Farmfair and CFR entertained thousands of guests

EDMONTON, AB –City slickers turned cowboy to celebrate River City Round Up – a city-wide festival celebrating Edmonton’s agriculture and western heritage from November 4-13. Northlands’ Farmfair and the Canadian Finals Rodeo helped Edmontonians find the west within with cattle shows, horse sales, and some of the best rodeo contestants in the country.

“Northlands was built from agriculture roots and we’re proud to continue this tradition,” said Richard L. Andersen, President and CEO of Northlands. “The sport of rodeo and our western heritage are engrained in the roots of our community and we’re proud to support Alberta’s dynamic culture.”

Northlands and the City of Edmonton were proud to partner to start off the ten-day festival with the River City Round Up kick off celebration in Sir Winston Churchill Square on November 5. There was entertainment, a caravan of covered wagons, cultural displays, family activities and the evening concluded with a fantastic fireworks display.

Northlands’ 522,000 square foot Edmonton EXPO centre was full of agriculture education, entertainment, commerce and competition at Farmfair 2011. This year 93,624 guests took part in equine events, cattle sales, the Heritage Ranch Rodeo, RAM Country Marketplace and much more.

Highlights include the Alberta Supreme Championship which made its debut at this year’s Farmfair and included all beef breed winners from Northlands Farmfair Agriculture Showcase, Olds Fall Classic and the Lloydminster Stockade Round-Up. This was an exciting competition as the provincial female and bull champions were declared. Exhibitor Miller Wilson Angus won the Alberta Supreme Champion title for both the bull and female champions and drove away in not one, but two 2011 Dodge RAM trucks.

Sharon Altstadt from Daysland, Alberta was the Rural Roots Raffle grand prize winner. Sharon won a 2011 one-ton Dodge Ram and a Jayco Fifth Wheel Trailer valued at over $102,000. The Rural Roots Raffle helps support agriculture leadership, education, recognition and training in Alberta.

A total of 91,174 guests enjoyed the 38th edition of the Canadian Finals Rodeo which brought world-class athletes to Rexall Place. Competitors were vying for bragging rights, national titles and money – close to $1.4 million was taken home! This year’s Miss Rodeo Canada was also crowned. Arleta Bowhay from Sundre, Alberta will travel the world as an ambassador for the sport of rodeo.

Rodeo highlights include Tyson Durfey tying the arena record for tie down roping at 7.1 seconds. Dufrey was also the overall tie down roping champion at this year’s CFR. During the two performances on Saturday, bullrider Chad Besplug had three re-rides for a total of five different rides that day alone. His decision to take the re-rides with the hopes of getting a higher score was worth it. Besplug came out on top and was declared the overall champion bullrider with total earning of $73,790.14 for the season.

“This was a great year for rodeo,” said Dale Leschiutta, President of the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association. “We had over 100 rodeo contestants who showed Edmonton what rodeo is all about – dedication, athleticism and passion for the sport.”

This year CFR presented a feature concert live in the dirt. Blake Shelton provided an intimate experience for those in attendance, playing acoustic versions of some of his biggest hits. In addition, CFR fans were entertained on several nights at The Buckle - the official party headquarters for the CFR. Emerson Drive, Sweet Tequila and Chad Brownlee all rocked the Edmonton EXPO Centre with some of country music’s biggest hits!

“Rodeo fans demonstrated their passion for rodeo over these past five days,” said John Windwick, Canadian Finals Rodeo Commissioner. “The tremendous support shown by rodeo fans is what allows us to bring the best of the best to Edmonton each year.”

For full CFR results, visit CFR.ca. The 2012 Canadian Finals Rodeo will take place November 7 - 11, 2012 at Rexall Place. For more information on Farmfair, please visit Farmfair.ca.

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