If you're going to pursue a life in the rodeo world, you may as well do it with all you have.  

Tariq Elnaga has taken that notion to heart.  In a normal year, Elnaga would have spent this weekend at the Airdrie Rodeo Grounds taking people who have never been to a rodeo on guest experience chute tours, showing them the ins and outs of the rodeo world. But in 2020, the COVID pandemic forced the cancellation of the Airdrie show along with all others in the province.

Being on the Airdrie Rodeo Committee is a far cry from his previous life in Dubai which ended six years ago when he moved to Airdrie..  "I moved to Airdrie from Dubai to get into the rodeo," Elnaga explains.  "I initially started as a volunteer with the Airdrie Pro Rodeo and eventually got onto the committee."

Elnaga, however, isn't content to simply watch the rodeo action.  He wants to be part of it and over the past couple of years, he's spent his free time learning to ride and rope, now competing in the team-roping event. 

 

Elnaga, who has no background in rodeo, and had never been to a rodeo before in his life, developed his love for the sport while he was on vacation in Calgary and decided to buy a ticket to the stampede.  "I thought, 'this is really cool, this is what I want to try and this is what I want to do.'  I went home and packed up and decided this is going to be it and I moved to Alberta."

While his move here was a bold one, Elnaga did stay employed in the same industry he was involved with in Dubai, engineering for oil and gas. 

Elnaga knew he wanted to live near Calgary but not in the city.  When he looked for a suitable home he drove around Airdrie and fell in love with the community.  "It just felt right.  There was something that said this was it, this is going to be the town.  I love it here.  This is absolutely my home."

Elnaga emailed the Airdrie Rodeo Committee to ask if they needed some help.  He received a reply of "absolutely" and started doing odd jobs before becoming a member and taking on the role of spectator experience. He was getting ready to give more rodeo newcomers a taste of the world before the pandemic shut things down.

"We definitely all do miss it and we understand why we don't have it (this year). We can't wait to come back next year stronger, and bigger and better.  What I do know is the bonds in this community run very deep. Even though we don't have the rodeo this year the bonds, the camaraderie, the friendships that we have run really deep and I think next year we'll be roaring to go and have even a better rodeo."

Maybe not next year, but one day you could see Elnaga competing in Airdrie.  He's been learning to ride and rope for less than three years now and says it hasn't been without its challenges, some more comical than others, he jokes.

"It's amazing!  I've got great horses underneath me and I've got great coaches to help me out.  I practice all the time, several times a week if I can.  It was something I was just compelled to do.  There were no choices.  This is exactly what I really, really want to do."

Elnaga has taken to rodeo wholeheartedly and has jumped in, cowboy boot-clad feet first.  "One of my personal objectives is to back into the box at the Airdrie Pro Rodeo at some point and be the hometown entry."

The way Elnaga pursues most things in his life, anyone betting against him is likely going to lose that bet.  

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