n THE CARILLON STEINBACH, MAN. C4
n www.thecarillon.com THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2025
SVJETLANA MLINAREVIC CARILLON ARCHIVES
Action in the corral brings out the best in competitors.
Top rodeo credits volunteers and sponsors
But the Southeast continues to supply competitors and fans for a variety of rodeos, including those hosted by the HRA. The award was presented to Rich- er organizers at the league’s finals in Grunthal last month. Chosen by the competitors who are also HRA members, the award is important to organizers. “Our organizers, all the people on the committee and also our volun- teers… their attention to detail is topnotch,” Stolwyk said. While it’s the action on the corral that many come to see, Stolwyk said they’ve always had another priority. “The focus has always been to pay attention to the children and make sure the kids are taken care of, and make sure they have something to
After 11 years of hosting rodeos, Stolwyk said some things are be- coming turnkey. He attributes that to having people in place that know exactly what they’re doing. It’s not hard to see why the com- munity feels so much ownership over the annual event. With a Statistics Canada estimate of over 600 people in Richer, and 130 volunteers, that means more than one in five residents is a volun- teer. In fact, Richer’s challenge is not in finding volunteers but in finding roles for everyone. “We get constant asks leading up to that, so we try not to turn anybody away,” he said. “We try to find something for everybody to do because we want them to feel like
look forward to,” he said. “Because let’s face it. If the children are taken care of, then the parents are going to come.” It’s no mystery why the Richer event is recognized for its organiza- tion. The committee starts early and works late. They’ve already been planning next year’s rodeo. “We start our meetings the first Tuesday after the rodeo and we start planning for next year,” he said. “We meet once a month leading up to it and the in the last two months we meet every week.” “There’s a lot of detail. There’s a lot of moving parts,” he added. “You have to make sure you’re on top of all that.”
they’re part of it.” Every small-town festival, fair or rodeo requires something often said to be just as important as those willing to lend a hand, and that’s sponsors. That too is something that has made Richer’s event a major suc- cess. “I can’t even begin to tell you how southeast Manitoba has got be- hind the Richer Rodeo and all the local businesses,” he said. “It’s very humbling. It really, really is. Without the support of volunteers and also sponsors it just doesn’t happen. It’s that simple.”
by GREG VANDERMEULEN T here are a few good reasons why Richer Rough Stock Ro- deo was named the Heartland Rodeo Association (HRA) rodeo of the year for 2025. And those reasons also explain why this is their ninth award in 11 years. “I think southeastern Manitoba is a hotbed for rodeo,” Richer Rough Stock Rodeo president Pat Stolwyk said. “There’s no doubt about it with Grunthal being close and also Beausejour. We’re also very close to Winnipeg so that helps.” It’s typically western Manitoba that people would associate with belt buckles, cowboy boots, cowboy hats, and horses.
See ‘Family focus’ on 5C
TONI DE GUZMAN CARILLON ARCHIVES
Kayla Normand and Miranda Braun at the Richer Rough Stock Rodeo in 2025.
SVJETLANA MLINAREVIC CARILLON ARCHIVES Phoebe Monchamp from Winnipeg gets her face painted during the Richer Rough Stock Rodeo on Aug. 10, 2024.
SVJETLANA MLINAREVIC CARILLON ARCHIVES A four-year-old tries her hardest to hang on during the mutton busting event at the Richer Rough Stock Rodeo in 2024.
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