The Ponoka Stampede Association extended an invite to all Central Alberta CFR50 qualifiers this year, bringing them into the fold at their annual CFR sendoff, held Sept. 26 at the Stagecoach Saloon.
In true rodeo spirit that sees everyone in the community as one big family, the board cast a wider net, welcoming all contestants from Ponoka and surrounding areas to take part in the sendoff, said director Terry Jones.
Ever year, each local contestant, official or stock contractor participating in the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) receives a Ponoka Stampede jacket and well wishes from the board and the Ponoka town and county councils. Each are introduced and all enjoy a meal and camaraderie.
The 50th annual CFR is being held at Rogers Place in Edmonton from Oct. 2 to 5.
Mayor Kevin Ferguson said its the Ponoka Stampede that makes him popular when he's out and about at events.
"This is who we are. This is what our community is," said Ferguson.
"When I look at our young cowboys and cowgirls, you are what make our community. You're the reason I get to be the cool mayor," he said.
"I'm proud of you. It makes me proud of Ponoka, it makes me proud to be mayor of Ponoka."
Ferguson ended his remarks by saying rodeo isn't without risk and wished all the contestants to be safe and come back in one piece.
"(Ponoka is) just a small-town rodeo but it's great and it's one of the best out there ever and we've produced some of the best cowboys and cowgirls out of it," said Ponoka County councillor Bryce Liddle.
The tradition was started in 2014 by 19-time winner of timer of the year Brenda Vold of Ponoka.
"I want to commend the Ponoka Stampede Association for taking off with this. It was kind of a brainchild of mind to recognize the contestants several years ago now," said Vold. "It was a nice send off then and it's grown now to include portions of the personnel and I commend you guys for continuing."
"I absolutely love this event because it does show off that hard work and dedication of these incredible members of our sport of rodeo and our community of agriculture, so congratulations," said Miss Rodeo Canada 2024 and 2023 Ponoka Stampede queen Kaylee Shantz. "Have tons of fun at CFR this year."
After five years of being held at Westerner Park in Red Deer, contestants are pivoting north, looking forward to trying their mettle at Rogers Place.
PSA vice president Bruce Harbin said it was handy when the CFR was so close in Red Deer, but the facility seemed over capacity, he said.
"I think it will be a really good thing for rodeo to have it in Edmonton," said Harbin.
While Rogers Place is large enough to handle major headliner concerts, the location in downtown Edmonton could be a challenge, he said.
He's not too worried though, quoting Jack Daines who said if man wanted to reach the moon, they should've held a rodeo on it.
He plans watch all the events, some with his close circle of friends who also happen to be Ponoka Stampede volunteers, and some with his family.
"We usually have a good time at the Ponoka Stampede and maybe even a little bit more at CFR because we can relax a bit and take it in," he said.
"There's always something to learn at every rodeo you see that's not your own."
While he's looking forward to all the events, he said it would be exciting if Miss Ponoka Stampede 2024 Olivia MacLennan continues the winning trend and take the national title, as the past two Ponoka Stampede queens have done.
Bareback rider Jacob Stemo, originally from Ponoka, moved to Calgary in 2023 for work.
He'd decided to hang up his spurs and had retired from competing after the 2022 CFR, but deciding to make one last run for CFR50.
"It was going back to Edmonton. I felt I wanted to ride in Edmonton one more time. I figured if I could do it on the least amount of rodeos as possible then that was the goal. I got lucky and that's what happens," said Stemo.
The bareback rider hit 17 or 18 rodeos this season, including a last-minute call to compete at the Calgary Stampede. With those rodeos under his belt he qualified in 11th place for the finals.
"I feel great. I feel like out of the top 12 guys there may be only three or four that can really out ride me, so I feel by the end of the week I should be in the top three or four no problem," said Stemo.
"Good luck to all you guys and girls and let's go get the money," said Stemo when he was being introduced.
At the beginning of August, just eight weeks out until CFR50, Ponoka header Kash Bonnett and his partner Logan Spady (Alliance, Alta.) were sitting outside the money. In a homestretch bid, the duo hit a winning streak, competing at about 20 rodeos on the north and south side of the border just in August.
It paid off, with around $18,000 in earnings, moving them up the ranks to first place heading into the Canadian finals.
"As we hit August it seemed everything starting falling our way," said Bonnett. "We won second in Regina, first in La Crete, first at Dawson Creek and then it just kind of went from there. It was crazy for us.
'It was wild; it seems we won everywhere that we went," said Bonnett.
"I'm excited. It's the best chance I've ever had at winning the Canadian title. As you go into the spring and summer your goal to start out is to win the season later so it's pretty cool. I never thought of winning season later but it just kind of happened."
At 23 years old, this will be Bonnett's third CFR. This year his older brothers, also pro rodeo competitors, were just outside of the top 12 and didn't qualify for the finals.
"This year is just my year. Last year I didn't even make the finals and they did. It's part of rodeo. I wanted them to be here just as bad as I wanted to be here," he said.
"There's no guarantees; when you make the finals one year and you think you're going to make it every year and it's not like that. Rodeo - it doesn't always go your way."
Bonnett went up to Rogers Place a couple of weeks ago for an opening event.
"Everyone's super optimistic and excited about it and I think that building is going to have a cooler feeling than any place we've ever roped before."
The 2024 Central Alberta CFR qualifiers and participants that were recognized at the Ponoka Stampede send off were:
- Jayden Vold, stock contractor;
- Brenda Vold, timer;
- Gunner Smith, from Bentley, steer rider (absent);
- Tyrel Flewelling, from Lacombe, heeler, sixth place, 10-time CFR qualifier;
- Bonnett, from Ponoka, header in first place, won in La Crete and Armstrong;
- Levi Simpson, from Ponoka, header, in seventh place, won worlds in 2016;
- Lawrie Saunders, from Alix, breakaway roper, season leader, won Armstrong this year, her second CFR;
- Bobbi Henderson, from Alix, breakaway roper, was in the barrels showdown round in Ponoka this year and was the Armstrong finals winner;
- Macy Auclair, from Ponoka, breakaway roper, 2024 SMS Equipment Pro Tour champion;
- Brooke Pomeranz, new to Ponoka, breakaway roping, 8th place, 2024 Precision Rodeo Tour champion, this is her first CFR;
- Rene LeClercq, new to Ponoka, barrel racer, sixth place, won the Falkland rodeo and was a Stampede champion, this is her fourth CFR;
- Stemo, hometown Ponoka, bareback rider, 11th place, won Regina, was third in Strathmore; and
- Dantan Bertsch, Ponoka, bareback rider, third place, SMS Equipment Pro Tour champion, 8th CFR (absent).
