Once again, the B.C. Team Cattle Penning Association (BCTPA) held a successful event in Barriere at the North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo grounds.
It was the second of three major BCTPA events in Barriere this season, with the next one planned for the May long weekend.
“People come from all over B.C.,” said Aspen Ledger, president of the (BCTCPA), who is based in the Lower Mainland.
Ledger said the association has 120 members ranging in all ages.
“We have all the way from youth to one of our oldest members who is 80-years-old and still competing - Len Gamache.”
In each round, a group of 30 cattle enters the arena, each one wearing a large number tag from zero through nine.
Three riders, working together as a team, line up behind the starting point—called the foul line.
Ledger explained as the announcer yells “Flag’s up!” the competition begins. A random number is called out—say, “Number 3!”—and the team must quickly identify and separate only the three cows wearing that number from the rest of the herd.
“Then comes the tricky part: driving them across the arena and into a small pen at the far end, all while keeping the other 27 cattle from following or interfering. And they only have 60 seconds to get the job done."
She said it might sound easy, but it takes serious horsemanship, tight communication, and trust between teammates and their horses to succeed.
“Mistakes can happen fast, and there’s no time to waste.”
Depending on the class size, they do a minimum of two rounds and the fastest 30 per cent ride again.
The teams that have the fastest combined times with the most amount of cattle are the winners.
Ledger, 26, has been involved with penning since she was nine-years-old.
“I’ve been on the board for three or four years and this is my second year as president.”
She loves the family aspect of the sport, she said.
“We have a lot of teams there that are grandpa, son and granddaughter. I get to ride with my mom and I also compete with my boyfriend and his mom,” she said. “It’s amazing.”
Several members travel together to ride at the Calgary Stampede or attend national competitions, so they spend a lot of time together.
“I grew up in the sport and there are lots of kids that I’ve known my whole life.
Going to Barriere is always a positive experience, she added.
“They have the best facility and they are incredibly accommodating.”
She said they normally have almost 80 members attend the events in Barriere, bringing with the about 100 horses.
Everyone camps and stays at the grounds and BCPTA is able to set up in March and leave everything there for the competition until they are finished.
“We’ve been very lucky to use the facility. We’ve been going there for a number of years,” Ledger said.
