The Bridge Lake Stampede returned with a vengeance on Canada Day with over 2,000 community members in attendance.
This Canada Day marked the 71st time the amateur rodeo has taken place and featured bareback bronc riding, team roping, calf roping, barrel racing, bull riding and steer riding. Organizer Jamie Law said they had a really good day and were blessed by good weather and a higher-than-normal turnout.
“All of the hard work our volunteers do prior to the rodeo is made worthwhile to see everybody having a good day and having fun,” Law said. “Everybody seems to be really having fun.”
Rodeo competitor and local educator Ty Lytton was happy to see the stampede make its return after a three-year hiatus. Lytton has been coming to the rodeo for the last 30 years since he was a kid. Nowadays he brings his own children to compete in the event.
“It’s good (to see young people competing). The mini-bare back event is great to get the kids involved and it’s a crowd favourite,” Lytton said. “My daughter Denver is in the wild pony race and hopefully she’ll do well. Any day of rodeo is a good day.”
Saturday marked Linden Ross’ first time competing at the Bridge Lake Stampede. The Barriere cowboy said he came out for the saddle bronc riding which he won with a score of 61.
“I like it. It’s a good rodeo that brings lots of awareness to the sport. There’s a lot of girls competing in the rough stock, which is good,” Ross said. “I’d definitely come back.”
Cache Creek’s Gracy Antoine has been riding in the event since she was 10. This year she took part in the team roping and breakaway roping competitions. While she didn’t have as much luck as she would have liked, she said she still had fun.
“I love the crowd and the people that are around here. How they put the rodeo together is really fun,” Antoine, 20, said. “It feels really nice to come back and start rodeoing full time again. It’s been fun watching other people and my nieces and nephews compete.”
patrick.davies@100milefreepress.net
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