Cowboy Classifieds
Community Profiles
- Name: Wayne Webber
- A.K.A. (Nicknames): Spider
- Born (date/place): December 5, 1954. Medicine Hat, Alberta
- Currently live in: Medicine Hat, Alberta
"If you're caught up on your work, you're doing something wrong."
My Life Today:
My wife Kathy and I run a cow/ calf operation on a ranch just south of Medicine Hat, Alberta. Our cow herd consists of black angus and black cross cattle. The calves are retained and backgrounded over the winter. In the spring replacements are picked and depending on market conditions the remaining heifers and steers are either sold or put on grass. We are able to produce most of our feed at home with the use of irrigation consisting of pivot and wheel-move systems. Depending on the year some supplemental straw and hay is purchased.
Family / Personal:
Kathy and I have been blessed with two wonderful children. Ken, born in 1980 lives in Red Deer, Alberta and is employed as a power engineer at the Joffrie petro-chemical plant. Ken is engaged to be married on November 22, 2008 to a beautiful girl named Brandi-Lee. Our Daughter, Lynann, born in 1988, lives with her partner Nick in Marquis, Saskatchewan, Lynann works in a medical office in Moose Jaw., Saskatchewan. Lynann loves horses and all animals and someday would like to work in the animal health field.
Horse (or pets, or team):
As with most farms or rural situations, there have been many horses, dogs, cats and other 'critters' that come and go over the years. There's an old cowboy saying that "every man should have in his lifetime one good horse, one good dog and one good wife." I guess I've been pretty fortunate on all three counts. Although all our horses have a special place in my heart, one that stands out was a grey quarter horse/ arab. Sam came to the place as an unbroke 3yr old when I was about 12 years old. With Dad's help, Sam was basically the first horse I trained on my own. Over the years we rode and grew up together. He wasn't the prettiest horse but was one of those with a heart as big as he was. When we dealt with one of those so called 'herd quitters' or one that was right miserable, I usually just had to hang on because Sam would pin his ears and make sure the animal was put back where it belonged. The last four years of his life were pretty much retirement. He mainly just roamed where he wanted on the place having figured out how to open gates and swim irrigation canals. It was one the hardest days of my life when Sam had to put down at the age of 34 years.
Education / Training:
I graduated from Medicine Hat High School in 1972 and remained home to work on the farm with Mom and Dad. At the time Dad was involved with instigating the Canadian Murray Grey Association and bringing the first Murray Greys in from Australia. It was at that time we began the use of artificial insemination in order to access the Grey blood lines because the importation of live bulls from Australia had not been approved yet. I attended an American Breeders AI herd management school to learn to implement the technology in our herd. The Greys were excellent keeping and finishing cattle but for some reason just never gained acceptance with the buyers. I continued to A I for both ourselves and others for a time, but the program has now reverted back to bulls and mother nature.
Professional Highlights:
From early on I always had an interest in rodeo and related events. Dad built me a buck chute in the corner of one of the feed pens and many afternoons we spent running in steers and tying on my bull rope and riding out into the pen usually to be deposited in or near the center manure pile. My first rodeo was the old Redcliff Rodeo in about 1968. I was entered in the steer riding and spent most of my 'ride' going down the arena with my hand still in the rope and the rest of me underneath. It wasn't long and I wanted to try bare back riding and soon was entering the junior events at small rodeos like Murraydale, Sask., Elkwater, Ab., and Taber, Ab. About that time a well known roper and bull rider by the name of Dale Rose built an indoor arena just west of Redcliff. Dale had made a name for himself competing professionally all over North America. Another local rodeo hero was Rocky Rockabar. Rocky was famous in the world of professional saddle bronc and bull riding. Even today many of the 'old timers' remember 'Rock' as one of the toughest men they have ever known. Myself and countless others benefited from the knowledge these two men imparted to us at their rodeo schools held in Dale's arena. Many of our group went on to become top competitors and Canadian and World Champions.
Personal Highlights:
Because of the time spent raising a family and running an irrigation/ cattle operation, Kathy and I slowly moved away from much active involvement in the sport of rodeo. Then a few years ago I was asked to help put on a steer riding school. The school was a success and I realized just how much I missed the sport. Shortly after, both Kathy and myself became involved with the Box Springs Rodeo as volunteers. Within 2 years we were both asked to be directors on the organizing committee. I was a director for 4 years and in 1998 was elected as vice-president. In 2000 I became president, a position I have held ever since. Box Springs Rodeo is one of the best known amature-semi pro rodeos in the country. There is probably more 'war stories' emminating from the rodeo's colorful 28 year history than many other events that are twice or three times as old. Later Kathy and I were again asked to serve as directors on a local high school rodeo committee. The 'Young Guns' rodeo club was formed and we held an annual rodeo in District One of the Alberta High School Rodeo Association. In 2004 there was a possibility that because of scheduling problems with the Moose Jaw committee, there may not be a Canadian High School rodeo finals that year. I still remember Don Kraft, who was our Young Guns rodeo chairman, coming to see Kathy and Me. He said it would be a shame if the kids didn't have a place to go to for their national finals. We had to agree that if one year was missed it would be hard to get it going again.
As any committee person knows, putting on any kind of rodeo is no picnic, but attempting to stage a national event with competitors from Ontario to B.C. seemed overwhelming. But with Don's leadership and joining efforts with the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede as well as the Badlands Rodeo Club of Brooks, Alberta we were, in less than four months able to host a very successful finals. Maybe a little too successful. We were only to have the Canadians for one year as the following year they were to go to Ontario. At the national high school meetings that fall it was felt that we had done such a good job of pulling off the 2004 event that, with Ontario's blessing, we were asked to host them for the next three years. Well, once again with some trepidation we stepped into the fire and Medicine Hat was home to the Canadian High School Finals rodeo until 2007.
The effort was more than repaid with the satisfaction of knowing you helped bring young rodeo atheletes from across Canada together. We sometimes wonder about the future of rodeo, but when you see the sportsmanship and comradeship of these competitors and also their families, the future looks bright. I had been volunteering in the arena at the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede working at the buck chutes and pulling gates and in 2006 I became an associate director with the organization.
I currently serve on the rodeo committee as well as the pen show. The rodeo committee is responsible for staging the annual summer pro rodeo along with an indoor pro show held each spring. Both these events are sanctioned by the Canadian Pro Rodeo Association and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. The pen show is a cattle show held each December and show cases both commercial and purebred livestock producers from the area. Cattle compete in different categories including open heifer, bred heifer, pen of three as well as an open steer class. Local 4-H clubs can also take part in classes such as team grooming, steer show and showmanship. Kathy has also become involved with the Medicine Hat Stampede as she is now the coordinator for the Queen committee.
At times we find things a little hectic trying to balance our cattle and various committee commitments, but because of our love of the sport and the people associated with it, we make it work. The 'politics' of any sport or organization is usually alot different than the competition side and rodeo is no exception. The old saying that "every cowboy should be made to serve at least 2 years on an organizing committee" certainly rings true with any one who has competed and later helped produce events. Many of the contestants today have no idea the amount of work and commitment it takes to hold even a small rodeo.
Awards / Titles / Winnings:
I rodeoed on a much lesser scale, but did manage to compete mostly in the bare back riding at many of the various amature and semi-pro events around southern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Montana. My bull riding career consisted of about five 'attempts' and no whistles although I did get on a few saddle broncs. I enjoyed the bare back event and that was where I 'donated' most of my entry fees.I never turned pro or even tried to attain a pro permit, but did compete as a novice at some of the pro rodeos. It was about this time when I started a little wild horse racing. It was mostly for the fun of it but it did provide a 'ride' to various rodeos. The only catch was that I was the rider for a man named George Calin. Let me tell you as a kid I learned more about life in one trip with George than a year of any thing else I can think of. I was about that age and I began to take notice of other things in life and I began to realize that my high school sweetheart was much more than just that. Kathy was and is a very special person in so many ways. It was beginning to dawn on me that no matter how much I loved rodeo I loved her more. Although Kathy never asked me to stop riding I knew it was time to dedicate more effort into the ranch Mom and Dad had established and ask Kathy to be my wife.
Something to Think About:
One of our main goals is to get some of the younger people involved not only as contestants but in more of the organizational side. It's the next generation who will have to pick up the reins if the sport is to carry on and grow. I, along with others are trying to get associations, committees and contestants together to take a serious look at some of the problems facing the sport. I feel that too many of the associations as well as some committees think that by working too closely with other associations that they will loose some of their autonomy or standing. If approached properly and with some cooperation this would not be the case. The bottom line is we have to start working together or the sport as we know it will fail to exist.
Even though rodeo is a great sport, committees are basicly in the entertainment business. With out the proper product to give to our fans and keep them wanting to come fill the seats nothing else matters. The problem is finding a way to address the needs of the contestant who is facing the problem not only getting down the road, but trying to schedule and set up every weekend and still make it worth while. Committees are competing for a limited number of contestants to be able to produce a viable event for their paying public. Associations are vying for committees to make their organizations stronger. This can't keep up. At some point we are going to have to realize that a strong contestant base and youngsters entering the sport depend on well produced rodeos that have a solid fan base. Strong committees make for strong associations. Strong associations make for a strong sport that can evolve and develop. I won't even go near some of the stock contractor issues and related concerns that are also affecting rodeo. Things certainly are not perfect and never will be, but with some negotiation and work, rodeo will continue and grow to it's full potential.
Inspired by:
Our work with committees and organizations has enabled Kathy and I to continue to be involved in the best sport there is. Through it we have made friends and contacts all across North America that will last a lifetime.
Looking Forward to:
We hope to be able to continue much on the same course with our cattle, rodeo and even take a little more time to start some travel.
Favorite Saying:
"If you're caught up on your work, you're doing something wrong."
