Rodeo fans gathered again in Bowden this weekend, except this time they didn’t have to worry about the watchful eyes of the RCMP and Alberta Health Services..“Honoured to start the Bowden Daze Pro Rodeo! Another huge turnout and a great day for rodeo action in Central Alberta,” tweeted Sylvan Lake UCP MLA Devin Dreeshen on Sunday.. Screen-Shot-2021-07-19-at-12.22.36-PMBowden Rodeo, Courtesy Devin Dreeshen .It was a far cry from when the UCP led a crackdown against the No More Lockdowns Rodeo in Bowden on May 1..Put on by rancher Ty Northcott, that rodeo was under intense scrutiny by provincial officials..The event was held on a tract of land near town after pressure from the AHS and RCMP forced Northcott to move it from the Bowden Agriculture Society grounds..The organizations had put enormous pressure on Northcott, and anyone associated with the event, to try and force them not to go ahead..When the announcer mentioned Premier Jason Kenney, a round of boos went up from the crowd of about 1,500..RCMP officers in unmarked cars could be seen around the property during the two-day event but no action was taken..In his efforts to keep the AHS and RCMP guessing, Northcott didn’t publicly announce the location until 5 p.m. Friday, but “it’s somewhere close to Bowden.”.“They (AHS and RCMP) have bitten off more than they can chew,” Northcott told the Western Standard..“We are going to rodeo like it’s 1999!”.Northcott comes from a historic rodeo family and opened up his own livestock ranch in the late ’80s..But the three Alberta COVID-19 lockdowns hit his business hard, leaving him with only 50% of his normal stock because the costs of wintering and feeding them depleted his bank account..Northcott said he is also getting calls from all Western provinces from people asking him to bring his rodeo to their town to get their own livestock businesses back on track..Days later, the RCMP handed Northcott three summonses for holding the rodeo..In June, A Calgary Court Of Queen’s Bench justice blocked plans by Northcott to hold a “No More Jason Kenney Rodeo Rally.”.Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
