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Pro Bull Riding finds home in Lacombe

Proceeds from inaugural event goes to Lacombe Ringette Association
17650146_web1_TylerBingham
(Black Press File Photo)

Lacombe Days has a new signature event, with pro bull riding coming to the Gary Moe Auto Group Sportsplex on July 27th for the first time.

Colleen Shippelt, Lacombe Pro Bull Riding organizer, said the event will be a Canadian Professional Rodeo Association sanctioned event.

“We will have 30 bulls and riders for the event. These are the bulls and riders competing and going to the CFR and the NFR. We will have the bull riding event and there will be a family-friendly cabaret to follow. That will feature the band KixxSIn,” she said.

Shippelt said she hopes the event becomes an every year staple of Lacombe Days.

“My goal is to do this every year and give back to the community. This year, the Lacombe Ringette Association is supplying all the volunteers for us and we will be donating all of the proceeds back to them. We hope to be able to do it every year,” she said.

With this being the inaugural event, Shippelt couldn’t place a number on how much they will be able to raise for the association.

“It is our first year and we are getting all of our ducks in a row, so I can’t really put a number on it. Hopefully we will be able to make a good donation for them so they don’t have to do as much fundraising as a group,” she said.

The event come together after Shippelt discussed with her friends — rodeo stock contractors Curtis and Corey Sawyer — how she would like to an event like this back in Lacombe.

“They said, ‘Let’s do it’. We needed to find a group to help organize and run the event — my daughter plays ringette. It was a good fit to see if the Lacombe Ringette Association would provide the volunteers. We approached them and they said yes,” she said.

Shippelt said her team expects a sold out crowd for the event.

“We think we will be turning people away at the door who haven’t got their tickets. We are hoping to sell over 1,000 tickets to the event and we have had a really good response so far,” she said.

Tickets are available in advance at the Lacombe Co-operators and Lacombe Ford, or online at lacombeprobullriding.com.

“We are always open to more volunteers and there is a link on our website where people can sign up there if they like,” she said.

She added, “Thank you to the community of Lacombe for embracing it. Come out and have a great time.”