After making its home at the Airdrie Rodeo Grounds for 20 years, the Calgary Police Rodeo is coming to Cochrane this August.
The family-oriented event, which includes not only a full rodeo, but a children’s carnival, exhibitions, concessions and a barn dance (featuring Drew Gregory and Domino) will ride into the Cochrane Lions Club Rodeo Grounds Aug. 13.
According to rodeo president Michael Cavilla, the move to Cochrane is about increasing the event’s viewing audience.
“Change is never a bad thing and we wanted to switch things up after a long period of time and expose a new community to the event,” he said. “(The rodeo) isn’t very widely known so we’re trying to change that.
“Furthermore, we’ve enjoyed working with the community, in particular the Cochrane Lions Club, who have been a great help with logistics.”
Contestants – who must be a member of law enforcement, Calgary Fire, Calgary EMS or an immediate family member – are able to pick between participating in all seven major rodeo events (saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, bull riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing, steer wrestling and team roping) as well as some modified co-ed events.
“We incorporate a couple novelty events to get people who aren’t typically rodeo people involved,” Cavilla said. “We do a chute dogging which is a modified steer wrestling where contestants aren’t on horses but still come out of a chute with a steer and wrestle them.”
Another unique event is the co-ed steer scramble, where two male contestants have to catch and hold down a steer while their female teammate runs from the other end of the arena, grabs a ribbon off the steer and books it to the finish line.
“We have a few different things like that to get people involved,” Cavilla said. “The rodeo isn’t just inclusive to people that you normally see participating.”
Originally the event was mainly comprised of police officers from around the province but in the last three years, more and more firefighters and EMS members have taken to participating according to Cavilla.
“There’s more of a first responders vibe than ever before,” he said. “We’ve been growing every year. Essentially we always get around 100 contestants or more. There’s RCMP guys, people from Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Vancouver, and out on the cost, but the majority of participants still come from the Calgary Police Department and Calgary Fire.
“It’s always a good time, we’re excited to come to Cochrane and they seem excited to have us.”
Tickets for the event can only be purchased the day of the rodeo at the gate. For more information visit www.calgarypolicerodeo.com or call 403-428-8692.
