2023 Agribition termed a success as it wraps up last day

As the 2023 Canadian Western Agribition (CWA) came to a close on Saturday, CEO Shaun Kindopp called it a phenomenal week.

This year saw the return of many old events as well as the introduction of some new ones. Some of the events that took place this year were: The Burning of the Brand, which kicked off the event; the National Texas Longhorn Show; the Miss Rodeo Agribition competition; BFO’s Freestyle Bullfighting; and more.

Kindopp said this year’s Agribition was very successful and that as of Saturday morning, attendance was higher than it was in 2022.

“We’re super-proud of the attendance that we’ve had,” he said. “(On Friday) we saw almost 15,000 people come through the gates, which is pretty wild but we’re proud of it.”

Canadian Western Agribition CEO Shaun Kindopp said the 2023 Agribition was one of the smoothest events he’s ever run. (Gillian Massie/980 CJME)

Kindopp said Thursday’s attendance also was probably an all-time high for a Thursday.

“The Spanish bullfighting has been phenomenal,” he said. “We’ve had great feedback. Live music is back in the Bud Light loading chute. The overall vibe and the morale around everyone has been so positive.

“People are here to do business, fun is being had, smiles are on faces, and that’s what we’re very proud of.”

One of the new events introduced this year was freestyle bullfighting.

It’s the ultimate showdown, pitting men against fierce Spanish fighting bulls as contenders in the sport vie for points. Participants must dodge the bull while getting as close as possible without being hit to score points. This year’s event had contenders visiting from Spain, the United States, France, and Canada to compete.

When it comes to the possible return of freestyle bullfighting next year, Kindopp said that it was a very exciting event, but Agribition officials will have to gather feedback before making a decision on its return.

“I think it’s something that, if we do it, it’s something we can build on. The excitement was high (and) it kind of speaks to our brand where we’re trying to keep things exciting and fresh,” he said.

“We’re going to work with them and have some conversations after the show and see what happens.”

This was Kindopp’s second year as CEO of the Canadian Western Agribition. When asked how last year’s Agribition went compared to this year, Kindopp said that this year had better preparation.

“I think a little bit of it’s just preparation,” he said. “I come with a bit of an event background. We’ve hired some people from events backgrounds to be able to bring a bit of a different overview, I guess, just to make sure we were a little bit ahead and thinking of different potential risks.

“But again, the team that we have is beyond incredible. We went through this year’s show with seven new staff members, but we can’t do what we do without the crew that we have.”

Kindopp said this is one of the smoothest events he’s ever been a part of.

When it comes to the future of Agribition, Kindopp says organizers are trying to expand.

“We’re just trying to help grow this globally and be a leader in Canada with animal ag tech,” said Kindopp.

In terms of numbers, last year’s Agribition recorded a high number of international guests taking part in the show. More than 1,200 guests from 63 countries attended last year’s Agribition.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Daniel Reech and Gillian Massie