Spirits were high as 50 years of rodeo was celebrated in cowboy style on Saturday in Olds.
Olds College rodeo coach Guy Kelley said it was pretty exciting to mark the 50th year of the rodeo team at the college.
Bob Hartell, 69, a former Olds College Team member, said he’s been able to catch up with plenty of old faces as part of the weekend event.
“It’s been great. Just run into more people that I hadn’t seen for 30 years now,” he said.
Alumni Ben and Kirk Robinson, brothers from Innisfail, competed in the tie-down roping.
The pair were in Ponoka on Saturday morning and after their showing in Olds, jetted back to Ponoka for the final go-round.
Jake Vold, a Canadian bareback riding champion, is also a former Olds College rodeo team member.
Olds College Rodeo Team President Martina Holtkamp, who competed in pole bending and goat tying said the day didn’t exactly go as planned, but she was happy to see the crowded bleachers.
She brought her dad Joe along to the event, who also went to Olds College and introduced her to rodeo when she was seven-years-old.
“I’ve been going hard ever since,” she said. “There’s just nothing like it. All the excitement and it brings people together, that’s what I love about rodeo.”
For current members of the Olds Rodeo team, the weekend is also preparation for those heading to the Canadian Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Championships at Lakeland College from March 29-31.
Holtkamp will be competing in her second college finals in the goat tying. Last year she finished fourth and this year she will enter ranked third but is optimistic about a win.
“Excited but the nerves get to you too,” she said. “Hope to come out number one, but I guess we’ll see.”
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
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