| May 19, 2010 MLA SLATER HONOURS LATE LOCAL RODEO STAR VICTORIA – Boundary-Similkameen MLA John Slater spoke in the Legislature today to honour the memory of local rodeo rider Kenny McLean and bring the spirit of rodeos to the province’s capital. “May is the time when cowboys polish their spurs, brush the dust off their chaps, load up their horse and head for their first, favourite rodeo. In the Boundary-Similkameen and surrounding areas — where there are several long-time traditional rodeos such as the Princeton Rodeo, which was held this past weekend, and the upcoming Keremeos Rodeo, being held on the May long weekend — rodeos traditionally give the cowboy and his horse the opportunity to compete against their neighbour for the coveted blue ribbon,” says Slater. “On Saturday, May 8, I had the honour of attending the unveiling of a life-sized bronze sculpture of the late Kenny McLean. This sculpture will grace Centennial Park in Okanagan Falls for the rest of time to honour this local legend.” McLean was well known for a life-long career as a rodeo rider, starting with a bang by winning Rookie of the Year in 1961 and later won the Canadian All-Round Champion and the PRCA Saddle Bronc World Champion. He also won 14 Canadian championships. He was inducted into the Canadian Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame and remains the only cowboy to ever receive the Order of Canada or be inducted into the B.C. Hall of Fame. “The ceremony followed the cowboy tradition of having bales of hay to sit on, along with country music and a roping demonstration. The only things missing were the cattle. Organizers of this great event were Bill Schwarz and his dedicated committee, and they should be congratulated for initiating this and raising thousands of dollars to honour one of their own, Kenny McLean,” concluded Slater. -30- | |
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