaps most noticeable change was the extra day added to the event, notes Penny Sandercock, Yorkton Exhibition Board president. The event, which ran from Tuesday, November 2 to Saturday, November 6, was in-creased to five days this year. "We've added one more day this year with the Canola Expo which was represented by 230 producers which was phenomenal," she says.
The Showdown featured over 125 exhibitors on hand this year, Sandercock adds.
Over 1,100 school children took in the Harvest showdown over three days, she reports.
The Showdown committee appreciates the assistance of sponsors and volunteers. "Without them we couldn't do this show," Sandercock declares.
The horse show and various competitions have grown, running from 10 (a.m.) to 10 (p.m.), making for long 12 hour days, she reports.
This year the rodeo featured a new stock contractor and the calibre of the cowboys competing this year was phenomenal, she suggests. "It's just become a very busy show and we're proud to be a part of it," Sandercock declares.
In addition to the extended dates, there were other notable changes, including the horse pull competition and the chore horse competition.
Absent was the stock dog competition. It seems the owners of the dogs were not prepared to go ahead this year because of losses to their dogs, Sandercock reports, adding that she hopes the competition will return next year.
She says the mission of Harvest Showdown is to keep agriculture a key component of our community. "It's just a way to bring family and friends together and that is our mission of the Yorkton Exhibition," she closes
Back for his another year was rodeo announcer Brad Stenberg, the man who keeps the audience informed and entertained during the rodeo. Stenberg, who says he always enjoys coming to Yorkton, managed to take the entire four days of Harvest Showdown activity this year.
Since he was in the city last, He's managed to travel throughout Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan working rodeos just about every weekend and having lots of fun.
Many rodeo events mirror techniques used on working ranches across western Canada. "When there's an animal needs to be treated, the cowboys go ahead and do it. Here they try to do it a little faster," Stenberg explains.
He suggests rodeo may have suffered from the economy and bad weather rather than because of animal rights activists in this part of Canada. "We deal more with the agricultural type community and people like that understand it," he says.
