Strong competition over three days made for exciting rodeo action in Tundra Oil & Gas Place arena, August 14 - 16.
Local cowboys rose to the top in several events at the heart of the Virden Indoor Rodeo & Wild West Daze.
The bulls bucked high and hard, tossing every rider in Sunday’s shoot-out short round.
Cowboys and Ladies Barrel Racers from throughout the western provinces, along with a few from the USA, regularly compete in the Virden rodeo. The rodeo, dual sanctioned by the Manitoba Rodeo Cowboys Association (MRCA) and Canadian Cowboys Association (CCA), is known as a make it, or break it, event for those wanting to earn points to take part in the MRCA and CCA finals.
Roping and steer wrestling is taken seriously around Virden. This past spring, Charlie King entered steer wrestling semi-final competition in Fort Worth Texas last February, with Alistair Hagan hazing for him. Most lately, in MRCA top-15 standings, steer wrestler Joe King was standing 4th in points, before the Virden rodeo, significantly leading 5th place Scott Sigfusson. Shane Brown and Charlie King were sitting at 8th and 9th place.
Virden bulldogger, Scott King placed in Virden’s long round to qualify for the Shoot-Out; with an injured knee he was unable to compete.
The Shoot-Out was fierce between friends and brothers. Joe King wrestled his calf in 4.48 seconds, becoming the scoreboard leader. He jumped to his feet, waving his hat, obviously pleased with the take down. Lonnie Brown slid into second place with a 5.36. Shane Brown was timed at 5.4 seconds and Charlie King took fourth place at 5.98 seconds.
Giving a big shout out to his sponsor, Wild Cat Oilfield Construction, Joe King summed up the action saying, “It was a lot of fun. I had a good weekend actually.” But winning was not his biggest thrill. He says, “One of the biggest highlights was on Saturday night, rodeoing with my two brothers. We came first, second and third - Scott, Charlie and Joe.”
Lyle Brown has supplied all the timed-event cattle for the rodeo for the last four years.
In order to break these cattle in, getting them used to the chute and prepared to run, the Browns, Hagans and Kings practiced there; Lonnie Brown, competitor and Virden Indoor Rodeo Chairman stated, “The three of us had done quite a bit of practicing here just lately. It helped everybody.”
Shane Brown took home the High Point saddle from Virden Indoor Rodeo & Wild West Daze for the second year in a row.
Lonnie explained, “We’ve got a pretty deep talent base here, not only in the bull dogging but in the barrel racing.”
A young, up-and –coming barrel racer from Virden, Mattie Graham, (daughter of Neil Graham) won a round in Ladies Barrel racing and barely missed making the Shoot-Out round. Brown points out, “This was only her second rodeo.” She just started the sport a few years ago.
There’s no shortage of ropers here either. Terrance Vodon team roped with Riley Park; Kelly Lyng, teamed with Matt Campbell; and Alistair Hagan and Mike Leepart got back to the Shoot-Out round.
In tie-down roping Shane Brown won his first round with a time of 9.1 seconds. Then he won the Sunday Shoot-Out round in 8.4 seconds. With his added success in steer wrestling this put him in place for the High-Point Saddle.
The saddle was presented by Tara Nield and her daughter Carissa Nield, on behalf of Great West Oil Tools (Kenderdine Family) during the short round.
This was the third time for Shane to win High Point. Brother Lonnie explains, “With winning the calf roping, he has now won all three of his events at Virden, at one time or another.”
A cowboy from Sonningdale, SK, Ty Ellis did enough winning in both ends of the arena (rough stock and timed events) to earn the All-Around Saddle.
Jim Lawrence (Prime Time Rodeos) supplied the rough stock, and it was rough, giving cowboys an opportunity to score high, which some did. Others were bucked off.
In Sunday’s short round, all the bull riders were bucked off.
Baily Plaisier, a 19-year-old from Oak Lake was in the bareback event, but was bucked off.
In the Saddlebronc event, Kirk Thompson currently from Oak Lake stuck for eight minutes on a bull called Laramie, receiving 79 points and top place in the Shoot-Out.
The officials and chute workers kept things running smoothly. On Friday evening the pick-up riders and bull fighters had their hands full, protecting the cowboys once they hit the dirt.
There was a good crowd throughout the three nights, with Mutton Busting to entertain during intermissions. For children, boys and girls, six and under, one little rider stayed aboard the sheep for the entire length of the arena. Ed Hunter from Lenore supplied the sheep for the event and his clever border collie, Justice, rounded them up, listening for her master’s whistle.
