And so the Wildrose Rodeo has faded into the sunset for another year, leaving unforgettable memories trailing in the dust and dirt.
Horses, livestock, ropes and tackle have been cleared from the Agrena, while cowboys and cowgirls have returned to their farms to begin preparations for colder weather.
Yesterday saw tractors, trucks and earthmovers begin a huge clean-up operation, raking away soil, stirring up clouds of dirt.
As the dust settles, organizers and townsfolk reflecting on the last four days should give thanks to another Barrhead success story.
While the opening crowd on Thursday night may have been disappointingly thin, the next three days more than made up for it. Saturday night and Sunday reportedly saw the Agrena virtually filled to capacity.
This is good news for two reasons. Not only does the rodeo help put the town on the map, it is also a huge earner for the local economy.
Figures are are difficult to quantify, but Ag Society president Adolph Bablitz talks of several hundreds of thousands of dollars.
This takes into account the 100-plus competitors, who brought their big trailers, and the hundreds of rodeo fans turning up each day.
Hotels, motels, gas stations and other businesses stood to benefit from this massive influx of folks from around the province.
So kudos to the organizers for putting on the event, and also to the huge army of volunteers.
These helpers — many of whom lend a hand every year — form the backbone of the event, running concessions stands and manning security at the entrance.
It is the type of dedication that has kept the finals at Barrhead for so long.
Most credit, however, should go to the to the performers themselves.
Each day these brave young men, women, and, in some cases, children put their bodies on the line.
As veteran cowboy Leonard Schmidt explained, rodeo participants have the sport in their blood and love what they do to death … sometimes literally. They are prepared to put up with knocks, bruises, strained ligaments and broken bones.
Anyone watching the event could not have failed to be impressed with the camaraderie that infuses the sport.
They would have seen the grim look of determination on those cowboys who limped away from the arena, trying not to show their hurt.
For Barrhead fans there was special cause to celebrate this year — the achievement of local cowboys Grady and Quentin Branden, who each put on a championship performance in the face of competing in front of friends, family and the whole town.
