Little Britches Rodeo gets a move on in Maple Creek

Last Saturday, the Maple Creek rodeo grounds were filled with the stars of tomorrow. 

The Little Britches Rodeo was in town, showcasing some of the blooming talents that are set to take the rodeo world by storm in years to come. 

Lining up the events and prepping the show was Emmy Robertson, a member of the organizing committee for the Maple Creek Little Britches Rodeo. 

Emmy Robertson, standing in the hot sun at the rodeo.

"We had to wait a little bit for our ambulance this morning, so we had to switch things around a little bit, but that's all good," said Robertson. "They're here and we're very thankful that they came to help us out today."

Like with any children's sport, their safety is paramount. The danger present in any rodeo venue is still present, even if a bit smaller, at the Little Britches Rodeo. 

Little Britches is a rodeo series that takes place across southwestern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta. This year's tour stampeded through Shaunavon, Eastend, Consul, and now Maple Creek. The event will continue in Dunmore in September for the finals. 

Kids 17 and under can compete in everything from steer riding and bull riding, all the way to goats and barrel racing. 

A posse of kids saddled up and waiting for their chance to run in the rodeo. 

"The kids are awesome," said Robertson. "That's the reason to do it. They are all very sportsman-like, and they're on time and they're ready to go when they're supposed to be, and they encourage each other."

This rodeo is a little slower, with some more assistance being made available to help the kids. They can be shown the proper procedure for events, and how to handle the livestock. This way, they learn from a young age properly and can grow with the love of the sport.

The results will be posted to the Little Britches Rodeo Facebook page, where folks can see the rising talents coming up in the wild world of rodeo. 

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