A local cowboy and Canadian champion will be plastered all over Ponoka and he is pleased about it.
During the recognition send-off on Wednesday, Nov. 4 for the competitors heading to the Canadian Finals Rodeo, the Ponoka Stampede committee announced that celebrated Lacombe artist, Kim Penner, has been commissioned to do the painting that will be used as the promotional poster for the 80th edition of the Ponoka Stampede next year.
In addition, they also made it known that hometown cowboy and the defending CFR bareback champion Jake Vold will be featured on the painting, while riding Vold’s 2014 Horse of the Year ‘Mucho Dinero’.
For his part, Vold is excited about being the face of the 2016 Ponoka Stampede.
“It’s such an honour to be a part of the poster and I’m so excited, especially after having gotten a sneak peak at it,” he said.
Penner, who is best known for her spectacular scenery paintings, was approached by the Stampede committee with the idea to paint Vold on his top ride and immediately accepted the challenge.
“This is my first time painting anything having to do with rodeo and it’s a little outside my comfort zone, but you don’t improve if you stay put,” Penner stated.
“I’ve spent years around horses, rode a lot, so I know the energy a bucking horse can demonstrate. It’s a bit of a stretch for me as an artist, but I’m happy with how it has come along. I’m a bit nervous, since art is something that is about feeling and it doesn’t always work. I just hope people can catch that feeling from the painting and poster.”
Penner hopes to have the work completed in time for it to be put on display at the CFR in Edmonton, while Ponoka Stampede officials are working on having the posters ready to go on sale before Christmas.