Strathmore gay rodeo cancelled because of economic slump, U.S. group says

An Alberta organization's decision to cancel the province's only gay rodeo this year came down to a lack of money, according to a U.S.-based group that runs the international circuit.

Last month, the Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association (ARGRA) announced it was cancelling its annual Canadian Rockies International Rodeo, which has been held in Strathmore since 2009.

ARGRA didn't explain why it made the decision.

But Bruce Gros, president of the International Gay Rodeo Association, told the Calgary Eyeopener on Monday that the Alberta association came out of last year's rodeo with a deficit and the economic downturn sealed the decision to cancel the event.

"It was evident to them they needed to pull the plug earlier rather than see it play out again in another deficit year," he said.

"It's not just a matter of sponsorship but it's also a matter of the level of commitment from the people who are going to be the guests, the spectators for the event. And as things dried up there I think that they saw the handwriting on the wall."

Gros says people who bought tickets for the rodeo should contact their credit card companies or the ticket purchasing site they used to pursue a refund.

"My understanding is that ARGRA is an insolvent organization, so they won't have the ability to refund money directly, without following whatever the proper procedures are for seeing that all creditors are treated equally," he said.

The International Gay Rodeo Association has 12 other gay rodeos on its circuit, including the 34th annual event in Denver coming up in three weeks.

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