Sunshine, laughter, sweat, and teamwork at 2014 Pincher Creek Cowboy Show and Ranch Rodeo

Nanton's Rory Sapergia ropes a lucky number
T. Lucas and C. Davis photos and video

Toni Lucas and Chris Davis

The 2014 Pincher Creek Ranch Rodeo and Cowboy show was held last weekend, July 26 and 27, at the Pincher Creek Ag Grounds.  On Saturday there were one man competitions with 15 people entered, and on Sundayroping and team competitions were showcased, with 12 teams entered. The weekend ended with bronc riding and an awards ceremony.  Competitors from all over Alberta and Saskatchewan participated. The weather was perfect, hot and sunny throughout.

Local Cowboy David Robbins with Pincher Creek Rodeo Queen Chelsea Stokke

Cowgirl  of the Day Marlee Sears with Chelsea Stokke

There were three challenges for Saturday's contestants.

The Cowboy Challenge is intended to foster teamwork and trust between horse and rider, and the horses face unusual and unfamiliar challenges to that end. Cowboys encouraged their mounts to go through mock spruce trees made of pool noodles, a box filled with water, a floating platform that simulated thin ice, a tipping bridge, logs acting as fallen branches, and having the cowboys shoot from the saddle.

Chris Monroe and the floating ice challenge

Derek Sears gets Tiger to step over obstacles

Saturday's second challenge was Cutting, taking one cow from the herd and keeping it separated for the allotted time.

Organizer Shelley Stokke

Bruce Christie at cutting 

The last challenge on Saturday was one man doctoring: This event tests a cowboy's skill in roping one animal and working with the horse so that the cowboy can approach and treat a single animal as if it was injured or needing medicine. 15 men demonstrated their skills and what is involved in the day to day life of a cowboy in three separate areas of the arena at the same time. Just like on the ranch, sometimes it was flawless and smooth, sometimes it wasn't.

Codie Plumb - One man doctoring

Cowboy of the Day Dan Chalifoux with Pincher Creek Rodeo Queen Chelsea Stokke

Sunday's challenges were aimed at teamwork. There was Roping, a Wild Horse Race, Wild Cow Milking, Branding, Team Sorting, Team Doctoring, and Bronc Riding. Teams included: Willow Springs, O'Donnell, Esser Livestock, Meadow Springs, Jenkins Lazy U, Quill Ranch, Flying E Ranch, FA7, Sears Ranch, Sawley Ranches, North Fork Grazing, and Circle E Ranch.  Pincher Creek Rodeo Queen Chelsea Stokke was on hand on Sunday to help award prizes for the many events of the weekend.

Bronc Ride of the Day: Riley Millar  with Gina Marr and Chelsea Stokke

"It's kind of nice actually," said Announcer and Competitor Jordie Waters about announcing. "All the nerves are down there, it's a good spot to watch from, and I was going to be here anyways." Waters, 24 years old from Nanton Alberta, announced on Saturday and was in the team competitions on Sunday with Jenkins Lazy U. He attends three ranch rodeos in the year - Pincher Creek, Medicine Hat, and at the Bar U. In the winter months you can see him at the region's rinks, playing hockey for the Ranchland Hockey League's Nannton Palominos.

Jordie Waters

Waters used to compete in rodeos, and sees a real difference between regular rodeos and ranch rodeos. "It is the atmosphere, the way things get done. Rodeo is all about the competition and everything gets done really fast, it's about you and nobody else. Whereas here you have teams and everybody is helping everybody out, and here it's more of a ranch way. Everyone working together. You'll see guys that are competing against each other helping each other out. Getting the job done, that is why everyone is here. They want to prove they can get the job done. It's all teamwork. We do compete, and we want to win, but we help each other out."

Water Challenge - Kent Nelson on Peach

Waters said he sees a small but significant difference between how the animals are handled from rodeos to ranch rodeos.  "We want to make sure that the cattle , the livestock are handled exactly the way we want them to. The cattle that are here today are from guys that are competing. The Stokke family brought the cattle in today. They have a team, and are competing. Tomorrow, it will be the Robbins." Waters believes that with the owners on site and competing, the animals are treated with more care and respect by everyone involved than in competitive rodeo. "Everyone knows it, and we handle them that way."

Top Horse of the Day:  Cobie Herr with Clint Marr and Chelsea Stokke

Main Organizer Shelley Stokke has been helping to run the Cowboy Show Wild West Ranch Rodeo for six years. "This is the longest running Ranch Rodeo in Canada, right here in Pincher Creek. It takes an amazing committee to put this together every year. We have about ten people who meet for months before. As for the day of the event, it's about 40 people. It takes a lot to set up the arena. Volunteers to run every pen, to set up the arena, judges, scorekeepers, everybody. The Pincher Creek Ambulance volunteer all weekend as well. With the proceeds from our Ranch Rodeo we donate a fairly large cheque every year to Pincher Creek Ambulance."

Womaning the PCES ambulance on Sunday - Lundbreck's Anne Molnar and Dawn Heerschap

"I think that a Ranch Rodeo is a family event. We have family entries. The teams that enter our rodeo often are working together on a single ranch. That is why you see such a competitive edge here. These people work together on a day to day basis. The horsemanship, and the skill to get everything done out there is amazing. There is such a wide array of skills and talent to bring to this show."

One Man doctoring: Bruce Christie with
Chelsea Stokke

Cutting event Rory Sapergia

 Highest Points:  Bruce Christie

Cowboy Challenge winner Riley Millar, with his team Quill Ranch.
Quill Ranch placed 4th

3rd Prize Meadow Springs

2nd Prize:  North Fork Grazing

First Prize: Willow Springs

Mike Nelson with Chelsea Stokke

Chelsea, Draw!

One of the draws from the 2014 Cowboy Show was  for a saddle by Andy Fadeeff from Stavely Alberta. "It's a custom made saddle, if you win," explained Stokke, who also said she was delighted at the quality of the handmade donated prizes this year. Fadeeff was showing a saddle he had made along with other pieces of his handiwork at the trade fair.

Saddlemaker Andy Fadeeff

Mike Nelson (above left) with his prize for the aerial ballet he performed on Sunday (below)