If you sat too close, you might end up with grit in your teeth, and dust in your eyes, but that was nothing compared to the physical trauma that some bull riders would experience as they were thrown from some of the most rank bulls in North America.
On Saturday, the St. Paul Ag Corral was packed with locals, seated next to people who had travelled much farther distances to watch some wild action at the annual Bull-a-rama event.
“The quality of the bulls is phenomenal,” says Les Trach, one of the judges at Saturday’s event, which also involved some wild pony races and a dance with entertainment by local band Boomtown.
“The town of St. Paul is unbelievable in how they support that bull ride,” says Les. Every year, many of the same sponsors put their support behind Bull-a-rama, and the attendance proves that the event is something the town looks forward to.
“The community really gets behind it.”
After all was said and done, it was Bryce West from Provost, Alta., who was named the champion bull rider.
One thing that makes Bull-a-rama in St. Paul unique is how close spectators are to the action. In large arenas, it can be hard to watch the action, but in St. Paul, “you can see the fear in the guy’s eye,” says Les.
“We had nothing but good feedback,” says Steven Trach, an organizer with Bull-a-rama. “The bulls bucked, the cowboys rode.”
Steven says the event wouldn’t be possible without the support of sponsors and volunteers who help out. Bull-a-rama draws in competitors from across Alberta and Saskatchewan, and this year eve included a few from just Goodfish Lake and Vilna.
The 2015 edition even proved to draw spectators in from outside the area, with people travelling in from Fort McMurray and Saskatoon to be entertained.
Another feature of Bull-a-rama is the wild pony races, which also showcased youngsters from the area.
Overall, “we think it was really great,” says Steven.
