As Stettler hosted the junior high school rodeo on Friday, Aug. 28 and the senior high school rodeo over Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 29-30 at the outdoor arena of the Stettler Agriplex, cowboys and cowgirls from Stettler and surrounding areas displayed their equine skills.
This year for the senior high school rodeo, Danten Metzger of Carbon won the bareback, Keaton Martz of Forestburg came on top in the bull riding. Shane Smith of Wimborne won the tie-down roping while Kashley Sietz of High River was the winner in pole bending, MacKenzie Loren of Ft. Sasketchawan placed first in breakaway roping, Emily Massing of Ponoka and Kashley Sietz of High River took the goat tying. Luke Skocdopole of Big Valley and Austin Young of Elk Point tied with Jessica Gunsch of Thorsby and Lucas Brown of Vermillion for the first place in team roping in 18.7 seconds, and Kylie Whiteside of High River won the barrel race.
As for the junior high school rodeo, Quincy Squair won the barrels, Cole Warren came out on top in boys' goat tying while Kyla Kelly did the same in the girls' category. Taiga Thorsteinsson and Quincy Squair won the team roping and Maddie Bews placed first in girls' breakaway roping while Clay McNichol was the winner among the boys. Cole Warren and Maddie Bews won the team ribbon roping, Quincy Squair took the poles while Quinten Taylor claimed the tie-down roping title. Riley Sibbet was the bull riding championship.
"We had fantastic weather and turnout," said Holly Skocdopole, one of the event organizers. "Hosting at our beautiful facility at the Agriplex in Stettler truly is a privilege and we are grateful."
The Skocdopole family has been helping put this rodeo on since 2009 in Stettler.
According to Skocdopole, the community and surrounding neighbourhoods have been great supporters of the youth in rodeo and the young professionals of the rodeo world.