
June 22, 2017 · 0 Comments
By Brian Lockhart
The RAM Rodeo tour kicked off its 2017 season with the first stop at the fairgrounds in Orangeville last weekend.
This is the 20th season for the popular event that features all the wild west events like bull-riding, calf-roping, barrel-racing and bucking horses.
“This is the kick-off rodeo of the season,” said Ross Millar, Rodeo organizer and the voice in the arena where all the action takes place. “We have a record amount of entrants this year. We have over 300 cowboys.”
Around half of the participants are women and girls who are experienced in the events and show a lot of enthusiasm during the fastpaced action.
Saturday’s event got started under some heavy rain but that didn’t slow down the action. The sun finally came out and dried everyone off as the rodeo continued with the barrel racing, roping, and riding events.
The finale was the bull-riding event where riders try to stay on top of an angry bull who doesn’t want them on his back.
“They call bull riding the first original extreme sport,” Mr. Millar said of the dangerous event were bulls can weigh up to 2000 lbs, and are given names based on their temperament – which usually isn’t very good when they are released into the ring with a rider on their back.
The Rodeo also works with a charity each year during the tour.
This year, they are working with the Tim-BR Mart Kids Foundation.
The RAM Rodeo continues throughout the summer with stops around Ontario before wrapping up with the final show in September.