by CONNIE TABBERT
Editor
PEMBROKE — Hal Blackmore is looking forward to entertaining a large crowd as a participant in the RAM Rodeo at this weekend’s Beachburg Fair.
A Greenwood area resident (near Pembroke), he is a contestant in the tiedown calf roping, which is a timed event. Mr. Blackmore explained the event: the calf is released from a holding chute and gets an 18-foot headstart. The horse and rider then take off after the calf, the rider ropes it, dismounts, runs down the rope, flanks the calf, ties its hooves together and then puts his hands in the air to signal he is done.
“It’s an epic display of horsemanship and athleticism,” he said.
Mr. Blackmore was part of a meet-and-greet event to promote RAM Rodeo at the Beachburg Fair at Lapointe Bros. Chrysler in Pembroke recently.
This event is a heritage part of a cowboy’s life, he continued. It’s the safest way to capture a calf so it can be doctored or branded, he explained.
“You have to remember, working cowboys aren’t going to do anything to harm the calf,” Mr. Blackmore said. “This way of capturing a calf causes the least trauma.”
In a rodeo there are rules to follow regarding the calves, he said. They cannot weigh more than 250 pounds, under 150 pounds, and should be between four and five months old.
Veterinarians monitor the rodeo animals, Mr. Blackmore said.
He noted that many people don’t realize the animals used in the rodeo are bred for this type of activity. There is bucking stock and they are further trained. He also noted if a bull is not bucking, it is culled out.
A transport driver, Mr. Blackmore trains at home when he’s not out on the road. There is an arena set up and a calf-saver he built is towed by someone on an ATV. Not only does this provide him with training, but his horse learns how to respond to his movements.
A calf roper for about five years, Mr. Blackmore has been following RAM Rodeo for about two years. He learned how to rope a calf while working on a ranch in Millerville, Alberta. He was involved with branding and doctoring ill calves.
Mr. Blackmore will participate in 11 rodeos throughout Ontario, if he remains healthy. He noted last year he dislocated his shoulder at an event in Tweed.
Derek Robinson, a director with the Beachburg Fair, noted this is the second year for the rodeo.
“We wanted to do something to represent heritage, and a rodeo is a heritage event,” he said.
While this is the second year for the rodeo, Mr.Robinson believes it will be just as enjoyable this year as it was last year.
The RAM Rodeo will have two shows – 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
This year there is a new midway with more rides and different rides provided by World’s Finest Shows. There will also be the demolition derby Friday night, the Ghost Town Cryers performing, the entertainment stage, the displays in the Heritage Hall, KidsZone, homecooked meals, Little Mr. and Miss Beachburg Fair, ATV poker run, and of course the many agricultural shows, such as sheep and cattle and the horse drawing.
Mr. Robinson noted without sponsors for the fair, it may not be as successful as it has been over the years. While there are a variety of sponsors, the major sponsors are MacGregor Concrete Products, Pembroke Heating and Cooling, and Scotiabank and of course for the RAM Rodeo, the sponsors are Lapointe Bros. Chrysler in Pembroke and Renfrew Chrysler.
Tickets for this year’s 160th Beachburg Fair, which is Friday, July 28, Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30, are $20 in advance and $25 at the gate. This price allows you to enjoy everything at the fair except the games and food.
“It’s great entertainment at a great bargain,” Mr. Robinson said. “Where else can you go for $25 and have fun all day.”
