Peter Shokeir | [email protected]
Jasper has likely seen its last rodeo as the Jasper Heritage Rodeo officially decided to fold during its annual general meeting on April 4.
Jasper has had a rodeo since the 1920s, and the event would have reached its 100th anniversary in 2025.
鈥淚t was a hard decision that we made,鈥� said Michael Furzeland, vice-president of the Jasper Heritage Rodeo.
鈥淭here were only six people who showed up (to the meeting), and only three of us wanted to go with the rodeo this year, and the other three did not want to.鈥�
Secretary-Treasurer Gail Lonsberry added how two other members had already decided not to participate in this year鈥檚 rodeo.
鈥淚t was such a big endeavor that after thinking about it, we didn鈥檛 feel like we could manage with such a small committee, plus the fact that COVID has affected everybody, still not getting the European travellers, which is our main base for ticket sales, and it just didn鈥檛 seem feasible.鈥�
In previous years, the professional rodeo had athletes competing in everything from barrel racing to steer wrestling, calf roping and bull riding.
The event allowed international visitors to get the full Alberta experience without having to go outside of Jasper National Park.
鈥淎nd we were the only pro-rodeo in a national park,鈥� Furzeland said.
The pandemic had cancelled the rodeo for the past two years.
The rodeo was previously held at Jasper Activity Centre from 1977 to 2015 before moving to an outdoor location at the snow dump near Whistlers Campground.
Lonsberry noted that their lease was coming up with Parks Canada next year, and there was no prospect on either an extension or moving the operation to a different site.
鈥淲e have known for the past number of years that 2023 would be our last rodeo, but given the circumstances, we decided that we鈥檇 cut our losses and not go ahead at all,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e upset that it鈥檚 folding, but we can鈥檛 see a way forward with it being in Jasper. If it鈥檚 not going to be in Jasper鈥� my personal feeling is that I don鈥檛 want to move it someplace else.鈥�
The rodeo has yet to finalize what to do with its assets.
鈥淲e鈥檇 like to thank the community for their support, because going 97 years, I know the last several years have been tough, and the last two years being the hiatus due to COVID,鈥� Furzeland said.
The rodeo also thanked the volunteers, contractors and especially the Northcott family for helping them put on the event over the years.
