For its inaugural show at the Ponoka Ag Event Centre, the Battle River Cowhorse Group hosted 235 teams compete in cattle penning.
Penning teams of two or three, from as far away as Oklahoma, spent June 27 to 29 squaring off with numbered bovine in an attempt to move anywhere from 10 to 30, in sequential order, from one sanctioned pen to another.
If a cow escaped and changed pens in its own the team was immediately disqualified due to what’s called a blow out.
Two brothers from Oklahoma, Jordan and Joel Lesh, travelled specifically to Ponoka for this show. According to event organizer Linc Drynan they’re two of the top penners in North America.
Each penner had to pay $180 to enter the event. The first team of each event won 60 per cent of the entry fees and the second place team won 40 per cent.
The top two teams for each event were:
Sorting Class 12
Pat Bolin and Jody Steenbergen. Pat Bolin and Joel Lesh
Sorting Class 9
Elaine Shuck and Larry Cressman. Maurice Benoit and Dave Hueppelheuser
Sorting Class 6
Maurice Benoit and Stu Scott. Bob Blackmore and Elvin Kopp
Penning 12 Shoot-Out
Joel Lesh, Larry Cressman and Carmen Reiser. Suzie Emms, Joel Lesh and Carther Rice
Penning Class 10
Joel Lesh, Morris Monias and Mason Cockx. Dennis Dube, Laurie Collins and Elaine Shuck
Penning Class 7
Brain Cardinal, Morris Monias and Sylvia Fick. Sylvia Fick, Duncan Lawrence and Barb Middagh
Penning Open Class
Bob Bolin, Pat Bolin and Joel Lesh. Pat Bolin, Jordan Lesh and Ron Scott
Penning Class 9
Carmen Reiser, Joel Lesh, Linda Myer. Dennis Dube Sylvia Fick and Gail Middagh