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Rodeo celebrates 25 years with bang

The 25th installment of the Williams Lake Indoor Rodeo didn’t disappoint as fans packed the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex.
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Famous Amos shows Salmon Arm’s Brady Smith his mean streak following a rough bull ride Sunday during the Williams Lake Indoor Rodeo.

The 25th installment of the Williams Lake Indoor Rodeo didn’t disappoint as fans packed the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex for three days of rodeo action April 17-19.

Entertainment, including the popular Gustafson’s Dodge Cowboy Carnival Friday and the barn dance Saturday, capped off a weekend that will go down in the annals of the BC Rodeo Association record books.

“The rodeo was a huge success this year,” said Williams Lake Indoor Rodeo president Kelly Walls. “It was a great weekend and I hope everyone that came enjoyed themselves.”

As always, cowboys and cowgirls travelled from around the province for stop two on this season’s BCRA series following the first event, April 11’s True Grit Indoor Rodeo in Barriere, to take a crack at prize money in multiple events.

Several Cariboo athletes also managed to cash in on a piece of the pie in events such as junior barrel racing, junior steer riding, junior breakaway roping, breakaway roping and bull riding.

On the lighter side of things the third annual Gustafson’s Cowboy Carnival, designed for kids aged 10 and under to get in on the rodeo action, featured dummy roping, stick horse barrel racing, horseshoes, a cowboy boot toss and, of course, a bucking barrel, plus a real pony.

Williams Lake Stampede royalty — Queen Michelle Ball and Princess Matina Durfeld — also held planned activities for participants to enjoy.

“We had a lot of kids come through the doors to experience the Cowboy Carnival the past two years so bringing it back as an annual part of the rodeo was an easy decision to make,” said Williams Lake Indoor Rodeo director Terris Billyboy.

“I love the kids get to try some of the events they will later watch at the rodeo. I’d love to hear that future competitors got to swing a rope or ride the bucking barrel for the first time at our event. Who knows, maybe we can inspire a future pro cowboy or cowgirl, or even a world champion — something Williams Lake has had its share of.”

Billyboy said most importantly, the kids get to have fun.

Also an annual tradition at the Williams Lake Indoor Rodeo, this year’s BC Cowboy Hall of Fame inductees were honoured for their contributions to ranching and rodeo over the years.

Tom Desmond (a working cowboy), Bob Kjos (artistic and competitive achievements,) Coldwell Ranch (Century Ranch) and Charlie Coldwell (working cowboy) were paid this year’s accolades.

Walls, meanwhile, who obtained the Williams Lake Indoor Rodeo presidency this year, added she’d like to thank the City of Williams Lake, the sponsors, the board of directors and all of the multiple volunteers for their countless hours of work to help make this year’s 25th anniversary of the indoor rodeo a special one.

“Let’s ‘Kick up Dirt’ for another 25 years,” she said.

Coming up next in the BCRA season is the Vanderhoof Indoor Rodeo April 25-26.

The following are the top three results in each event from this year’s 25th Williams Lake Indoor Rodeo:

Bareback

1.) Denver DeRose — Kamloops — 83 points, $667.08

2.) Cash Kerner — West Kelowna — 79 points, $510.12

3.) Cash Kerner — West Kelowna — 78 points, $353.16

Tie-Down Roping

1.) Steve Lloyd – Quesnel — 9.4 seconds, $733.41

2./3.) Derek Mobbs – Merritt — 10 seconds, $493.15

2./3.) Dustin Shields — Vanderhoof — 10 seconds, $493.15

Saddle Bronc

1.) Steve Hohmann — Quesnel — 72 points, $821.34

2.) Kaila Mussell — Chilliwack — 72 points, $699.66

Steer Wrestling

1.) Dustin Shields — Vanderhoof — 7 seconds, $602.82

2.) Lincoln Kennedy — Cache Creek — 7.4 seconds, $460.98

3.) Joel Isnardy — Cache Creek — 11.2 seconds, $319.14

Breakaway Roping

1.) Richard Glassford — Quesnel — 2.4 seconds, $916.11

2.) Bailey Fuller — Riske Creek — 2.5 seconds, $726.57

3.) Kristin Bell — Houston — 2.9 seconds, $505.44

Junior Breakaway Roping

1.) Taylor Cherry — Quesnel — 2.6 seconds, $245.52

2.) Dyson Leneve — Quesnel — 3.5 seconds, $198

3.) Ryan Roberts — Lac La Hache — 19.1 seconds, $150.48

Ladies Barrel Race

1.) Mariah Mannering — Quesnel — 14.047 seconds, $1,080.54

2.) Jody Gilson — Qusenel — 14.234 seconds, $856.98

3.) Cathy Bueckert — Vanderhoof — 14.387 seconds, $596.16

Junior Barrel Racing

1.) Taylor Cherry — Quesnel — 14.292 seconds, $281.52

2.) Callie Hume – Williams Lake — 14.421 seconds, $215.28

3.) Felicity Murray — Williams Lake — 14.205 seconds, $149.04

Junior Steer Riding

1.) Tyler Cherry — Quesnel — 80 points, $293.76

2./3.) Michael Gulbransen — Williams Lake — 74 points, $190.08

2./3.) Lane Paley — Quesnel — 74 points, $190.08

Team Roping

1.) BJ Isnardy and Jonah Centoine — Cache Creek — 5.4 seconds, $1,006.56 each

2.) Hanna Strate and Mike Beers — Kamloops — 7.1 seconds, $796.86 each

3.) Barb Beers and Mike Beers — Kamloops — 7.5 seconds, $671.04 each

Pee Wee Barrel Racing

1.) Riley Beier — Vanderhoof — 15.293 seconds, $149.60

2.) Lenikah Lepine — Mount Currie — 17.421 seconds, $114.40

3.) Kylie Isnardy — Cache Creek — 17.656 seconds, $79.20

Bull Riding

1.) Ty Hamill — Kamloops — 79 points, $1,024.65

2.) Kyle Lozier — 150 Mile House — 75 points, $846.45

3.) Raven Gordon — Quesnel — 73 points, $638.55



Greg Sabatino

About the Author: Greg Sabatino

Greg Sabatino graduated from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops with a Bachelor of Journalism degree in 2008.
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