As he stood in the chilly rain, Kevin Manning pointed out all of the gear he was wearing to keep warm against the cold, the area around him in the midway quiet except for the sound of wind blowing through the empty rides.
“I've got long johns on, I'm wearing two shirts and my winter coat,” he said. “I'm dressed for the fall going into winter weather.”
Mother Nature threw everything she had at the 46th annual Rainmaker Rodeo last weekend, sending rain, wind, snow and sun at the participants and visitors. As a result, rodeo officials say it was the worst turnout ever seen for the annual event, leaving them wondering if the St. Albert Kinsmen will have any money to donate to city charities this year.
According to Environment Canada, temperatures on Saturday ranged from 0 C to 3 C, with rain and sometimes snow blowing into the rodeo grounds. Sunday saw a high of 7 C in the afternoon, with sunshine peeking through the clouds between bursts of rain showers. Volunteers and patrons alike dressed for the weather, wearing winter coats and boots and carrying umbrellas to shield themselves.
Jim Oscroft, chairman of the St. Albert Kinsmen rodeo committee, said the distinct lack of line-ups at ticket booths over the weekend will affect the service group's coffers, but he was unsure how much of an effect the dismal weekend would have.
“This is unprecedented,” he said. “It's pretty much a borderline catastrophe … it's too soon to tell how bad it is.”
Ever since they moved the rodeo to the last weekend in May 22 years ago, Oscroft said 19 of the rodeos saw beautiful, crowd inviting weather. But, he added, this was the first time Oscroft said he's seen the weather so wicked and the rodeo and midway so empty as a result.
“We got some statistical and anecdotal information … it's typically a great weekend,” he said. “Our biggest challenge right now is to thaw out and dry out.”
Rodeo announcer Brett Gardiner, originally from Sylvan Lake, said that not every rodeo can have the perfect weather every time, but admitted the lasting power of the weekend's weather was a surprise to him.
“I have seen weather like this, but for three days? No,” said Gardiner after the events wrapped up on Sunday. “The weather beat us up, but that's rodeo.”
Tara Feragotti and Keshia Thorburn, two of the many volunteers who worked the damp weekend, said they prepared for the day by wearing multiple layers of clothing and ensuring they had coffee or hot chocolate to help keep them warm through the Saturday afternoon they were working.
“We're getting all four seasons in one day,” said Feragotti.
“We have some really good people working out there too,” added Thorburn.
Although Oscroft was disappointed with how the rodeo weekend went, he said it wouldn't stop the Kinsmen or the volunteers from putting on the event again in the future. He also gave credit to the volunteers for willingly working in whatever weather came over the weekend.
“We have a new saying — whether it rains or it snows, the Rainmaker goes,” said Oscroft. “This one will be the most memorable.”
