Big rodeo, bigger animals
Whether it’s a few hours or a few days, you haven’t seen it all
Agribition brings us back every year
Article: Taryn Riemer – Contributor
A day at Agribition always starts with excitement and a lot of energy. A first-timer would think they could see it all in a day, however they would be mistaken.
People from all walks of life come out to see the event. Kids as young as newborns to seniors were enjoying the exhibits. A kid-friendly pavilion was set up where kids could pet animals, learn about museums and do crafts. Many families explore this pavilion. This area was also the First Nation pavilion. Kids could learn about First Nations culture and see artwork. There was also clothing and jewelry on display.
Farm equipment, animal necessities, vehicles and other farming goods were on display as well. There were large displays with tractors and other farm equipment in two of the arenas. In the soccer area, dozens of different business had their products on display.
Jim Anderson, the president of Frost-Free Nose Pump Ltd, has been coming to Agribition for 11 years. He enjoys coming to Agribition so he can talk to people about his product.
“I like it when people come along and we get into a good discussion and then I see the light come on in their eye about how this works. Then I know I’ve made my point.”
Along with large equipment exhibits there are also exhibits that cater to the spouse of the farmer who is at Agribition. Some people call it the home-ware section, others call it the girl area. Whatever you want to call it, it’s to be noted that it’s not just for the women, although there are things that are directed at them.
This area of Agribition is always packed with people looking for a cool new gadget or even a new article of clothing. Vendors in this area can be polar opposite when it comes to their product. However, there is some flow to the way things are set up. In one corner there is artwork, in another cooking supplies and another corner has clothing.
Deborah Letness is the creator, president and owner of DD Jewellery Collection. She has been coming to Agribition for five or six years and has many people coming back every year to see her collection.
“You can kind of build a reputation and the reason why I’m in this spot [which I don’t move from] is because people know I’m here.”
There are so many things to buy and look at in this area. Once you have gone through this area, there are still many options for where to go next. If it’s still early in the day, a good option is to check out the animal shows in the barns. There is an excellent beef cattle show that is held every year, along with many other animal shows.
Talking to people about why they come to Agribition year after year, Lise Hixson has an easy answer.
“Cause my husband likes to come here. I just come to see what they have.”
If animal shows aren’t your idea of a good time at Agribition, there is still many more things to see. Around the Brandt Centre, there are more vendors for people to tour through. The Brandt Centre is also the main area for the rodeo. During the day, there are events like team penning. However, the evening show is where most people want to come out and watch.
Seven o’clock is when the big rodeo starts. There are all the classic events that you would see at the rodeo: bull riding, team roping, steer wrestling and much more.
The rodeo ends around ten and people slowly start to head home. Another day at Agribition is over and a lot of things were seen and bought. Even after spending close to a full day at Agribition there is a good chance you didn’t see everything. It’s a good thing that there is more than one day of this grand event. It probably would take a person two or more days to get everything in. In the end, a couple of days there is worth it.
