When the Canadian Finals Rodeo was expected to leave Edmonton, the Oilers Entertainment Group went looking for a new event and roped in the Professional Bull Riders Global Cup.
The dates of the PBR event were announced on Wednesday. It will run from Nov. 9 – 11, 2017 – the same weekend the Canadian Finals Rodeo has been held for 43 years.
One fan, who comes from a family of rodeo competitors, said she was hoping to go to both events.
“For me it kind of breaks my heart that they overlapped them,” Sydney Daines explained. “I think it’s great that they’re doing both of them. I just don’t know why they couldn’t do it on different dates.”
READ MORE: Professional Bull Riding brings 10-day event to Edmonton
Watch below: In August 2016, Vinesh Pratap filed this report after the Oilers Entertainment Group announced a five-year partnership with Professional Bull Riders to bring a major event to Alberta’s capital.
“We’re not competitors with rodeo, we have our roots in rodeo,” PBR CEO Sean Gleason said. “Our job and mission is really to bring entertainment, not just to the western lifestyle consumer, but bring a new consumer to the table.
“If you look at all of our events – whether it’s New York City or Chicago or Anaheim, Calif. – we’re not just drawing western lifestyle enthusiasts, we’re drawing millennials and we’re drawing a younger crowd.”
“It’s a mix of people from eight to 80… we’re gonna bring some new people to the sport of bull riding,” Gleason said.
Gleason added planning for the PBR event began when it looked like the CFR would be moving to Saskatoon. It was in October last year that the CFR announced it would be staying in Edmonton through 2018.
READ MORE: It’s official: Canadian Finals Rodeo will stay in Edmonton through 2018
Northlands will not change the date of CFR and Farmfair International which accompanies the rodeo.
“Farmfair International, that’s such a huge cornerstone,” said Lori Cote, manager of communications with Northlands. “The economic impact that these two events have at that time of year for the city of Edmonton, everybody plans their calendars around it.”
The Canadian Finals Rodeo will go from Nov. 8-12 at Northlands Coliseum, while the PBR event will be held Nov. 9-11 at Rogers Place.