After twenty years Portage la Prairie held a stampede rodeo at the PCU centre last year, and it's back again this year. Committee president Rod Gladue says it just had to return.

"It was 20 years since the rodeo was here before. I tried before to get it on. It was great. We had a good committee last year. A lot of hard work and it all came together. And it turned out to be an amazing rodeo."

He describes the attendance in 2015.

"Last year on the Saturday night we had sold out. And on the Sunday we still had 800 people in there. All year long I had people asking me if the stampede's coming back. And I told them yes, it has to come back. The way things turned out, we couldn't go with the same dates this year, and we ended moving it back a little later. The interest is still there, and everything's coming together really good. The businesses of Portage have been wonderful. We had to do everything on sponsorship this year and it's been amazing."

Gladue says he's competing himself this year in the team rope competition. He notes he used to do steer wrestling, but adds steers get bigger and he gets older.

Typical events taking place this year include steer wrestling, team roping, and bull riding. He adds Mutton Bustin' is also coming this year. Gladue explains it's not as easy to grab sheep as we might think. There's a pre-registration for children to mutton bust at the rodeo. And a surprise this year is a wild pony race. Gladue notes anyone who's not seen that before is guaranteed to love it.

All events, as well as the Full Heartland Rodeo Association Rodeo takes place this Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $15 a day an adult, or a weekend pass for $25. Youth tickets are $10 and a weekend package costs $15. Youth aged seven and under get in free. PCU Centre sells tickets.

A beverage room will be set up Friday night after the rodeo as well. After the Rodeo on Saturday country singer Quinton Blair from Steinbach is an entertainer for a dance to end it all off. If you buy a rodeo ticket, the dance cost is only $10. Otherwise, the cost is $15.

Check out the Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/events/671790476311471/