The 28th Annual Interlakes Rodeo is back this year on July 21-22 and will include all the regular events such as bareback riding, saddle bronc, bull riding, team roping, barrel racing and others. But this year’s edition of the event has a special intermission planned.
“It’s quite amazing that we have that coming to our community. It’s never happened before,” said Carny Myers, the Interlakes Community Association’s rodeo director.
She is, of course, talking about the RCMP Musical Ride. It a formal showcasing where 32 regular members of the country’s federal police force show-off their equestrian talent.
According to Myers, the ride only comes to B.C. every four years and there is such a demand for them in communities, that applications are required two years ahead of time.
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Myers made the application in 2016 and had MLA Donna Barnett, MP Cathy McLeod and a few other local figures wrote letters and advocated for the Interlakes Rodeo as one of the stops in the RCMP Musical Ride’s 39 stops during their tour of Ontario and B.C. this year.
“Normally, we have a good turn crowd but it’s mostly tourists and people from the resorts in the Interlakes area and of course some local people,” said Myers. “This year we are expecting people from 100 Mile House, Lac la Hache and the surrounding area just because of the musical ride.”
She said that they usually have 800 to 900 people come per day during the usual rodeo but because of the musical ride, she expects it will be more along the lines of 1,500 people per day.
The rodeo will start at 1 p.m. each day at the Interlakes Rodeo Grounds on Highway 24 and East Sheridan Lake Rd. Each day consists of four hours of junior and senior events. The intermission for the RCMP Musical Ride depends on how fast and smooth the events run.
Adult tickets are $20, $15 for seniors and children aged 6-12. Children under five get into the rodeo for free and a family rate for two adults and two children is $50.
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