It is definitely not Cochrane’s first rodeo.
As the Cochrane Lions Club Rodeo celebrated 50 years last weekend, the Eagle caught up with some people who have been there since the start.
Ted Westerson, 72, with the Cochrane Lions Club has been a part of the rodeo ever since its inception and while he admits there have been many changes over the years, the one thing that has remained consistent is the people.
“The people have stayed the same, they are still rodeo oriented and they enjoy it, cowboys are cowboys wherever you go,” Westerson said.
The Cochrane Lions Club started in 1964 with 35 members when the community was just a village of 950 people. As a way to fundraise and give back to the community, club organizers made the decision to host a rodeo on Labour Day weekend in 1966 – which has become an annual event in the community for the last five decades.
“Everything kind of changes, you got to get modern and keep with the ‘times’ but the rodeo is still the same. There is still bucking horses and calf roping and everything, and there is a lot more cowboys nowadays,” Westerson said.
What started with a couple hundred people five decades ago, has grown to host 25,000 guests annually, organizers estimate.
“I would say we had our best year – it was great to see the community come together to help us celebrate our 50 years and it was a great year all around,” said Darren Begg, president of the Cochrane Lions Club.
“We ended up getting good weather and had good attendance. The community is coming through and supporting as well, I don’t know what more I can ask for.”
Originally named Rangeland Follies, the Cochrane Rodeo, historically hosted a variety of competitions including chuck-wagon racing, pony chariot racing, pig races, catch the rooster, and the greased pig race, along with the traditional competitions including barrel races, calf roping and mutton busting.
Organizers said over the last couple of years they have been adding more traditional “farm fair” activities including wild cow racing, wild horse racing and cow milking.
“We used to have a lot of stuff but times change, but the way it is now, it is good,” Westerson said.
“It gets bigger and bigger and you got to keep doing more and more and it gets harder to do but it is going to be a good year.”
While organizers are still tallying the numbers for everything rodeo related, Begg said he thinks the 50th rodeo beat all the records including attendance and 50/50 money raised.
In the last 50 years, the Cochrane Lions Club has put fundraising money toward numerous community initiatives including the Big Hill Leisure Pool, which the club raised $250,000 toward the cost of the pool that opened in April 1990.
Lions club members were also key people in building and operating Bow Rivers Edge Campground, a non-for-profit business that typically donates all the proceeds back into the community through grants and bursaries for community-based organizations.
For more information on the Cochrane Lions Club Rodeo, go to cochranerodeo.com
