LETHBRIDGE — Cowboys and cowgirls have flocked to town to take part in the Lethbridge and District Pro Rodeo. This marks the second year the rodeo has been held since its successful comeback. The Lethbridge and District Exhibition is thrilled to have the rodeo back, and as a staple event for Whoop-Up Days. "We brought the Lethbridge and District Pro Rodeo back to southern Alberta and we had an amazing response last year," said Mike Warkentin, Exhibition CEO. "(Thursday) night proved again that this is a rodeo community." Organizers have spent months preparing for the rodeo. Much of that time was spent getting the grounds ready to handle inclement weather after heavy rain led to weather delays last year. But this year is predicted to be much better than last year's damp affair. "It's a year's worth of planning. As soon as the last one's over, we're back to planning for the next year, so it's always great to see things come together," said Kynan Vine, executive producer of the Lethbridge and District Pro Rodeo. "We're just looking forward to another two days of great rodeo action." The ideal conditions will be needed as competitors look to make their way into the Canadian Finals and National Finals rodeos later this year. "It means a lot to me right now. I think I'm just outside of making it to the Canadian Finals, so this is a good rodeo for me to come to and hopefully do well at and get inside the top 12,” said Jeremy Buhler, who competes in team roping and was the 2016 world champion. The crowds have certainly turned out for this year's rodeo. Attendance was up significantly over last year's first night and that trend is expected to continue, and the excitement from the crowd was definitely noticed. "It was a great first day. We had a big crowd here for a Thursday night, the weather was great and the competition was fantastic. We had world champions here, athletes from all over North America, and they didn't disappoint," said Dustin Edwards, professional rodeo announcer. "Every aspect was first-class." The Rodeo runs Friday and Saturday, starting at 7 p.m.
