Ever wonder where some champion rodeo cowboys and horses get their start at?

The 8th annual Foothills Bucking Horse Futurity coming up on July 13th is the perfect place to witness emerging bucking stock stars.

Jimmy Richards, founder of the Foothills Bucking Horse Futurity, says while prize money and buckles are up for grabs, the event is educational as well as entertaining."What I usually say is this event is as much geared toward the horses as it is to the cowboys. Some people come on down to cheer for the horses because they are actually competing against eachother too. Then they get points for each of these events, and this event is one event on a circuit where the top horses will go to Vegas in December to compete against eachother during the National Finals Rodeo. It is a great way to come and see the future of the horses and the cowboys that you will see in a couple of years at some of the big rodeos."

While last year Richards detoured up to the Cochrane Ag Grounds as part of the Cochrane Fair, this year, he is excited to bring Futurity back to the Lions rodeo grounds as part of Stampede celebrations. "It will be like it used to be. Each contractor puts three horses in that have to be beteween four or five years old, and there has to be one bareback and two saddlebroncs per team and they will all have riders. The ride be judged and the horses will be judged separately, because there is prize money and buckles up for the best team of horses, the highest mark horse, and the top rider as well."

Entires will be taken up all the way until the day of the event, and are handled by the World Futurity Association, found HERE. "I am hoping for thirty horses, and I think last year we had about that. Having thirty to thirty-five horses provide a good couple hours of competiion with a small break, and I am going to have mini wild ponies for the intermission."

There has been at least five cowboys and three horses that got their start at Richards event, that went on to compete in the NFR. 

The Foothills Bucking Horse Futurity will get underway at 6:30 p.m. Following Futurity, event goers are invited to attend the 2nd Annual Stampede Barn Dance at the Cochrane Lions Event Centre. 

Tickets to watch the Foothills Bucking Horse Futurity are $10 for adults and children 12 and under are free. You are also invited to stick around and attend the dance with tickets costing $10 before July 12th or $15 at the door. 

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VIDEO: A Wild Ride at the 7th Annual Futurity