SEPTEMBER 2012 THE RIDER /13 Determined Pair Introduce Burk’s Falls to the Excitement of Rodeo By Kelly Bowers
What began as just a thought just back in March became reality on Canada Day Weekend. Lucy Borne and Dawn Corless got the idea to bring a bit of excitement and enter- tainment to their sleepy lit- tle village, a town of about 1,000. The idea that became their mission was rodeo, to host the first ever rodeo held in Burk’s Falls, Ontario.
And so it began. The two women felt they need- ed financial support and first asked the Ag Society but it was felt they were not able to financially sup- port the project. So the pair ventured into the area to find sponsors. They approached local business- es and individuals who thought the rodeo was a great idea. More than a few people thought they should wait until next year but were determined to make it happen and worked harder. After meeting and signing a contract with Shawn Orr of A Bar K Rodeo, they set off to make rodeo a reality in Burk’s Falls. Both women work full time jobs which meant that they would need vol- unteers. They produced a
Jodi Pendry. Photo by Lorie Luxton
sponsorship package to present to small local busi- nesses which have been dealing with financial diffi- culties during the last few years. However, support was generous and many $100 sponsorships were received. The local Katrine Family Baseball Club gen- erously donated a much needed $2,000.
the disheartened rodeo hopefuls did not give up, they decide to do it on their own.
challenge as many were already booked for the summer, but gratefully, a few were able to come. They hosted a couple events you don’t always see at rodeos, which made it even more of a special weekend. Stephen Mulli- gan and Trevor Hammond ran a heavy horse pull on Sunday and Marina Ham- mond did a cow sorting demonstration on Saturday. The local legion hosted a BBQ Steak dinner and dance with the KICX 106 Street Team DJs who came to the dinner and played country music. Guests danced to the wee hours of the morning.
The women are thank- ful to Cindy Culbert and the Great North Arrow newspaper who published a story about them and attracted needed attention. Despite filing many appli- cations, they were unable to get financial support from various avenues but
Their luck seem to be changing when the Ag Society agreed to rent them the property for free as long as the Ag Society food booth could open for the event. By the middle of May they had raised just over $5,000 with a month to go and about $20,000 more to go to feel comfort- able. They delegated vari- ous jobs to volunteers like Lucy’s daughters and grandchildren who decided to run games in a Free Kids Play Zone.
Finding vendors was a Amanda Orr. Photo by Lorie Luxton
In spite of the doubters, plans came together for an exciting rodeo weekend, thanks to an amazing committee and volunteers. Local business- es joined in the excitement, decorating their store fronts in western gear, it was as if the whole town was host- ing the even which seemed to bring hoards of people into town. Businesses were bustling, the camp- sites around town were full.
The first Burks Falls Rodeo welcomed about 1800 visitors over the
weekend and general impressions was that it was “awesome”. Organizer, Dawn Corlis proudly says “ It was like a miniature ver- sion of the Calgary Stam- pede. Broncs, bulls, steer wrestling, calf roping, bar- rel racing, Burks Falls had it all.” Shawn Orr, owner of A bar K Rodeo Produc- tions surprised them when he mentioned nominating Burk’s Falls for Rodeo of the Year, which Dawn and Lucy consider a great com- pliment.
They even held a Rodeo Queen Contest. Five girls between the ages of 13 and 18 competed for the honour, demonstrating
horse and rider skills in the ring and answering ques- tions from the judges. A week before the rodeo date, they crowned two rodeo princesses and their rodeo queen. The first Burk’s Falls Buck’n Rodeo Queen winner was Danika Ham- mond, 1st runner up was Tiffany Davidson and 2nd runner up was Zoei Ashby. Elizabeth Perry and Meghan McIntrye made it a tough decision for the judges. All 5 contestants got to meet the Ontario Riders Association Queen 2012. The crown was gen- erously donated by Great North Arrow newspaper. Cowboys and cowgirls
came from far and wide to compete. There were 181 entries, which was remark- ably, the most A bar K had seen this season so far. Tie down roper, Chance came from Texas and Ricardo Duarte (bull rider) from Brazil. Others were from Quebec and a good number were from just up the road. Winners are as follows: Bareback Riding - Phillipe Harvey, Saddlebronc Rid- ing - Rod Weese, Steer- westling - Cody Mousseau, Tie Down Roping - Jason Thomson, Team Roping Header - Brad Heffernan, Team Roping Heeler - Jason Thomson, Barrel Racing - Robin Williamson, Breakaway Roping - Barb Lillie, Junior Steer Riding - Bryse Shaw, Junior Barrels Rac- ing - Makayla Lizotte Next year’s Burk’s Falls Buck’n Rodeo will take place again for 3 days over the Canada Day long weekend at the Burk’s Falls fairgrounds and will offer everything spectators experienced this year, plus more. For more informa- tion or to volunteer, Con- tact Dawn Corliss at 705- 382-3657. Watch for more information next spring in The Rider.
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