The first annual Bulls of the Beach event was the first community-wide event after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, and brought rodeo lovers, and Chestermere and area residents together.
The organizer of Bulls of the Beach, Dan Richard, was inspired to bring a rodeo-type event to Chestermere after organizing two high school rodeos in Calgary.
“The idea of Bulls on the Beach was thought of in 2019, and something we had planned for in 2020,” Richard said.
In 2019, the Rocky View Chestermere Agricultural Society invested in Chestermere with the purchase of bucking chutes from Lakeland College, with the expectation of hosting rodeo events in the community.
“Bulls on the Beach grew from the high school rodeo in Calgary, it grew from renting the facility in Calgary to a desire to own our own facility and bring these events to Chestermere,” Richard said.
Adding, “The bull riding was the one thing we knew we could do, that we knew we had the room for because for putting on a full rodeo we don’t have the room. The bull riding is where we’re at right now.”
Going forward, the Rocky View Chestermere Agricultural Society is interested in expanding the rodeo events in Chestermere to include all events.
Following the event, Bulls on the Beach organizers received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from spectators.
“We’re getting nothing but rave reviews, the event went extremely well. People are commenting they can’t believe it was our first event, it was like we have been doing it forever,” Richard said.
“We had a lot of help from Lazyprodeo, so for it to go off without a hitch was expected, but to go as well as it did, that was wonderful,” he said.
For Richard, having the community together, happy, healthy, in one piece with no major events was a highlight of the event.
“One of the things that stuck out to me was as it was getting dark the lights from the Dockside were shimmering across the lake and seeing stock trailers pulling out of town loaded with bulls was a sight. That was something we don’t see in Chestermere, our western heritage rolling out of town, that was a first in Chestermere,” Richard said.
