Cloverdale Rodeo cancelled for 2022 — but not by the pandemic

Organizers of the Cloverdale Rodeo in Surrey, B.C. were hoping to get back in the saddle this year after the last two events were cancelled by the coronavirus pandemic.

It was not to be.

In a statement, Cloverdale Rodeo & Exhibition Association president Gerry Spielmacher said the event planned for the May long weekend would not take place.

"It's very hard, especially for the board that's been working on it for a year," Spielmacher said.

"Every year we go and start over again and find out you have to postpone it. It's hard on members and the volunteers and the people in the community that have enjoyed such a great event."

It isn't the pandemic causing the cancellation this time, however. 

This year, organizers said, it's because the grandstands of the rodeo's venue, the Stetson Bowl, need repairs. To go ahead without fixing them, they said, would be a safety issue and there is no other suitable location for the rodeo on the fairgrounds.

Spielmacher said the City of Surrey, which owns the Stetson Bowl, has been working on those repairs but there's no guarantee they'll be completed in time. 

With the logistics behind the rodeo — a $2 million production with hundreds of volunteers plus performers — organizers needed to cancel well ahead of time, and delaying the event is not possible.

"The different schedules don't always allow for the cowboys to come up to you at different times of the year," Spielmacher said.

Organizers say they are still weighing whether running the Cloverdale Country Fair this year with COVID-19 health measures in place will be financially feasible.

The hope is the Cloverdale Rodeo will ride again in 2023.