Midale buzzed with excitement this long weekend as the town enjoyed the Midale Rodeo and the 58th Annual Threshing Bee, drawing crowds for a mix of thrilling events and heritage celebrations.
“We had a great turnout and just couldn’t be happier with how things went, and the support that we had was amazing,” said Adam Carlson, president of the Midale Rodeo Committee.
The 16th edition of the Rodeo kicked off on Friday night with Bull Riding. “It had the bull riders from all over Canada and some from the USA and Brazil there.” He added that there were 20 entries overall and they put on a good show, complete with a rodeo clown and wild pony racing that kept the audience enthralled. Mutton Bustin was also on the schedule, with a cabaret featuring Crossroads closing out the night.
Events continued on Saturday with the Souris Valley Antiques Museum starting the 58th Annual Threshing Bee with a pancake breakfast. The day was jam-packed with a parade, a live threshing demonstration, and a captivating blacksmith showcase at the heart of the Heritage Event. The event also featured booths from local vendors, and the Midale Library brought their bouncy castle fundraiser.
The Rodeo also continued to draw in the crowds with performances by the Ranch Riders and Truco Trick Riders, as well as a second show by Crossroads.
“We work together with them and try to organize the weekend. That works for everything, all the events. So yeah, they had lots of stuff going on as well.”
Those unable to make the Threshing Bee were able to take in the events on Sunday, which was also the final day of the rodeo. “The Barrel Racing first thing in the morning started things off so that they could make it over to the barrel race that was going on in Estevan later that day.” He added that the turnout for the events was great. Sunday also offered a car show bringing a crowd to mainstreet in Midale.
“Happy with the turnout and look forward to making it bigger and better next year.”
Carlson noted that the Rodeo began 18 years ago as a way to bring an exciting event to the community and to get younger groups interested in carrying on the sport of rodeo and its heritage in the community. However, a couple of years were missed due to COVID, making this the 16th edition of the event.
“It’s looking great for the future and hopefully we can make it something that we can really use to help keep pulling these communities together and keep things going.”