INNISFAIL – Kyle Daines is especially excited for the opening of rodeo weekend Friday night at the Daines Ranch.
There’s a superstar coming to town.
His name is Virgil, and he’s a famed rodeo bucking horse that has won it all on the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association and Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association circuits.
“He's one of the biggest, highest ranking, great horses you'll ever see,” said Daines, organizer for this year’s 65th annual Daines Ranch Pro Rodeo, which runs from June 13 to 15 at the Daines Ranch, located just over seven kilometers north of Innisfail off the C & E Trail.
“He's been a Canadian champion bucking horse. This horse goes to the NFR (National Finals Rodeo) every year.
“Every year this horse goes to the Canadian finals. He’s won in Calgary, and in Ponoka,” added Daines. “This horse is the real deal.”
Daines said Virgil, a 17-year-old grey gelding born in North Dakota and raised by Vern McDonald in Lac La Biche, is bucking with Australian saddle bronc rider Lachlan Miller at the Daines rodeo on Friday night.
“It's a privilege to have him at our rodeo.”
Daines is expecting about 400 contestants for this year’s rodeo, and that includes 170 barrel racers.
And he’s expecting big crowds this weekend, noting the Daines rodeo has not only been attracting huge attention locally and across the province but nationally as well.
He said through the Canadian Pro Rodeo Association that the committee of the Daines Ranch Pro Rodeo has been voted by cowboys and cowgirls as the Rodeo Committee of the Year in 2021 and 2024.
“Our crowds and our fans are back,” said Daines. “We seem to get a little rain every year, and our crowds don't care. We’re in a drought down here and we need rain.
“I think it just puts a smile on everybody's face that we got some rain,” he added. “I hope (the fans) are recognizing how lucky we are and how great a rodeo it really is.”
As for the weather forecast, Environment Canada is calling for a 30 per cent chance of showers for Friday night with temperatures of around 20C.
However, there is a sunny forecast for both Saturday and Sunday with temperatures at around 21C.
That is good news for organizers of the Innisfail Rotary Pro Rodeo Parade, held every year on the Saturday of Innisfail’s rodeo weekend to coincide with the Daines Ranch Pro Rodeo.
Before the parade begins at 10:30 a.m., the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #104 in Innisfail is hosting a pancake breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m.
The cost is $5 per citizen with children six and under enjoying their pancakes for free.
Dani Rain is the Rotary Club of Innisfail’s parade coordinator, and she’s expecting another successful parade, which will feature about 45 registered floats.
However, this year there will be a change in the route, which in prior years had gone down 50th Avenue and turned west on 40 Street.
But there is construction on 40 Street, and this year the parade will turn west on 42 Street and then turn north on 52 Avenue past the Innisfail Schools Campus to the finish line.
“I have actually personally dropped off the parade route with Autumn Grove, since it's not going to be going through Autumn Grove this year,” said Rain.
She said this year, after discussions with the Town of Innisfail, an executive decision was made that every year going forward, the parade committee will offer the opportunity to Innisfail’s Citizen of the Year to be the parade marshal.
Rain added Valerie Audette, who was chosen on April 25 as Innisfail’s Citizen of the Year for 2025, has agreed to be this year’s parade marshal.
“We really decided we were going to go strong with this tradition and continue on with that and have every Citizen of the Year given the opportunity to be the parade marshal,” said Rain. “That's just a really fantastic way to bring the community together.”
As for parade participants, all entries need to be registered and insured, including vehicles, floats, machinery, ATVs, organizations, schools, bands, private entries, and livestock.
Participants cannot enter the parade without registration and proof of insurance.
Float judging begins at 9:30 a.m.
The staging areas are in the following locations:
• Antique and decorated cars: 48 Street between 51 Avenue and 53 Street;
• Bands: 49 Street between 51 Avenue and 53 Street;
• Commercial and non-commercial floats and comedy: 49 Street between 51 and 50 avenues;
• Clubs, organizations, churches, and agriculture: 48 Street between 51 and 50 avenues; and,
• Horses: 47 Street between 51 and 50 avenues.
