REGINA — Country music won’t be the only thing shaking the valley this summer.
Country Thunder Saskatchewan has announced a new partnership with Canadian Western Agribition that will bring professional bull riding back to Craven during this year’s festival, reviving a piece of the grounds’ western roots while adding another attraction to one of Saskatchewan’s biggest summer events.
The two-day professional bull riding showcase will take place July 11 and 12 inside the Agribition Arena on the festival grounds, featuring professional riders competing for an $8,000 prize pool in a fully-sanctioned Bull Riders Canada event.
For longtime festival fans, it marks the return of something that once helped define Craven’s western identity before the festival evolved into the music destination it is today.
“We are very excited to bring professional bull riding back to Country Thunder Saskatchewan,” said Megan Benoit, Digital Manager for Country Thunder Saskatchewan.
“This summer we have partnered up with the Canadian Western Agribition and we're bringing a really fun new event to the festival,” Benoit said. “Just to really emphasize that non-stop entertainment angle that we're always very proud of and taking it to the next level this summer.”
The partnership unites two iconic Saskatchewan brands with deep roots in western culture.
Founded in 1971, Canadian Western Agribition has grown into one of the largest livestock shows in North America, drawing competitors, ranchers and agriculture leaders from around the world to Regina every fall. The organization has become internationally recognized for celebrating prairie agriculture, rodeo culture and western heritage.
Country Thunder’s Craven festival grounds also have their own rodeo history, stretching back decades to the site’s earlier years before concerts transformed the valley into one of Canada’s largest outdoor country music gatherings.
“The festival grounds did have a rodeo years and years ago before I ever started working with the festival,” Benoit stated. “A lot of our newer fans, younger fans may not ever remember what that was like. So, it’s been a very long time. So it’s new but not a totally brand new concept.”
Organizers say the event is designed to blend naturally into the atmosphere of the festival itself.
“They know what they're doing, we know what we're doing,” Benoit said of the partnership with Agribition. “It really was a perfect partnership that bull riding, western exhibition lifestyle and country music really do go hand in hand.”
The competition will feature professional riders from across Canada under the Bull Riders Canada banner, serving as an important stop ahead of major rodeos later in the summer season.
“All of these bull riders are professionals. This is what they do for a living,” Benoit said. “They can win up to $8,000 at this event.”
Festivalgoers will not need separate admission for the showcase. Anyone with Saturday, Sunday or weekend festival access will be able to attend the bull riding events before the evening concerts begin.
“It’s included with your admission,” Benoit explained. “Before you do some of these major headliners, you'll get in on bull riding really excited.”
The addition comes as Country Thunder Saskatchewan continues expanding beyond music into a broader western festival experience, something organizers say fans increasingly want.
Over the years, Craven has become known as much for its atmosphere and culture as its headline performers, with thousands of campers turning the valley into a temporary prairie city every July.
Now, organizers hope the return of professional bull riding adds another layer to that experience.
For Benoit, the combination feels like a natural fit for Saskatchewan.
“I love a good rodeo,” she said. “You can really follow along and come out on Saturday and then figure out who wins it all on Sunday.”
