BOYLE – It may have been a bit smaller than a typical Boyle Rodeo, but Hell on Hooves still drew in quite the crowd on a sunny Saturday afternoon in the middle of summer.
Over 1,000 people packed the grandstands at the Boyle Agricultural Grounds July 29 for what Scott Miller called a “roughstock jackpot” that saw local up-and-coming cowboys, as well as rodeo regulars from across the province, get the chance to showcase their skills in front of friends and family.
“We’ve been holding these practice nights for all the kids to come out and practice rodeo, and this was a chance for them to showcase their skills, kind of like a hockey camp,” said Miller in an interview after the final cheques were handed out. “This way they can come and earn some money; for the kids that got better, well, they earned a little cash for their efforts.”
The athletes got to showcase their skills in a variety of events, including barrel racing, bareback and saddle bronc, and bull-riding, with their $60 entry fee getting mixed into the pot with some money from the organizers. While it was a competitive event, the camaraderie and sense of community were what stood out to the men and women working behind the chutes.
“It’s a competitive sport and we’re all riding against each other, but we’re also all here helping,” said Matt Kowalchuk, who helped organize both the practice nights and the main event. “It’s not you against the other riders, it’s really you against yourself. I rode my bull and then I’m right back on the chute cheering on my buddies and helping them with whatever they need.”
Once Kowalchuk and Miller had come up with the idea for the event, they pitched it to the Boyle Ag Society, which is headed by Ashtin Anderson who said that it was an “incredible success” and was particularly blown away by the level of the support that they received from spectators and sponsors.
“There’s so many people that do things behind the scenes; we needed sponsors so I called Jenn Miller and she helped a lot, but also just everybody helped, today there’s people selling liquor tickets or acting as security and they just stepped up to do that,” said Anderson. “I didn’t have to go around begging for anyone to help. Our community is incredible and they really stepped up to make this happen.”
The crowd was another unexpected bonus, with an estimated 1,000-plus people in the stands, organizers were able to put the event on for free thanks to some generous sponsorship.
