Now, it’s official.
In front of a capacity crowd at Tundra Oil & Gas Place on Saturday, Aug. 19, representatives of the Canadian Cowboys Association presented a banner designating the Virden Indoor Rodeo & Wild West Daze as “Rodeo of the Year” in 2022.
Thomas Hagan, President of the Steering Committee, was pleased to receive national recognition for what he termed a “barn burner” of a weekend, bringing back the community’s signature event following two years of COVID-induced hiatus.
Fast forward one year to 2023, and Hagan paid tribute to the sponsors, competitors, volunteers and spectators for making the 33rd annual event a resounding success.
“The entire event was really on a high,” he said.
The kickoff barbecue over the noon hour on Thursday kept Corex Resources staff hopping, as the lineup for burgers and hot dogs at times stretched to near the end of the Victoria Park block. With the blessing of Mother Nature, over 1,000 people came out for Chamber of Commerce Downtown Daze in the evening.
“I was at the barbecue (and) it was almost overwhelming there were so many people there,” Hagan said. “The downtown events…they just stepped it up another notch from last year, so it was great.”
Hagan was thrilled with the Show & Shine organized by Westman on Wheels, which filled Sixth Avenue’s Farmer’s Market and adjacent streets with about 140 vintage vehicles, motorcycles and the like. It was one of the largest turnouts to date.
“Their event is catching on, they do such a good job of organizing it and getting people to it, and it’s a perfect fit for the downtown events because it gives you more things to do,” he said. “I found myself walking through there and me and my family were admiring all the cars. The more years you put into these things people know it’s going to be there and they make a plan to go and see it.”
HIGH SCHOOL RODEO
High school rodeo performances took place on both Thursday and Friday this year. The 16 local contestants fared well in the 12 events, with the High Point High School Cowgirl award going to Harley Hagan of Virden and the High Point High School Cowboy to Joel Fisk from Moosomin, Sask. The High Point Junior Cowgirl was Billie Cowan of Gainsborough, Sask. and the High Point Junior Cowboy was Spencer Gompf from Oak Lake.
“Virden has always traditionally had a one-day high school rodeo,” Hagan said. “My brother Alistair runs it now and he came to us with the idea of having a two-day. He thought it would be a big hit because there’s so much enthusiasm for more rodeos in high school rodeo. He was right…people showed up in droves.
“We had to be a little more prepared but Lonnie (Brown) and Charlie (King) did a fantastic job of that and we were ready when they moved in. They had really good crowds. They get in for free…that’s a nice little touch and there’s so many local contestants …by the time you get the grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends, you put a lot of butts in the seats.”
RODEO ACTION
The three action-packed rodeo performances again drew legions of fans to Tundra Oil & Gas Place. Alongside the regular presentation of the Gerry Holmes Memorial and Horsemen’s Hall of Fame Awards, there was an emotional tribute to the late Lee Bellows of Moose Jaw, Sask. Bellows served as Virden’s rodeo clown for 28 years until his retirement in 2017 and passed away in March of this year. After several years without a replacement, this year marked the debut of Scott Byrne as the new funny man.
Unfortunately, things took a serious turn early into the Friday evening performance when two saddle bronc competitors, Virden's Nathan Kernel and Nate Jorgensen of Redvers, Sask. flew off their horses and hit the dirt. Quick action by pick-up men Kevin Smith and Blade Young controlled the bucking stock while on-site medics and local EMS staff worked in tandem on the arena floor, stabilizing both men for transport to hospital.
Kernel was treated and released, returning on Saturday to take in the action from the stands. Jorgensen, meanwhile, was more seriously injured. He was airlifted to Winnipeg for further care by STARS air ambulance.
Hagan stated, “At this time the rodeo community and local organizing committee wish Nate all the best in his recovery.”
LOCAL COMPETITORS
Due to the high number of entries, a matinee performance was added Saturday afternoon, with spectators admitted free.
“It was a strong entry, about the same as last year. Our local entry was up, I believe, to a little over 50 people that are from Virden.” Hagan said. “That number seems to continue to grow, which is obviously a good sign that people continue to get into the sport in this town. Everybody on the committee is very involved with the rodeo and feels this is a rodeo town, and it’s true. There’s third-generation cowboys and cowgirls in the rodeo now that were born and raised in Virden, and so were their mother and father and grandfather and grandmother…that’s a pretty good sign. When this rodeo started there would have been a handful, at best, of first generation cowboys and cowgirls that started from nothing. That’s pretty neat.”
On Saturday, the performance start time was moved up an hour to allow spectators more time to get to the Daze Dance which followed.
“It freed up people to maybe go home and put some kids to bed or get them to the babysitter.” Dance Chairperson Brennin Jack reported that the attendance was the highest in several years, with the expanded outdoor space and live music from Byron Falk and the Half-Time Cowboys being well received. Volunteers faced the inconvenience of having to travel to several communities to purchase a supply of alcoholic beverages due to Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries employees taking strike action.
“Brennin Jack went in a little different direction with the dance. It was a great call. I’ve just heard nothing but good comments on this band so that’s pretty cool.”
In addition to the traditional pancake breakfast hosted by the Virden Lions Club in the Legion Hall on Saturday morning, Valleyview Consumers Co-op board members and staff put on one of their own at Tundra Oil & Gas Place on Sunday morning, and drew a steady crowd of hungry rodeo fans.
Hagan and his team were unfazed by the abrupt cancellation of the Demolition Derby just days prior to the rodeo weekend due to insurance issues.
“It was disappointing to hear that it got cancelled,” he said. “I’m sure the people who were going to compete in it were extremely disappointed…”
Competitors in the “Shootout Sunday” vie for $1,250 in added prize money and each event winner received a championship jacket and embroidered bag. For 2023, the winners were: Bareback Riding - Blake Link, Maple Creek, Sask. (84 pts.); Tie-Down Roping - Shay Stewart, Carnduff, Sask. (8.97 sec.); Saddle Bronc – Ben Rasmussen, Australia (81 pts.); Steer Wrestling – Justin Miller, Virden (6.09 sec.); Ladies’ Breakaway Roping – Mia Box, Corning, Sask. (2.47 sec.); Ladies’ Barrel Racing – Shayna McCannell, Brandon (13.361 sec.); Junior Girls’ Barrel Racing – Harley Hagan, Virden (14.099 sec.); Team Roping – Rylin Traynor, Delisle, Sask. and Ty Paton, Carnduff, Sask. (4.65 sec.)
Each of the six bull riders were bucked off prior to completing their eight-second ride.
The High Point Saddle was awarded to Justin Miller of Virden, who earned a total of 180 points.
