The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Friday, September 27, 2024 7 Brooklin Town Crier There was a time when a Brooklin rodeo gave the Calgary Stampede a run for its money While Calgary had long been known for its annual Stampede rodeo, Brooklin made its mark by hosting its first rodeo on August 30 and 31 of 1986. The exciting two-day event on the Brooklin Memorial Park fairgrounds was made possible through the sponsorship of the Oshawa and Brooklin District Kinsmen Clubs. Over 100 cowboys and cowgirls participated, offering local residents an opportunity to experience a professional rodeo up close. During a rodeo season, competitors followed a regular circuit, competing for prize money provided by Molson Brewery and Chrysler Canada. Additionally, they earned points to qualify for the prestigious Canadian Cowboy Championship. Top point earners in these Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) events aimed to make it to the Canadian Finals Rodeo, traditionally held at Westerner Park in Red Deer, Alberta, after moving from its previous location in Edmonton. Various competitions The Brooklin Rodeo lasted nearly three hours each day and included popular rodeo competitions. Cowboys and cowgirls from Ontario, Quebec, and even the United States competed in perfect weather with clear skies and sunshine. George Hennings, director of public relations for the Coors-Dodge Ontario Rodeo Circuit, noted that Brooklin's rodeo was part of an eight-stop circuit, with the top seven finishers in each category advancing to the finals in Newmarket that September. Spectators enjoyed typical rodeo competitions like bronco busting, where riders tried to stay on bucking horses for eight seconds. Bull riding was also popular. The rider was scored on the ability to stay on the bull and under their control while the bull got a score on how aggressively it bucked. Wrestling, roping and tying Steer wrestling, also known as bulldogging, involved a rider jumping from a horse onto a steer and wrestling it to the ground as quickly as possible. Barrel racing, typically a women's event, involved riders guiding their horses around a cloverleaf pattern of barrels in the fastest time without knocking any barrels over. Another competition was calf roping, also called tie-down roping, that involved a rider on horseback roping a calf, dismounting, and tying three of the calf's legs together in a short time. The clowns were also a fan favourite. The Brooklin rodeo was sanctioned by the Ontario Rodeo Association and produced by Bill Leggette, a rodeo veteran with over 30 years experience. Chairman George Hardsand remarked that the only thing missing from the Brooklin rodeo were chuck wagon races. Around 1,500 people attended each day, and many participants expressed interest in seeing Brooklin included in the 1987 circuit. The success of that initial rodeo helped establish Brooklin as a venue for rodeo events within Ontario's rodeo community. The rodeo has since become an integral component of the annual Brooklin Spring Fair as part of the RAM Rodeo Tour, which takes place every year. When the rodeo came to town By Jennifer Hudgins