Skip to content

Photos: Children enjoy Seventh Annual Cowboy Carnival

Don’t miss the indoor rodeo, the kick off to the rodeo season, starting tonight
16583107_web1_IMG_3573
Justine Billyboy takes a turn on the bucking barrel machine as her father Evans Billyboy looks on with a smile. Patrick Davies Photo.

Dozens of children flocked to the Cariboo Memorial Recreational Complex Friday morning for the Cowboy Carnival.

An annual event that’s been run by the Billyboy family for the last seven years, the Cowboy Carnival is a chance to get the children of the lakecity into the ranching and rodeo life early. Attendees got to pet ponies, ride a mechanical bull, take a seat on a real tractor and play various carnival games mimicking ranch life.

The event went well on Friday according to Terris Billyboy, a former Stampede Princess and one of the founder’s of the carnival. As a fourth generation cowgirl who is competing in the breakaway roping event at this year’s rodeo, she said that she feels it’s important to offer children the chance to experience rodeo events first hand.

When she was Stampede Princess, she attended an event called rodeo magic in Edmonton that inspired her to form her own children friendly event.

Read More: Stage is set for 29th annual Williams Lake Indoor Rodeo

“In our first year, I was told bring 50 kids and we’ll make it an annual event and in our first year we had 600 kids show up and it was a little by terrifying,” Billyboy laughed.

Nowadays she said the public interest is steady and she doesn’t have to advertise it too much. Families tend to come in waves as they were at this year’s Cowboy Carnival and beyond it being a little cold Billyboy said there were no problems.

The event also serves as a preamble to the Indoor Rodeo that starts Friday at 6 p.m. and goes for the entire weekend, an event Billyboy encourages the entire town to come out to.

“Being as Williams Lake is built around the rodeo grounds and we have so many rodeos every year, the Indoor Rodeo is a great one to see a lot of local competitors and people you actually know,” Billyboy said. “It’s a really good crowd for an amateur rodeo, the energy is all there.”



patrick.davies@wltribune.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter

16583107_web1_IMG_3556
Jerret Wheetman rides a straw roping bull while his friend Cole Bach looks on. Patrick Davies Photo.
16583107_web1_IMG_3557
Cole Bach ropes a straw bull at the Cowboy Carnival Friday morning. Patrick Davies Photo.
16583107_web1_IMG_3559
Jacob Bach (left) engages in a tug of war with his brother Cole Back and friend Jerret Weetman at the Cowboy Carnival in the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex. Patrick Davies Photo.
16583107_web1_IMG_3568
Ema Bach sits atop a tractor along with her classmate Carleigh Richardson at the Cowboy Carnival Friday Morning. Patrick Davies Photo.
16583107_web1_IMG_3577
Justine Billyboy rides a bucking barrel at the Cowboy Carnival Friday morning. Patrick Davies Photo.
16583107_web1_IMG_3584
Justine Billyboy, (from left) Kaylee Billyboy, Brigette Peel and Terris Billyboy help organize the Cowboy Carnival every year for the last seven years. Patrick Davies Photo.
16583107_web1_IMG_3593
Justine Billyboy (right) laughs in delight as she manages to rope her sister Kaylee Billyboy’s foot during the Cowboy Carnival. Patrick Davies Photo.
16583107_web1_IMG_3597
Benjamin Hansen smiles with a toy hobbyhorse he used for barrel racing at the Cowboy Carnival Friday morning. Patrick Davies Photo.
16583107_web1_IMG_3605
Mackenzie Sabatino and her friend Angus Wellburn take a ride on a tractor at the Cowboy Carnival. Patrick Davies Photo.
16583107_web1_IMG_3631
Mackenzie Sabatino yanks a toy bull to the ground at the lassoing station at the Cowboy Carnival. Patrick Davies Photo.


Patrick Davies

About the Author: Patrick Davies

An avid lover of theatre, media, and the arts in all its forms, I've enjoyed building my professional reputation in 100 Mile House.
Read more