The Dogie Do Rodeo is now in Saskatoon 

By Bill Hrychuk
   

An event that has proven very successful for the Calgary Downtown Progress Club has made it’s way to Saskatoon.  The Saskatoon Downtown Progress Club has borrowed the Dogie Do Rodeo idea from Calgary.  It was held indoors at the Credit Union Centre in conjunction with the CCA (Canadian Cowboys Association) Rodeo on October 22nd.  It all started at 12:30 with a hearty lunch with the contestants and ended at around 3 PM with a few beverages and a prime rib dinner.  It turns out that it was so well organized that we had to throw in a bit of a beer break in the middle to keep the time frame up to speed.  The events that we decided to go with are the same ones that Calgary uses.

Of course, the Wrangler Wriggle proved to be the most popular event.  We were lucky enough to have a bunch of students from the College of Agriculture (Agros) at the University of Saskatchewan come out and really make the day quite colourful.  Our organizers were also able to get 24 teams out for the first Dogie Do in Saskatoon, not bad for the first year.

All in all it was a tremendous success.  It took a lot of planning and coordinating with the Rodeo Marshall’s Association and the CCA to really make this event happen.  Also, Jeff and Barry of the Calgary Bow River Club, and a few ladies from the Calgary Wild Rose Club came out to lend their support behind out new venture.  Even Bob Lockhart showed up for the weekend and had a great time.

We had nothing but excellent reviews for Dogie Do #1.  It was a total success in all areas.  Thanks in part to the registration process that was handled by Maureen and the ladies of the Saskatoon Meewasin Club.  This was no small feat.  Of course the marshals, the horse and cattle handlers and all the guys of Saskatoon Downtown who volunteered their labour helpled to make this a complete success.  It was Bill (Big Dogie) Stampe who put everything together  ... his idea to borrow the event from Calgary will turn out to be a major success in years to come.

When the events were all over, all of the volunteers and participants went next door to CNH Place and danced the night away with the partiers from the CCA Rodeo.  We coordinated with them and managed to put the cabaret tickets in their participant packages. The money raised from Dogie Do #1 will eventually find its way to Care and Share Saskatoon to help out the inner city kids.  We anticipate that the University students will get a lot more of their own teams in the events next time and will challenge the other colleges on campus.  We’re all looking forward to Dogie Do #2 next year where we will expect at least 50 teams.

Let’s hope that some of the other Progress Clubs can make it to Saskatoon and maybe put in a team and have a great time in Dogie Do #2.

Bill (Big Dogie) Stampe, giving a big thumbs up at the catering truck at the Dogie Do BBQ.	Maureen Mills, of the Saskatoon Mewasin Club, and a little  cowpoke, her daughter Alana,  rode out to the Dogie Do BBQ.