The Quesnel Rodeo during Billy Barker Days is back.
The 55th version of the largest amateur rodeo in the province will officially get underway tonight (Friday) at 7 o’clock at Alex Fraser Park.
Before then there is a slack performance at noon.
Ray Jasper, the President of the Quesnel Rodeo Club, says this year’s entries are over the top.
“My last count we were at 487 and then we had to add the bull riders to that. I think we have 14 bull riders each night as well so we’re tickling 500 for sure entries which is as big as we’ve ever been in the past, we haven’t been that big for quite a while.”
There are so many entries there is also a slack set for Saturday morning at 9, and that will be followed by a second performance at 2 pm.
Jasper says they have a new format this year, will will make Sunday’s performance at 1 a true Championship Sunday.
“We’re doing a tournament style rodeo similar to what some of the other bigger rodeos in North America have done, and it seems to be kind of a real nice way to change things up a little bit I guess. All the competitors that are entered will get one run in the slack, in the performances Friday and Saturday. The top 10 in the major events out of all those runs will come back to Sunday’s championship round.”
Jasper says the top 6 will qualify for Sunday in the junior, pee wee and non major events.
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