Back in the saddle: Rodeo school resumes in Strathmore, Alta.

Colten Powell, 16, gets ready for his saddle bronc ride in Strathmore Tuesday during rodeo school

Strathmore, Alta. — Rodeo school is back in session in Strathmore with four days of saddle bronc, bareback, bull riding and bull fighting.

It’s the second year the Strathmore and District Agricultural Society has hosted the event.

Ryan Schmidt, the organization's CEO, says the pandemic forced organizers to limit participants to keep everyone safe.

"We keep the numbers down," explained Schmidt. "We’ve only got 26 kids maximum per day at the grounds.

"We’re thankful that we have a huge amount of area to work with and being outside we’re able to manage it in a safe way."

The rodeo chutes were reserved for saddle broncs Tuesday. The school is for beginners and novice riders. Colten Powell, a 16-year-old from Innisfail, Alta., says his heart was beating fast as he climbed on a horse for only the second saddle bronc ride of his life.

"It was pumping but once I got in there it slowed down," beamed Powell. "Maybe he was a little strong for me but I got him spurred out. I just need to get everything after that figured out."

Coaches evaluate every ride and show the students video to help them see what they did right and what they need to work on.

Skeeter Thurston has been teaching rodeo for about 15 years. He spent two decades competing at the Canadian Finals and National Finals Rodeo in saddle bronc and his son Zeke is the current world champion in the sport.

Thurston says he would like to take some of the credit for his son's success but, regardless, he enjoys the opportunity to turn the kids at school into cowboys.

"We show them the basics (for) when they go home from here," said Thurston. "Their heads will be spinning tomorrow (as) there’s so much information that goes through it but then they can sit down and start sorting it all out and then start building a foundation and start building on that and then hopefully go somewhere with it."

Sawyer Eirikson, 20, is from Okotoks and wants to be a professional rodeo cowboy. He’s attended a number of schools to learn more and keep his skills up

"So as you go you learn different things to sharpen up," said Eirikson. "You get your baseline done real well and then just fine tuning each point.

"Even now I’m starting to figure out how to spur them better, get higher marks and how to control myself and keep myself safe."

He was looking forward to a good rodeo year after obtaining his novice pro rodeo card but the 2020 season was cancelled due to COVID19.

According to Schmidt, organizers try to match the right horse with the right student for the saddle bronc practice sessions.

"You don’t want a kid to come in and get on the rankest horse in the pen because guess what, he’s not going to come back. But if you put him on an animal that he can learn on he’s going to come again.

"It’s about providing an opportunity to learn where the facilities are and doing it in a safe way for the kids and that’s the key to growing the sport of rodeo."