An event that each summer draws thousands of spectators to take in professional rodeo action has been put on the shelf for 2020 because of COVID-19.  

The Airdrie Pro Rodeo, which had been scheduled for June 26th - 28th, has been cancelled for 2020.

Airdrie Pro Rodeo Association President Jim Murphy says trying to continue with the event in the midst of a pandemic just put too much pressure on, not only the rodeo itself but also on the community sponsors that step to the plate each year to help put the show on.

"It (the decision) didn't come lightly," says Murphy.  "I made the decision probably a couple of weeks ago already but I didn't want to make the announcement hoping something would change and we'd be able to do it but, at the end of the day, when we're watching our community suffer and when you've got some businesses that might not make it through this pandemic, we really can't put the added pressure of the rodeo on them."

Murphy says Airdrie businesses help put the rodeo on each year, covering about 30 percent of the costs of the show.  "We just didn't feel that we could justify it anymore.  Like even myself, I'm a big supporter, I work with Cervus Equipment and we do our stuff.  I can't figure out where the money's going to come from.  With all the changes, and people having to work from home.  The lucky people are being able to work from you, the unlucky people are just at home."

Murphy says there is still a small possibility of having a rodeo in Airdrie in 2020, it just won't be a pro rodeo.  "The FCA is the Foothills Cowboys Association which means we could bring in Canadians.  The good and the bad of a pro rodeo is we're bringing a lot of cowboys across the border.  We run the same cowboys in Airdrie as they do at the Calgary Stampede.  These are the big boy,s the pros.  We're really considering scaling back to the semi-pros, to the guys that are trying to get to the CPRA (Canadian Professional Rodeo Associations)."

Murphy says the cost of putting on an FCA show would be far less than for a CPRA rodeo. He says though that putting on a rodeo, say in fall, would depend on what other rodeos are booked at that time.

Regardless of whether or not there is a rodeo in Airdrie in 2020, Murphy says in 2021 they hope to be back on track and put on an even bigger and better show for all.  

"Everybody in our association is saying, 'all right, let's make sure we've got everything in play for next year already.'  We've got a whole extra year to plan this thing.  Let's make sure we've got all our entertainment booked and make sure we've got everything in place and market it really well and turn it into twice as big an event next year because we weren't able to do it this year."

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