Children aged fourteen and under from all over the province, came to Barriere to show off their skills in all things rodeo during the BC Little Britches Rodeo (LBR) on Sept. 7 and 8.
“It was a great weekend overall,” said Laura Higgins, an organizer for the Kamloops Little Britches Rodeo. “The weather was okay.”
Higgins said the Kamloops LBR has been hosted at the North Thompson Fall Fair Grounds in Barriere for nearly six years. This year’s rodeo had approximately 90 registered participants.
“This was our last rodeo of the season,” said Higgins. “There was a total of eight rodeos this season.”
Higgins said, usually, the last rodeo of the season is the last little britches rodeo some of the participants will compete in. Some of the contestants are now old enough to move on to compete in the British Columbia Rodeo Association events.
“The Little Britches Rodeo is really a stepping stone for the kids,” said Higgins. “It prepares them for larger rodeos that take place around the province. Now some of the kids get to decide whether or not they will move on.”
Higgins said participants came to Barriere from as far as Prince George and there was one contestant from Vancouver Island. The events included barrels, poles, stakes, goat and tail tying, dummy roping, steer riding, breakaway roping and chute dogging.
A banquet will be held in Merrit, British Columbia on Nov. 2. The banquet acknowledges the young cowboys and cowgirls throughout the year.
“Generally, the top 10 contestants throughout all of the event will get recognized for their achievements and earn a prize,” said Higgins. “It’s a big deal for these kids.”