(L-R) Volunteers Lucy Brazeau and Gabby Lafrenière, as well as committee members Caroline Lafrenière, Serge Lafrenière and Ben Koning are out working on the grounds for the Verner RAM Rodeo. A large investment of time and money has gone into upgrading the grounds for better drainage and safety, after a deluge hampered the inaugural event last year. 
(L-R) Volunteers Lucy Brazeau and Gabby Lafrenière, as well as committee members Caroline Lafrenière, Serge Lafrenière and Ben Koning are out working on the grounds for the Verner RAM Rodeo. A large investment of time and money has gone into upgrading the grounds for better drainage and safety, after a deluge hampered the inaugural event last year.
Christian Gammon-Roy
Tribune
The Verner RAM Rodeo is returning for its 2nd year. Caroline and Serge Lafrenière’s family farm, Northern Range Horse and Cattle, will once again be hosting the event, which they promise will be even better than last year. With only a month to go before the rodeo, the couple have amassed tons of support from sponsors, community organisations and even more volunteers to improve the grounds, and add enough events to fill a whole weekend. While the RAM Rodeo itself runs during the afternoons of Saturday, September 6, and Sunday, September 7, Caroline says activities will start as early as Friday evening, September 5.
The Lafrenière admit that last year’s RAM Rodeo was the worst-case scenario come to life. A cold and relentless September rain marred the weekend, making the rodeo ring slippery and forcing organisers to pause the show on Saturday, and discouraging people from attending the following day. “On the Monday after the rodeo, I had plans to leave my phone on the kitchen counter and not answer it for a few days,” laughs Caroline, recalling how discouraged she felt at the time.
It’s almost hard to believe when seeing her current enthusiasm for the RAM Rodeo, but Caroline explains that the support they got after the event helped turn things around significantly. From that very Monday she mentions, there was an outpouring of support and eagerness for the event to return from various community members and groups. It quickly became clear that the Lafrenière had plenty of people in their corner.
To boot, RAM Rodeo organizers also couldn’t believe the dedication of the fans who came out to the Verner event despite the weather. “Everyone said ‘we can’t believe your fans. The people from up north are just shy of crazy!’” laughs Caroline about the feedback they got from the RAM Rodeo officials after the event. “We went to a banquet after, and the person who runs the Canadian Cowgirls made it a point to come and see us and say it was their best rodeo of the season, and that even if the weather wasn’t nice, the people from the community were there and they were cheering,” adds Serge.
Eventually, those supportive messages turned into outreach from local groups, sponsors and volunteers eager to help the Lafrenière put on this year’s show. While the main event of the RAM Rodeo will stay mostly the same as last year’s, Caroline is pleased to have a lot more activities surrounding it, and most of it is thanks to local organisations stepping up to put something on. “What helped us this year are the different associations that jumped in. They’re coming in to do fundraisers for themselves, but they’re bringing stuff in for the rodeo,” describes Caroline.
Friday night’s barbecue is doubling as a Community Living fundraiser. EarlyON is coming to put on activities for kids, which addresses a big part of the feedback from last year. The Lion’s Club is putting on a Sunday morning porchetta bingo. “The fire department is coming in to raise money, and they’re bringing a dunk tank. So, you’ll be able to dunk the firefighters from our area,” Caroline adds, going through the list. Thanks to their involvement, local groups are filling in gaps so that the 2025 Verner RAM Rodeo has something going on all weekend long. With grounds opening from 10am until 1am, Caroline promises a very full schedule. “When one activity ends, another is starting up,” she assures.
Things have also gone well on the organisational side of the rodeo, as Caroline mentions that their committee of volunteers has grown with more hands to spread the work around, and more expertise overall. Probably the most significant part of that work has gone into rebuilding the grounds for the rodeo. “We dug down a foot, then we dug trenches and added 6 weeping tiles, and we sent two weeping tiles right to the creek. Over that we put rocks, then a filter cloth, then we put crushed stone like in a driveway. We’re going to pack this down and then put crusher dust on top. So, if we have a crazy amount of rain, it’s just going to drain right through,” describes Serge. As he mentions, the torrential downpour they got last year was the “worst-case scenario,” and really brought out all the flaws with the grounds. This year, they are making sure the grounds stay dry, and are safe for every person and every animal at the event.
However, with only a month left to go, the Lafrenière admit that the pad is the most stressful part of their preparations. With the arena being the centre of the show, there is no RAM Rodeo without it, so they say they’re feeling the pressure about getting it done. “We stress about it, but crunch time we make it happen. Diamonds are made under pressure,” vows Caroline. “It’ll be done, and once people come in, it’ll be nice, shiny and brand new,” she pauses and adds “and sunny!”
For those interested in getting tickets, the RAM Rodeo tour website has links to online pre-sales for Saturday and Sunday, or weekend passes. Tickets can also be purchased at the Community Living Barbecue on Friday at 5pm – provided there are any left. Around 50 camping spots are also available on the grounds; contact Caroline Lafrenière at vernerramrodeo@gmail.com for prices and details.
