Frank Principe looked very much at home at the Valley West Stampede at the Langley Riders Society arena, the place where the champion cowboy and master silversmith won many awards.
"I used to have 15 acres down here in South Langley," Principe explained.
"I rode bulls and I roped calves and team roped, mostly."
Among his accomplishments as a silversmith, Principe has been making the prize spurs for the Cloverdale rodeo for more than 45 years.
What does he think of Valley West?
"I like it," Principe said. "[But] I would like to see a regular rodeo with timed events, too, besides the bronc riding."
Principe was one of 5,310 visitors during the first day of the expanded Valley West, now in its third year.
Drill team rider Kaylee Pederson, who was doing some meet-and-greets with visitors on horseback along with other team members, described it as "really busy."
"But it's been really busy the last past three years," Pederson added. "It's been a lot of fun."
Valley West Stampede president Sheila Hicks said they were aiming for a new record of 15,000 attendees over the three days of the Labour Day weekend competition, up from the 6,000 the first year and 10,000 in year two.
"We've done it bigger and better," Hick said of the 2024 edition.
"We're super thankful for the community support that we've received."
Organizers of the Valley West Stampede are aiming for an even bigger turnout at this year's Labour Day weekend competition, which got underway Saturday at Langley Riders Arena at 4303 208 St. pic.twitter.com/TNO1axsyQP
— Langley Advance Times (@LangleyTimes) August 31, 2024
This year's Stampede had 11 food trucks on-site as well as 18 vendors.
Professional rodeo clown Jayson Charters was a new addition.
A former competitor in rodeo circuits throughout Canada and the United States, Charters, a Merritt resident, brought more than comedy to the arena, intervening quickly with other cowboys to quickly extricate, without injury, one rider who got tangled up while trying to dismount.
Also new this year, were pig races, three times daily at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Valley West offers $15,000 in prize money in each of four riding events: bare back, ladies barrel racing, saddle bronc and bull riding
There will also be mutton busting by local kids in the arena during intermission.
Located at the Langley Riders Facility at 4303 208 St., the gates to Valley West open at 11 a.m., the rodeo starts at 2 p.m. and runs approximately two hours. At 4 p.m. the DJ starts, with live music from 7 p.m. to 10:30 (9 p.m. Monday).
Parking is at George Preston Community Centre off 42 Ave.
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