Three generations of Churchill family involvement with the rodeo. The 100th anniversary of one of Canada’s oldest and best rodeos. Hundreds of volunteers coming together in the beautiful British Columbia interior led by the 2017 Canadian Committee Person of the year.

All of those combine this weekend as the Falkland Stampede takes centre stage on the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association schedule.

The 100th anniversary edition is made all the more special as the community still celebrates the selection of Jason Churchill as 2017 Committee Person of the Year.

“It meant a lot to me to be honoured like that right in the Coliseum,” Jason acknowledged. “For a while it wasn’t done that way but I think it’s great that we present that award right there in front of the CFR crowd.”

It was the second time a Churchill has won the honour. Jason’s dad, Merv was the recipient in 1982 (it was just the second year the award had been given). Throughout much of the rodeo’s history, the Churchill family has remained a key part of the show. Merv’s uncle, Homer Churchill, was one of the managers back in 1947 and Merv’s dad James Churchill was always on the accounting end at the rodeo office. From running concessions and fundraisers, to organizing and hosting barn dances – all of the Churchill clan from grandparents to aunts, uncles, cousins, have held positions behind the scenes. Clearly being a part of Stampede weekend at Falkland is part of the Churchill DNA. And for the last decade and a half, Jason, has served as Rodeo Manager.

There are two distinct organizing elements to the Stampede with the Falkland Community Association in charge of the purse strings and acting as the parent body with overall responsibility for the event. But it’s the rodeo committee and its manager that are charged with the tasks associated with putting the show together. “The town basically puts it on, Jason noted, “and we take charge of the facilities and programs for that weekend.

“The buckle I was given should be broken up into ten pieces and given to the key volunteers that make this thing work. It’s really important that people understand this isn’t a one-man deal out here. The meetings, the committees, the work parties that go on all year—it can’t happen without those people—and during the Stampede itself there’s more like two to three hundred people that contribute their time and effort.”

One of those volunteers was singled out by Churchill--90 year-old Ozzie Leaf has dedicated sixty years to the Stampede and was one of the first honorees inducted into the Stampede’s own Gold Card club.

“He still does all of our advertising and souvenirs,” said Jason. “The guy’s pretty amazing.”

And this year’s 100th anniversary will have some special elements to it.

“The planning has been going on for more than two years now,” Churchill noted. Trophy buckles to the 2018 champions, an appearance by John Payne, the famed one-armed bandit and a special re-enactment of the historic trailing of the bucking horses to the rodeo that was a part of the 40’s and 50’s editions of the Stampede will return for the 100th anniversary. The Canadian Rodeo Hall of Fame will bring some of its exhibits that are of particular interest to the folks around Falkland and will set up a mini Hall of Fame in the curling rink.

In one of the most difficult areas geographically to host a rodeo, the character and the spirit that have brought hundreds of thousands to the Falkland Stampede over the last century will be very much in evidence this weekend. You won’t find big-business sponsorship involvement here; the lifeblood of Falkland and the Vernon area is what provides everything for this rodeo. In many ways, it’s still the same Stampede it was almost a hundred years-ago, a family made rodeo - produced and presented by the community and its people.

And while Jason Churchill will be stepping down after this year, he’ll be guiding the ship one last time. And you can bet that Jason, the volunteers and an amazing community will make sure the 100th anniversary edition of the Falkland Stampede will be a special one indeed.