Williams Lake Stampede Is Cariboo Cowboy Culture at Its Finest

RODEO COMPETITIONS

Bareback Riding

This, the most physically demanding of rodeo events, requires the rider to hold with only one hand while trying to spur the horse higher and wider, on each jump, than the other competitors.

Barrel Racing

This speed event requires the rider to circle around three barrels in a cloverleaf pattern. Close proximity to the barrel is required to be competitive for time, but a fallen barrel results in a penalty.

Bull Riding

The most dangerous event at the Williams Lake Stampede is very similar to bareback riding, with its lack of saddle and one-hand hold, with one not-so-small difference: the competitors ride a rodeo bull!

Saddle Bronc Riding

Having a saddle doesn’t make this event easy. The key for competitors is timing the arc of their spur action with the jumping of the horse. Additional rider marks are earned for keeping feet turned outward throughout the motion.

Steer Wrestling

Imagine trying to pull something that weighs 10 times as much as you do off its feet. That’s just what steer wrestlers do using a combination of speed, agility and power.  They even give the steer a head start!

Team Roping

In this event a pair of ropers ride well-trained horses and, in a coordinated effort, try to get control of a steer.  One rider lassos the head and the other lassos the hind feet of the steer.

Tie-down Roping

Also known as calf roping, this timed event is widely considered the most technical of the rodeo.  The rider must rope a calf, throw it, and then tie any of three legs and hold it for six seconds.

SIGNATURE EVENTS

Mountain Race

The Williams Lake Stampede Mountain Race dates back to the 1920’s, when riders would race down the side of Fox Mountain and into the rodeo grounds. Today, the racers start on a lower hill, but the races (one per day) are no less thrilling as riders compete for prize money and the Silver Mountain Race Championship Buckle.

Pony Chariot Race

Two drivers use chariots with two wheels and two horses apiece to race for the finish line. The excitement as they go neck and neck down the final stretch is breathtaking.

Pony Express Race

This relay horse race recreates the exhilarating days of mail delivery by horseback.  This event requires riders to change horses along their route, so it requires a combination of horse speed and rider coordination to win.

Ranch Challenge

Participating ranches compete in a variety of competitions to prove their professional skill in:

• Saddle Horse Racing (Friday & Saturday)
• Cattle Branding (Friday)
• Cattle Sorting (Saturday)
• Trailer Loading (Sunday)
• Wild Bronc Ride (Sunday)

Wild Horse Race

A rider tries to saddle a haltered horse and steer it across the finish line.  This would be simple for most cowboys, but there’s one little thing to consider: these horses are not halter broke.

Each rider takes the field with two helpers, a saddle and a shank.  There are typically six to eight teams on the field at a time. The haltered wild horses are then let out of the chutes, a horn sounds and the race is on.

The action is pulse-pounding, but the horses are not mistreated in any way, though the rider teams may have some complaints.  Come witness the drama (and maybe a little comedy) of the Wild Horse Race.