Williams Lake Stampede’s Thursday night rodeo kicked off a return to full stampede action on June 30, 2022.
The crowd was lively and there was plenty of orange shirts to go with the theme Family and Every Child Matters.
The events got underway after the grand entry of the Xeni Gwet’in wagons and riders.
Williams Lake First Nation Kukpi7 (Chief) Willie Sellars and drummers and singers welcomed the group to the territory and Sellars spoke, followed by some words from Xeni Gwet’in Chief Jimmie Lulua.
Xeni Gwet’in youth from the ride then performed a song for the crowd before the rodeo got underway.
It was an action-packed rodeo night, with an enthusiastic crowd of about 4,000, according to announcer Tyson Pietsch.
While a few riders were thrown against the fence, no serious injuries took place, including during the heart-stopping Mountain Race.
Bull-riding went until after 10 p.m. and a long lineup formed immediatley afterwards outside the Let’R’Buck Saloon for music lovers to catch Chad Brownlee and Karen Lee Batton live on stage.
Crowds in the stands on Friday were even bigger and Saturday was set to be a sell-out crowd as rodeo returns to the lakecity.
Read more: Daring mountain racers thrill fans at 94th Annual Williams Lake Stampede
Read more: PHOTOS: Hit-to-pass kicks off Stampede racing at WL Forestry/NAPA Thunder Mountain Speedway
ruth.lloyd@wltribune.com
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