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Vol. 17, No. 24, Wednesday, May 11, 2022 www.LamontLeader.com
Bullarama Supreme
Last minute entry was a first-place win for bull rider
Beloved Lamont event ropes in huge crowd BY JANA SEMENIUK After a two-year absence due to restrictions around the COVID pandemic, Bullarama Supreme came back to Lamont May 7 at the Conrad Schinkinger Memorial Grounds, drawing 900 fans of all ages to take in the event and kick up their heels during a later dance. Bullarama Supreme, which has been running in Lamont since 1994, saw 25 bull riders entered this year with eight of them ultimately vying for first place in the final round. Because riders earn points for their performance, accumulating towards a total for a possible invitation to the finals in Nov., Rebecca Joseph, event chair for the Lamont Agriculture Society, explained that this year’s Bullarama was extra special. “If it's over $7,500 prize money, then they get double points. Ours was $8,000. So, if they got injured and couldn't go to one ride this season, by coming to ours, they can kind of make up for it,” she said. “We’ve got to entice them a little bit more because it’s an outdoor event in a bad time of year.” The Lamont Ag Society partners with the Bull Riders Canada (BRC) organization to put on the event with the riders participating in a draw the week before to match them up with their bull. Joseph said reputations precede the bulls with some riders happy with their match and others not as happy. In addition, a 50-50 draw resulted in $1,290 going to the Lamont Light Up Committee, although the name of the ticket winner was unavailable. Joseph also added by email that 46 volunteers worked over 500 hours to make the event possible. “It was just really heartwarming to see the community basically come out in droves and seeing the dance floor packed,” she said during a later interview. “It was just really, fantastic to see everybody enjoying themselves again and connecting with everybody in the community. Basically, just being back in business is a good feeling.” Winners of the 2022 Bullarama are: Lonnie West of Cadogen Alta. winning first place and receiving $5,083; Cody Coverchuk from Meadowlake, Sask. took second place winning $2,698; Carter Sahli of Red Deer, Alta. won third place taking home $1,763; and Fabian Dueck from Loma Plata, Paraguay came in fourth and received $829.
Lamont Ag. Society’s Bullarama Supreme drew 900 fans on May 7, back in business after a pandemic pause.
BY JANA SEMENIUK Bull rider Lonnie West, 26, from Cadogen Alta., took home more than $5,000 after capturing first place in Lamont’s Bullarama Supreme May 7 and said he nearly didn’t enter. “I didn’t even have my membership to come here. I texted one of my buddies and found out there was a spot open, so I bought my card yesterday and it worked out well,” he said, smiling after the event. West said he has been riding steers since he was 10 years old, gradually working his way up. But a shoulder injury last year put him out of commission for the past six months. “I dislocated my shoulder last summer and rode with it all summer, but it was very messed up. So, I took six months off after the CFR and rehabbed it,” he said. “These were my first bulls back since the shoulder injury.” In terms of his prize money, West said he has no plans for it. “The nice thing about these BRC (Bull Riders Canada) ones, is that you pay cash, and you win cash. I don’t know what I’m going to do with it all,” he said West added that he will be very busy over the coming months. “I’ve got one in Camrose next weekend and then pro rodeos every weekend after that,” he said. West placed second in the long round at Bullarama, and ultimately first Bullarama first place winner out of the final 8. Lonnie West, 26.