Valley West Stampede will be a Golden Circle of Champions rodeo in 2025.
Golden Circle of Champions provides opportunities for kids facing life-threatening illnesses to be champion rodeo cowboys and cowgirls for a day.鈥�
The Lower Mainland鈥檚 newest rodeo, Valley West Stampede is getting set to host its 4th annual event in just over a month. Run by former Cloverdale Rodeo organizers, Valley West runs its rodeo out of 91原创 Riders Arena on Labour Day weekend.
Shannon Claypool, Valley West co-founder鈥攁nd former Cloverdale Rodeo president鈥攕aid while the rodeo will host Golden Circle of Champions for the first time this year, they'll continue on with the charitable endeavour in years to come.
He added Golden Circle was started in the States about a decade ago and was just introduced to Canada in 2024.
"We jumped on it right away,鈥� he said. "As soon as we heard about it, we said we wanted to be involved.鈥�
That was in October of last year when one the program鈥檚 founders gave a presentation at the Canadian Finals Rodeo.
鈥淪he showed a video with some of the pediatric cancer patients and how much of a positive effect it had on them,鈥� Claypool explained. 鈥淭hey were paired up with a cowboy or cowgirl at the rodeo.鈥�
He said one video showed a boy who had given up on life. He told his mom he didn鈥檛 want to do anymore treatments. His mom then heard about Golden Circle and signed up her son.
鈥淚 guess they went to the rodeo and on the way home he said, 鈥楳om, I gotta keep fighting because I鈥檓 a cowboy.' Well, they had a room full of cowboys in tears.鈥�
Claypool, who knows his way around broncs, bucking chutes, and bulls, was no exception. The big cowboy and Kubota construction equipment salesman at Cloverdale's Douglas Lake Equipment was crying too.
For him, the decision to make Valley West a Golden Circle of Champions rodeo was a no-brainer. He said the decision wasn't made out of sadness or pity either, but out of hope.
鈥淭he kids are all fighters, but the reality is that some of these kids won't survive,鈥� Claypool explained. 鈥淏ut something like this brightens their lives and it's a very positive thing for these kids.鈥�
He said that hope can mean a lot to both the parents and children when facing a severe or terminal illness.
Claypool added that it changes the cowboys too.
鈥淭hey are never the same. Some of the cowboys meet up with the families and for some of them, for the kids that do beat the cancer, they continue their relationships with them.
"So for us, we just want to do something positive for a family in our community鈥攁nd give them a positive experience鈥攈opefully brighten their day."
For more info
The Valley West Stampede runs Aug. 29 to Sept. 1 at 91原创 Riders Arena located at 4303 208th Street in 91原创 Township.
For more info on the stampede, or to buy tickets,
