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56
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Annual Pro Rodeo
39th Nicola Valley
FALL FAIR & RODEO
SATURDAY, AUG. 30 & SUNDAY, AUG. 31
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Get'er Done
GATES OPEN: 4 PM PERFO PERFORMANCES: 5 PM
Nicola Valley Pro Rodeo celebrates 56 years Fall fair preserves agricultural traditions
GATES OPEN: NOON PERFORMANCES: 1 PM
By Ian Webster
BUSINESSMEN’S CALF DRESSING
Saturday - 5 pm & Sunday - 1 pm at the Rodeo Grounds Come watch local business people try to wrestle a calf and dress it in underwear. A little friendly competition - with the winners donating the winnings to a local charity of their choice.
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D;M
THE HERALD
sports@merrittherald.com
WHO WILL WIN
CALCUTTA AUCTION to be held on
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Tickets available at the gate, CASH ONLY: 10 & under FREE, Students & Seniors - $12, Adults - $15 For group tickets phone Elaine Gill at 250-378-6827 or Brent Kynoch at 250-378-5741
THANK YOU TO OUR CHUTE SPONSORS:
In each of its hundred-plus years, the Nicola Valley Fall Fair has showcased arts and crafts, baking, home-grown fruits and vegetables, and canned goods. Above, revellers enjoy the third annual fall fair in this 1913 Herald archive photo.
By Michael Potestio THE HERALD
reporter@merrittherald.com
RIP-ROARIN’ ACTION Saddle bronc (above) is just one of several exciting roughstock events at the annual Nicola Valley Pro Rodeo. Ian Webster/Herald
will be wanting to put on a good show in front of a hometown audience against their rivals from other ranches throughout the southern Interior. To encourage young and old alike to come out and enjoy the rodeo, the Nicola Valley Pro Rodeo has a new ticket price structure with adults at $15, students and seniors $12 and all children 10 and under absolutely free! Once again this year, the Nicola Valley Pro Rodeo has attracted some of the best professional rodeo competitors in the business. Everyone’s trying to earn those precious points that will earn them a spot at the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton in October.
See ‘Nicola Valley Pro Rodeo’ Page 2
What’s old is new again at the Nicola Valley Fall Fair. Just as the harvest season renews itself every year, this century-old tradition renews the culture of rural life in today’s technology-driven world. The fall fair will see plenty of fruits, vegetables, wines, baked and canned goods along with arts, crafts and photography on display — not to mention an assortment of animals — all ready to be judged and earn a coveted fall fair ribbon. Fair convener and treasurer Kathy Reimer said educating people about the old rural ways of life is the
fair’s goal. Recipes and information cards explaining facts such as how many tomatoes an acre of land can yield are on hand at the fall fair, Reimer said. “We try to have things that teach people, educate, and try to encourage them to get back interested in agriculture,” she said. Reimer pointed out that back in the old days, people did things such as canning out of necessity. “Not everybody had a fridge or freezer,” she said. The fall fair and the culture it showcases has over a century of history in the Nicola Valley. It was a warm, balmy Wednesday afternoon in Collettville when the first annual
Nicola Valley Fall Fair was held in September of 1910. A story from the Merritt Herald titled First Fall Fair A Healthy Kid described the inaugural event. “The long tables in the exhibition building were decorated attractively with the numerous fine displays from the orchard, the garden, the field and the dairy. The departments of education, fancy work, fine arts, domestic science, etc., were all well represented.” Reimer, who has over 30 years of experience with the fall fair, said she sees many familiar faces among those who come to check out what the fair has to offer.
See ‘New categories’ Page 2
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Merritt’s own Jayson Charters
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YOUR MAP TO THE NICOLA VALLEY RODEO GROUNDS!
The 56th edition of the Nicola Valley Pro Rodeo on the Labour Day weekend in Merritt promises to be one of the best ever with a few new twists added to an always spectacular display of skill, courage and horsemanship by some of the best cowboys and cowgirls on the planet. This year sees one of the Nicola Valley Pro Rodeo’s two performances move to the late afternoon/evening, with a 5 p.m. start time on Saturday. “We just thought that it might be a great idea,” NVPRA spokesperson Allie Thompson said. “Maybe it’ll attract some additional people who maybe can’t make it in the afternoon.” There’ll be a beer garden on site for both days of the rodeo, but Saturday’s evening performance will have live entertainment in the garden from renowned Canadian recording artists Whiskey Jane. “We’re hoping that a lot of the adults in the crowd will decide to stick around after the rodeo and enjoy the great music,” Thompson said. Sunday is officially ‘Family Day’ at the rodeo, with the afternoon performance kicking off at 1 p.m. There’ll be special activities for the youngsters, including a mechanical bull and surfboard, a bouncy castle, and a shoe scramble for the wee ones at the intermission. Sunday’s crowd will also be treated to two kids’ rodeo events at the intermission, as the Nicola Valley’s best duke it out in mutton bustin’ (sheep riding) and in peewee barrel racing. Should be a treat! Saturday’s intermission will see the Nicola Valley’s top ranch hands go toe-to-toe in the saddle bronc event. Douglas Lake cowboys
Pop by, hook up & load up your new trailer!
for a chance to win tickets
ICBC & PRIVATE INSURANCE CLAIMS
Ty Pozzobon Invitational
KICK OFF RODEO WEEKEND, VISIT US ONLINE AT www.nicolavalleyprorodeo.com
250-378-4628
Located next to Best-Valu Glass • 2663 GRANITE AVENUE • Located next to Fountain Tire
250-378-4531