The Watrous Centennial Arena hasn’t seen the excitement of professional bull riding for the past six years, but the furry fury is about to return this spring. The Watrous Kinsmen once again present Bull-A-Rama at the complex on Saturday, April 26. Bull Riders Canada makes an early season stop in Watrous, says Kinsmen Vice-President Jarvis Engele.
“Our stop is one of the earlier ones on their circuit. Our prize added money that we’ve put up is $7500 for the winning riders, plus we’ve got a custom belt buckle made for the winner. It’s also a double points event for the BRC circuit, so we’re looking forward to having some really skilled riders out as they climb their way up the ranks toward the finals in the fall.”
The last appearance of the BRC riders in Watrous was 2019, and the Kinsmen club has been working hard to get things back into place for their return. The bull riding is the highlight, but cabaret with a live band that follows will also add to the excitement.
Just as the event was gaining traction as an annual staple in the community, the pandemic seized up the momentum. The Kinsmen decided this year was the time to see the fan favourite return.
“It’s been a while for us, but it’s something we really wanted to bring back,” Engele says. “The last couple of years, we’ve talked about it and started to do some preliminary planning. This year, it worked out so that they had an opening on their circuit that worked out great for us as a club and as a community.”
Engele says the popularity of the event was proven by community feedback from the 2018 and 2019 shows, and it proved to be a solid fundraiser for the Kinsmen.
“We’re fortunate to have an active Kinsmen and Kinettes Club in Watrous. For the Kinsmen, it’s the 75th Anniversary in Watrous this year, so we’re quite proud of that. We have a number of causes we support through the community. We’ve donated in excess of $75,000 toward a new daycare centre, we donated $20,000 to a new to a new washroom and food both facility for the sports grounds, we made a large donation to the elementary school for a playground structure, and we’ve just made a large donation to the high school for a 15 passenger van.”
This year the major project the Kinsmen are gearing up for is the construction of an outdoor rink.
Tickets for the Bull-A-Rama are available at Watrous Pharmacy and the Watrous Mazergroup location. Links to online tickets are available through the Watrous Kinsmen Facebook group, the Watrous Manitou Marketing page, and via the QR codes in area posters.
“We’ve had great crowds the last two events we’ve held, so we’re hoping to have a full rink and a big night again.”