Eat Dirt……Patricia Rodeo 2024

The Patricia Rodeo has become one of our favourite events of the year to attend, with travel plans always worked around being available for Labour Day weekend. Fortunately it’s not far from where we live now.

This year we had also recruited another friend from Ontario to come camp with us ….. so we had our Russian Airstream friends, the youngest daughter and now one more camper in our circle. Should anyone else wish to join, this weekend does not disappoint.

This was the second year with the Rugged Rodeo crew involved….and with the new permanent lights in the arena (replacing the smaller portable ones running off generators) the order of events now extends into the evening on Saturday.

The flavour has changed slightly with less volunteers available as the experienced old guys age out of many essential positions and the shrinking numbers of young ones filling their spots.

Stock handling is not a job for those without experience or feint of heart, but an important skill set for the safety of the animals and the competitors. (would you take a rope off a bull or a bronco as it leaves the arena..!!!??)

There are so many great pictures Scott takes, often rolling around in grass and muck to get ‘the shot’, it’s difficult to select those to include….and worse (for me) which ones don’t make the cut.

Here we go with a bit of bull riding, bronc riding……….

…….wagons and chariots…..

…and, always a fan favourite….the mini’s…….

Those mini horses have no idea they are mini…….they run hard…..!!!!

This whole calf roping thing just blows my mind……how do you catch a running calf, with a rope…from the back of a running horse…….and without hurting the calf……The whole thing is impressive…!!!

Then we get to the Wild Horse race…….it begins in a very orderly fashion…….

….then quickly descends into chaos…….

The girls barrel racing….. those horses are amazing……and the teamwork between rider and horse…..wow…..

Of course there has to be a bit of mutton busting……

….and my oh my….those little itty bitty kids on those big horses……those are some tough kids….

The kids are fantastic with the roping as well…..

…and just in case the wild horse race wasn’t crazy enough….the kids have a go at the wild ponies. They don’t have to ride them around the track….just get a body on the back of the pony….but the tenacity of some of those kids hanging onto those ropes……..!!!!

There are four rounds of the wild horse race…there’s a 6 minute time limit to saddle the horse, attach a rider and round the track. Fastest one wins……it’s surprising how many of them make it. …….but there’s always a bit of trampling too….!!!

We finish up withe a bit more track action from the chariots and wagons again……Scott got himself a few face-fulls of muck this year……

Its a great community event where you see good people come together to make this thing happen……can’t wait to be back again this year……

EXTRA PIX

Looks like that’s all folks for the travels and travails of 2024…..we will be on the road again soon enough for more fun and frolics……see you there.