Saddle up for a day of equine fun at the 10th Annual Delbert Johnson Memorial Jackpot May 27 and 28 at the Golden Rodeo Grounds on Reflection Lake Road.
Hosted by the Golden Light Horse Club, the weekend event will feature barrel and pole races beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday. A concession will be open all weekend and, following the races, a beef-on-a-bun dinner will be available and open to the public. Saturday’s activities will wind up a live band.
Members of the club will start flipping pancakes at 8 on Sunday morning, with barrel races beginning at 10. Buckles and prizes will be awarded at the end of Sunday’s races.
The Golden Light Horse Club was established 50 years ago and the event is dedicated to the memory of Delbert Johnson, one of the founding members of the horse club and rodeo committee.
“He had a love and passion for children and the community and he dedicated years to the horse club,” says Shelley Black, past president of the club who promised Johnson she would “step up” and take over from him. “He died in 2008 and we dedicated the event to him while he was still alive.”
Black grew up in the club, joining when she was five. Now 51, she owns three horses and is still competing.
The goal in hosting the Delbert Johnson Memorial Jackpot, which is sanctioned by the BC Barrel Racing Association and the Kootenay Barrel Racing Association, is to work towards the return of a full-blown rodeo.
While the club has hosted gymkhanas and smaller barrel events, the last rodeo was held in 2008 due to to a decline in the forest industry, a decrease in club membership and unavailability of funding.
But last year, the club boasted more than 100 members and, over the past five years, several members have worked hard to improve the infrastructure at the rodeo grounds. Thanks to funding from the Columbia Basin Trust, Columbia Shuswap Regional District, Town of Golden and Golden Rotary new bathrooms have been installed, the electrical system has been upgraded and a new roof covers the concession.
“We’d like to thank them for their support and for bringing heritage in the western community back,” says Black of the funding. “The community supports with funds and prizes too, and it has been all the same businesses over the past 10 years.”
The club continues to host other events, with barrel nights every two weeks and a fun day once a month in order to encourage kids to learn and improve their skills. Members of the Golden Light Horse Club range in age from three to 75 years old.
“We have longtime members, it’s fabulous,” says Black, pointing out people travel to the Delbert Johnson Memorial Jackpot from many parts of B.C. and Alberta to take part in the event which is family oriented. “I’m gonna brag; we put on a great show. Our club really comes together as a team to promote and organize the event and it runs smoothly because of the volunteers in the club.”
Spectators are welcome and 50/50 tickets will be sold on site.
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