Get ready to pull your cowboy hat down tight and hang on.
The BC Team Cattle Penning Association’s Double Header will be back at the North Thompson Agriplex in Barriere this coming weekend for the ninth time since 2015 for another two full days of non-stop action and competition.
More than 500 teams of three riders and their horses will be competing in the Agriplex on Mar. 23 and 24. This popular event is known for its fast action, cow savvy horses, and superb horsemanship for anyone who wants to see what it’s all about, or just sit back and enjoy the show. Admission is free, but no dogs please.
Team cattle penning is a timed arena event involving teams of three riders and 30 head of numbered cattle. The purpose of the team of riders is to ride down the arena, gather up three head of the same-numbered cattle out of a herd of 30, and then bring them back up the arena into a designated pen in the middle of the arena in less than 60 seconds.
Sixty seconds is not much time to move three head of cattle out of a herd when the singled out individuals do not want to leave. The riders and horses have to be quick, make no mistakes, and even Lady Luck will have some say in the outcome of each team’s run.
The cattle herds are rotated frequently and every run brings its own surprises.
This is a great family competition, with many of the teams made up of both youth and adults. Teams are expected to be coming from all over B.C., with some from as far away as Vancouver Island and Dawson Creek. Prize money for the weekend includes a $15,000 added purse split equally.
If you miss it, the whole shebang will be back in Barriere at the Agriplex next month for another $15,000 Double Header on Apr. 20 and 21, which promises to have even more teams than the March event.
Find out more on Facebook at: BC Team Cattle Penning Association, or go to: http://bctcpa.net.
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