Inter-Collegiate Rodeo Season Kicks Off In Vermilion With Thrilling Performances

The Canadian Collegiate Rodeo Association (CCRA) is made up of a dedicated group of college and university students, alongside their coaches, who share a passion for rodeo. With a commitment to both their education and the sport, they come from across British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, forming seven competitive teams. These teams rotate hosting 8–10 rodeos from September to April, providing a dynamic rodeo circuit that culminates in the Canadian College Finals Rodeo, scheduled for May 17–19, 2025.

The 2024-2025 rodeo season got off to an exciting start from September 20–22, as the Vermilion Agricultural Society, in partnership with Branded Western Wear, hosted the first Inter-Collegiate Rodeo of the season. Fans, students, and athletes gathered to celebrate the sport with three days of high-energy competition and festivities.

The weekend kicked off with Friday’s rodeo performance at 6 p.m., setting the tone for what would be an action-packed event. The beer gardens opened at 5 p.m., drawing attendees together before the rodeo. After the excitement of the day, an after-party at The Social allowed students and fans to mingle and continue the celebration late into the evening.

Saturday morning began bright and early with Slack at 9 a.m., giving rodeo athletes a chance to compete in events before the day’s main performance. The afternoon featured Goat Tying at 2 p.m., drawing a crowd as athletes competed in precision and speed.

As the sun began to set, anticipation grew for the 6 p.m. performance. The evening saw fierce competition across multiple events, with college rodeo stars battling it out for the top spots. Lakeland College Rustlers dominated Barrel Racing, with Hannah Sheehan taking 1st place with a time of 14.85, followed closely by teammate Kali Johnson at 15.12. Southern Alberta College Rodeo Team (SAIRT) athlete Rana Beierbach rounded out the top three.

In Pole Bending, Lily Wilson from Lakeland College claimed the top spot, completing the course in 20.67 seconds, teammate Hannah Sheehan took second with a time of 20.87, and Lacey Terpsma – Central Alberta (CA) – captured third with a time of 21.23. While Goat Tying saw Avery Sardoff also of Lakeland College clock the fastest time of 8.6 seconds.

Steer Wrestling proved to be one of the most intense events of the evening. Drayder Pearson from Central Alberta, alongside Olds College’s Keegan Hodgson, shared a tie for 1st place, each with a time of 10.4 seconds, while Charles Grant (OC) grabbed third with a time of 20.4 seconds.

In the Tie Down Roping, Logan Stewart from Olds College secured 1st place with a time of 18.6 seconds, while Lakeland College’s Weston Packet followed closely behind at 19.2 seconds. Team Roping was a crowd favourite, with Olds College duo Blake Collins and Reece Pocock taking 1st place in 13.2 seconds.

After an exhilarating day of competition, rodeo-goers let loose at the 9 p.m. rodeo dance, where the Flatland Beer Bandits kept the party going.

The competition continued on Sunday morning with Slack kicking off at 10 a.m., offering another full day of thrilling rodeo events.

In Barrel Racing, SAIRT’s Rana Beierbach delivered an impressive performance, clinching 1st place with a time of 14.81 seconds. Hannah Sheehan, finished in 2nd with a time of 14.94, followed by Kelby Terry from SAIRT.

Lily Wilson (LLC) once again proved her prowess in Pole Bending, securing another victory for Lakeland College with a time of 21.05 seconds. In Goat Tying, Avery Sardoff (LLC) also continued her winning streak, finishing 1st with a lightning-fast time of 7.8 seconds.

The Breakaway Roping event on Sunday was quick action, with Lakeland College’s Natalie Wittmack taking 1st place in a time of 2.9 seconds. Her teammate Daylee Storle came in 2nd at 3.3 seconds, while Central Alberta’s Katelyn Willsie took 3rd place.

The Steer Wrestling event saw only two competitors make the leaderboard, with Wyatt Bondaroff from Northern Lights College finishing 1st with a time of 6.7 seconds, followed by Drayder Pearson from Central Alberta in 2nd at 8.0 seconds.

Tie Down Roping on Sunday saw a standout performance from SAIRT’s Rees Wilson, who took 1st place with a time of 13.3 seconds. The team of Blake Collins and Reece Pocock from Olds College once again claimed victory in Team Roping with a repeat of their Saturday time of 13.2 seconds, narrowly edging out Chad Cooper and Ryan Collett from Red Deer Polytechnic who had a time of 13.6.

The season opener in Vermilion set the stage for what promises to be an exhilarating collegiate rodeo season. With fierce competition and a deep pool of talent, the Canadian Collegiate Rodeo Association’s 2024-2025 circuit is off to a roaring start.