A trio of lakecity cowboys will be attending national and international competitions this month in both Canada and the U.S.
Conway Pinchbeck, who competes in chute dogging, Wyatt Armes, who will be competing in cutting, and Blaine Manuel, a bull rider, will be representing the Williams Lake High School Rodeo Club.
Armes and Manuel are competing at the National High School Finals Rodeo from July 16-22 in Gillette, Wyoming.
Pinchbeck, meanwhile, who is headed into his Grade 9 year, competed earlier at the junior nationals in Lebanon, Tennessee, and will also be in action at the rodeo.
Armes, who is headed into Grade 12 this year, said he’s looking forward to the opportunity to compete amongst the best in the nation.
Aside from all three competing at the Canadian High School National Rodeo Finals from July 25-27 in Nanton, Alta., Armes and Manuel will be at the National High School Rodeo Finals Rodeo.
“Down at nationals it’s really competitive so I just want to go there and learn a lot from the people who’ve been doing it a bit longer,” Armes said. “There are some really nice horses down there.”
More than 88 boys and 128 girls will be competing in the cutting competition.
“And that’s kind of the lower end of the turnout compared to the other events,” he said.
Armes, Pinchbeck and Manuel all qualified for their respective categories at the BC High School Rodeo Provincials, following finishing in the top four of their events.
The trio have been fundraising locally, including at the Williams Lake Stampede selling cotton candy behind the grandstand, to help afford the massive cost associated with travelling to the rodeos.
“We fundraised during Stampede, I worked for the Stampede for two weeks and made some money there, then cleaned pens after the Stampede and made some more money there. I’m making money wherever I can,” Armes said. “It’s expected to cost us about $3,500 for the trip to both rodeos.”
And with his horse, named Foxy Armes said he’s been training for the past two years in cutting and works for about an hour a day on his family’s acreage on Fox Mountain.
“When I started I was first borrowing horses but purchased Foxy a year ago,” he said.
“He’s got some good moves.”
He encourages newcomers to join the Williams Lake High School Rodeo Club as numbers are dwindling, however, the talent, is not.
“We definitely have some bull riders and good barrel racers,” he said.
“Hopefully we do well at Canadians because a lot of people are going and I think B.C. in itself has a lot of talent, and Williams Lake has lots of talent in it. Williams Lake is the main rodeo city.”