By Katie Ryan
The countdown for Lea Park Rodeo is almost over. Tomorrow evening arguably the area’s most popular summer event will be in full swing, promising big prize money, stiff competition and fun for the whole family.
Following a week’s worth of community events in Marwayne, including barbecues and a family street dance, thousands of people will continue the tradition and attend the 56th annual Lea Park Rodeo, where the North Saskatchewan River and the ‘old Vermilion’ meet.
“It’s been a tradition for quite a few years and everybody enjoys going to the Lea Park Rodeo,” said Grant Meiklejohn, president of Lea Park Rodeo committee.
With sunshine in the forecast for this weekend and cowboys from across North America on their way to compete, Meiklejohn said this year’s rodeo is shaping up well.
“We’ve got a huge entry this year: 46 saddle bronc riders, 44 bare back riders, 43 bull riders, 57 tie down ropers, 68 steer wrestlers, 60 lady barrel races,” he listed, adding the entries are up a bit from past years.
“The last few years we have been getting these type of entries, we’ve got good prize money and cowboys, they’ll travel a long ways to come to Lea Park. They like Lea Park.”
Over the course of three days, June 11 to 13, organizers expect 2,500 visitors will be on the rodeo grounds for the bull riding, saddle bronc and more. In total Meiklejohn expects 8,000 spectators will be out over the weekend for the Lea Park Rodeo, especially folks from the area to cheer on the local cowboys competing including Justin Berg of Marwayne.
“He’s coming off a big win from Cloverdale and he’s in the saddle bronc,” said Meiklejohn.
Among the other local cowboys to watch out for are bareback rider Jay Phipps of Marshall, bull rider Denton Edge and his wife Lindsey, a barrel racer, and Lloydminster bull rider Nathan Roy.
“The competition should be good,” said Meiklejohn.
Leading up to the rodeo this week, the Lea Park Rodeo committee teamed up with the Village of Marwayne and the Chamber of Commerce and organized community events to heighten awareness and bolster community spirit.
“There are lots of things for kids to do and (tonight) they are having a dance on Main Street so it’s a kick off to the rodeo,” said Meiklejohn, adding the new partnership is a benefit both to the community and the rodeo.
Marwayne residents decked the community out in rodeo themed scarecrows on Monday, followed by a barbecue on Wednesday in support of ‘hope in motion/haying in the ‘30s,’ plus wagon rides and more. And before the rodeo fun begins, there will be dancing in the streets of Marwayne at the family street dance tonight.
“It will help certainly, because it gets everybody in the rodeo atmosphere and gets everybody mobile. If they get in the rodeo mood, then they’ll come out to the rodeo.”
The rodeo – located 10 miles north of Marwayne – kicks off Friday at 6:30 p.m. and after a Saturday morning pancake breakfast, the rodeo returns at 1 p.m. The Marwayne Arena will be packed Saturday night for the rodeo dance and Sunday morning on the rodeo grounds the annual Cowboy Church Service will be held at 10 a.m., with rodeo kicking into high gear in the afternoon again.
Lea Park Rodeo is steeped in tradition. In 1927, the combined efforts of Judge Hines, E.A. Meiklejohn and Charlie Barnes produced one of the first rodeos in the area which drew cowboys from near and far. The admission to the early rodeo was 50 cents per person. The rodeo continued for three years under the management of the “Big 3,” as they were called back then. Andy Gibson then promoted two rodeos, followed by two to three years of promotion by Vernie and Dewey Hines. The last rodeo was around 1934 with nothing held again until 1955 when the Lea Park Rodeo again surfaced under the guidance of Dewey Hines and Gerald West. It has continued annually from that year to now.
Traditionally, the rodeos were held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays until 1960 when they were changed to Fridays and Saturdays. Lea Park was to become the first Saturday – Sunday rodeo in the early 1960s.
Lea Park Rodeo is also the birthplace of the popular Wild Ride which is now held in many rodeos throughout the country.
“Lea Park is the originator of the Wild Ride. We like to draw a chute load of wild horses in and we draw six names. We pick up six cowboys and they have to ride the horse like the old fashion way of riding,” said Meiklejohn. “The judges score it out of 200 points and the wilder it gets, the more points they get. That’s been a tradition for Lea Park for quite a few years.”
Admission for the rodeo is $15, children 12–and–under are free. For more information visit www.leaparkprorodeo.com