BARRHEAD - The Barrhead Agricultural Society is still not ready to commit to whether it will submit a bid to host the Wildrose Rodeo Association (WRA) finals following the completion of this year’s event.
However, president Jackie Miller and treasure Brenda Visser said if the turnout at June 21 meeting at the Ag barn was any indication of volunteer support for the event, they are optimistic the society would once again attempt to secure the event until 2025.
The WRA final is the showcase event of the association's season.
Athletes who have the Top 10 point totals in each of the seven core rodeo events (bull riding, bareback and saddleback riding, calf roping, team roping, steer wrestling and ladies barrel racing) qualify for the rodeo finals, which also features the Top 6 junior-point leaders who will compete in the steer riding, bull riding, breakaway roping, and barrel racing events.
Barrhead has hosted the WRA finals since 1989, except for 2020 and 2021, due to the pandemic. This year's four-day event will take place from Sept. 15-18. The conclusion of the event will mark the end of the society's current three-year commitment.
In mid-May, the society posted on its Facebook page that if an influx of volunteers did not come forward for the September event until 2025, Barrhead’s ability to host future rodeos was in jeopardy. The society added it would be deciding whether to attempt another bid at a special June 21 meeting.
About 25 people attended the meeting, including seven board members.
"It's great to see so many people interested in keeping it in town," Miller said, adding later in the meeting that the society would make the decision within two weeks.
"You don't have to commit tonight, the decision whether we decide to put in a bid has to be made in the next couple of weeks. But to see this many people come out tonight, I think it shows us as a board that it is worthwhile to try to bring the rodeo finals back to the community."
She said that the society board was not just "crying wolf", adding they were concerned about having enough committed volunteers to host the event.
Miller said June to September is the society's busiest time as there are several commitments over the two-and-a-half-month span.
"June being (Barrhead Composite High School) grad, then it goes to the (demolition) derby (July 23), to (Blue Heron) Fair Days (Aug. 13-14) and then the finals. It is quite a few events that we put on in a relatively short period, and our volunteers do get tired," Miller said, adding it is not just volunteering during the events that wears people out, but the planning as well."
Visser also noted there are still have vacant positions, including those for the heading areas.
Miller added that even for areas where they have a section head or manager, they are hoping to create some redundancy in the organization by having a helper shadow them so that when they step down, they always have someone ready to step in.
Major volunteer areas include ticket sales, security, alcohol sales and bars, arena set-up, and evening events.
Visser added that although Barrhead has hosted the event for nearly three decades, there is no guarantee that even if the ag society decides to submit another bid, it will be successful.
She noted the WRA invites bids from all the communities that host WRA events and a major component of the bid is how much money the host organization will bring in for the association. For the last three years, Visser noted the society committed $45,000, not including the cost to the society to put on the event.
"So we have to put bums in the seats," Visser said.
Miller agreed, noting the WRA rodeo finals is not a money maker for the society, adding the board is happy if they break even or make a small profit.
"We do it to bring an event to Barrhead, and the community benefits from it. Businesses make money by having contestants and rodeo fans stay at our hotels, visiting our restaurants, and that people have an event that they enjoy," she said.
It is worth mentioning that if another community offers more money, Miller said the society does have the right to match.
Someone asked whether inflation would impact this year's rodeo finals and the potential future bid.
Neil Branden said while the prospect of volunteering or even heading a category can seem like a daunting task, the WRA finals does have a substantial volunteer base and that they are looking to add to that base and lessen people's workloads.
Long-time society board member and past president Randy Schmidt said if the society did decide to bow out of the finals for a cycle, there is no guarantee that they would be able to get it back.
"The new organization, and community, will like it and see all the benefits hosting has, and it would be a real tough battle to get it back," he said. "I would just hate to see our community lose something like this."
Miller added they have the opportunity to build something really special, saying that people, after two years of public health restrictions, are looking for things to go to.
"I can see us having our biggest attendance yet, and that is something we can really build if we submit a bid for the next cycle," she said.
