MELFORT 鈥� Barrels, poles, goat tying and breakaway roping came to Melfort for a winter rodeo created to give locals some practice before the spring.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to try to do them monthly, the first Saturday of each month,鈥� said Heather Schmitt, the lead organizer.聽
鈥淭here鈥檚 just not a lot of rodeo around in this area. It鈥檚 growing and so I just kind of wanted to do as much as I could to teach all the kids and get everybody out and just kind of grow it in the area. I have some experience competing and now how it all works so I just wanted to throw something together and bring everybody together to come out.鈥�
Schmitt wants to keep the rodeo going until April, at which point the competitors 鈥渂ranch off鈥� to go to various competitions across the province. Then she intends to pick it back up next year.
鈥淚t鈥檚 excellent practice for all of the horses and people who are learning or young horses coming up, and then they鈥檙e ready to compete hardcore in the summer.鈥�
According to Schmitt it takes years before you鈥檙e ready to compete.
鈥淚t takes years and years of practice to make a finished rodeo horse so lots of these girls are out here on their horses, getting them practiced up, teaching them the patterns and roping some steers.鈥�
Training requires a variety of techniques.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to have to learn to rope a dummy first, and you have to swing a rope, and you have to teach your horse to stand nicely in the box and how to track a cow once it goes out the shoot and then you got to catch it, I guess. There鈥檚 lots of training that goes in it, for sure.鈥�
Landon Laclare was one competitor at the rodeo; he was 14 years of age.
聽鈥淚 just try to go out and have fun,鈥� Laclare said.
He practices about once a week in the winter on his horse with training dummies.
鈥淵ou just got to practice on your horse too, the horse needs practice too,鈥� Laclare said. 鈥滼ust try to get the horse in shape.鈥�
The rodeo took place Dec. 1.
For those interested in volunteering Schmitt encourages people to find and connect with her over Facebook.
All funds from entry fees are used in the competition for things such as renting the arena and prizes.
