| The West Today |
Rodeo Up in France 2020!
Photo courtesy Serge Mercier Photography
For over 100 years, rodeos have captured the hearts, souls and sense of the most incredible rootin’ tootin’ good times like no other events in the world. And even as the world spins on its axis into the hyper-techno era, big rodeos thrive on becoming more iconic each year –continually evolving to be more that just a North American pastime for nostalgic cowboys.
North America is a key word here as the largest rodeos in the world are held in Canada, the United States and (OOPS) France. France??? Yup, France.
Let’s take a look at this most interesting and unexpected blip on the rodeo radar screen. The largest rodeo in the world is (no surprise here) the Calgary Stampede held each year in Alberta, Canada. The second largest rodeo is Cheyenne Frontier Days and the third largest rodeo in the world is EquiBlues in Saint-Agreve, France. It’s even bigger than the famous Pendleton Roundup or the Ponoka Stampede. Well who knew?
Every August, for the past 23 years, the charming town of Saint-Agreve, located in the high plateau of Ardeche, France, is transformed into a Western rodeo town with saloons, stampedes, country music and so much more. The promoters of this event describe Equiblues in the most eloquent way: “This event constitutes for Europeans a most privileged rendezvous for all lovers of majestic spaces, strong emotions, beautiful horses and the incomparable conviviality and inspiration from the American West. It is an unmissable event for all lovers of the American Cowboy.”
Each year, over 100,000 Europeans flock to Saint-Agreve to experience first-hand the thrill of the bull, bareback and saddle bronc riding, the sounds of country music and the challenge of the line dancing. They’re sipping brew not wine and eatin’ bbq in full dress regalia. And the purses are substantial too.
So, if you’ve done the North American big ones and looking for a whole new rodeo adventure, then Rodeo Up in Saint-Agreve, France in August of 2020 for the 24th annual EquiBlues! Be there buckaroos and show them just how convivial we American Westeners can be!
—Jayne Skeff
|
|
The West Today | Painted Ponies | In The News | Picturing the West | Linda's Feed Bag | Round Up | Wild Wild West | Today's Pioneering Spirit
Mission Statement
Smoke Signals blows your way from High Noon Western Americana of Los Angeles, California, producers of the High Noon Antique Show & Auction for 25 years (1991-2014). Smoke Signals eMagazine was founded in 2010 from a desire to share thoughts and facts with the High Noon community and look at what is going on in the Western world while feeding our readers with great recipes and giving advertisers a chance to blow their own smoke.
And hopefully we educate along the way.
Linda Kohn Sherwood, Editor