“I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter”

2 days ago

2 minutes read

I can’t believe it’s not butter—or Buttar—that didn’t win the 2nd annual Dakota Buttar Invitational in Kindersley. He gave everything he had and was even in the lead for a short time, until Maple Creek’s Jake Gardner made his final ride and nailed it, topping Dakota in his hometown. It’s been said that second place is the first loser, but I didn’t see any losers—only Cowboys competing hard to be the best they can be. As anyone will tell you, no matter how hard you try, you won’t always come out on top. But as long as you try your best, you can keep your head high.

The crowd was boisterous and loud, and boy howdy did they cheer when Dakota stayed the full 8 seconds on his third ride. He was so elated that after he came down off the bull, he threw his helmet into the crowd! That’s passion at its best. Alas, it was not meant to be, but the success of this two-day event will almost certainly guarantee a return next year.

PBR event coordinator Peter Gebraad was generous in his praise for all of the sponsors, both major and minor. Without them, he said, this event would never have happened. And in that same vein, it turns out Peter’s sister-in-law is Melody Fries from Kindersley Castle Building Centre, who was a major sponsor last year and this year, took care of ticket sales, supplied the huge video screen, and answered probably a million questions! She was given a replica female belt buckle with her name engraved on it as a gift, presented to her by Dakota and Jake.

There was also a twist to the two nights of adventure: all proceeds from the 50/50 raffle, merchandise sales, and alcohol sales are to be donated to the Kindersley Hospital for the purchase of new equipment (details to be specified at a later time). Additionally, many sponsors also made donations after the final buzzer sounded. The final total was just over $73,500 as of this writing, but there will be a seven-day window for anyone or any company who still wants to donate.

The Kindersley Jr. Klippers all came out to help with ticket sales, cooking, and serving, as did members of the Kin Club and Rotary Club. The 290 Press Café was serving drinks in Kimmer’s Korner and had a busy two nights.

It was a well-rounded effort from a lot of people, and the coordination was outstanding. The PBR certainly puts on a professional show and is superbly produced. It truly is an experience to take in. Next year? I sure hope so! Thank you to everyone who made this a memorable time in Kindersley.

By Kevin Martin