SHOW OF WOOL POWER
Barrhead’s River Massa, 7, takes part in the mutton busting competition during Farmfair International at the Edmonton Expo Centre Thursday.
The rodeo at Farmfair Thursday morning took a downsized approach to the agricultural show’s usual cowboy-and-bull spectacle.
Instead, the early event at the Edmonton Expo Centre featured pint-sized competitors attempting to keep their grip on a runaway sheep for eight seconds, with the goal of avoiding being bucked.
It’s an event called mutton busting, and it’s meant to give kids a chance to experience the sport of rodeo first-hand at a young age.
“These are kind of big sheep,” laughed River Massa, 7, of Barrhead, whose two clean runs netted her first prize.
Children participating in the event ranged from four to seven years old. Kids are required to wear helmets and parents must sign a liability form. The young cowfolk can’t weigh more than 40 pounds, a restriction meant to prevent any harm to the sheep.
While mutton-busting kids typically struggle to stay on their sheep for a full eight seconds, a handful of children at Thursday’s event avoided being thrown to the ground altogether. Farmfair equine manager Cassie Nicol said some ovine participants didn’t have the usual pep in their step.
“We had some slow sheep this morning. I think they took a while to wake up,” Nicol said. “For the most part they’re pretty fast, and rough.”
For her credit, Massa had to hold on tight to keep from getting bucked off her two aggressive sheep, nicknamed by the rodeo announcer as Mr. Fuzzy and Steel Wool.
As part of a farm family, she’s had some experience with livestock — she’s even tried riding the sheep at her home, something she says may have contributed to her success in the ring.
“Every time when the sheep started running I hanged on to the front. I was so scared,” Massa recounted. “But practice does make perfect.”