‘Just power through it’: Ponoka Stampede embracing muddy conditions for its 90th year

Rain has been putting a damper on many events in Alberta, but participants at the Ponoka Stampede are taking it all in. CTV News Curtis Goodrum reports.

The non-stop rain has been putting a damper on many summer events in the Edmonton area, but one long-standing attraction in Ponoka is embracing it.

The Ponoka Stampede didn’t let muddy conditions stop it from celebrating its 90th year of steer riding, barrel racing, bull riding and more. The event has never been cancelled due to weather.

“We’ve gone through everything and as long as it’s still safe for us to do it we’re going to go ahead and go,” said competitor Macy Auclair.

The event saw everything from heavy rain, to sunshine and now muddy conditions.

“You just have to power through it - this morning I brought my horse to the arena and kinda showed him the mud and made him run through it a little bit so he knew what was going on,” said Auclair.

Weather conditions can play a big part in the competition.

“(Mud) can slow the calves down because it gets so deep the ground changes a bunch.”

Covy Moore has been capturing award-winning images of the Ponoka Stampede for a decade – and says muddy days are his favourite.

“The mud days are far the easiest, like shooting days for just making cool pictures. The pictures make themselves on days like today,” Moore said.

“I feel sorry for the laundromat in town.”

The Ponoka Stampede’s last day is Wednesday.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Curtis Goodrum