Canadian Western Agribition kicks off in Regina

The Canadian Western Agribition gets underway in Regina this morning.

The farming exhibiton takes place at the Viterra International Trade Centre, which will be welcoming thousands of guests from across Canada and around the world. The event takes places over six days and combines agriculture, culture, education, shopping and live entertainment.

Listen to Kindopp on The Evan Bray Show:

Shaun Kindopp, CEO of the Canadian Western Agribition, said this year is going to be another big one.

“We’re very proud to say that this year actually sold out, and not just sold out with a bunch of everyone returning. We have over 130 new booths that are going to be here. There’s going to be a lot of great vendors here this year,” Kindopp said during an appearance on The Evan Bray Show on Thursday.

According to Kindopp, opening day on Monday is free for everyone to attend and check out Agribition.

“We sold animals selling for over $140,000 last year,” said Agribition CEO Shaun Kindopp. (980 CJME file photo)

One of the most entertaining events happening at the Agribition this year will be the rodeo inside the Brandt Centre.

Freestyle bullfighting will be back as well. Kindopp said it was very well received last year, but noted that the bullfighters are only preforming on Tuesday.

“They’re different than rodeo bulls. You know, these bulls are bred to try and kill the people that are in the arena and the guys that are in the arena want the bull to chase them,” he said.

“The athleticism that these guys show is second to none. The gentleman coming in from Spain, they’re not just nobodies; they’re some of the best freestyle bullfighters in Spain, so it’s going to be a super cool event and I highly recommend getting tickets.”

With the Agribition bigger and better this year with even more vendors, Kindopp said he’s expecting a large number of visitors from around the world to attend one of the biggest farm shows out there.

“Our phones ring every day and we have people reaching out every day. We’re also traveling to try and bring in international buyers to make sure that we’re promoting the show globally,” he said.

“We take a lot of pride in being a place where business gets done, whether that’s in the trade show or in the cattle barns.”

Kindopp said animal sales are always a major part of the event.

“We sold animals selling for over $140,000 last year, so it’s big business,” Kindopp added.

“It’s a huge international draw.”

The Agribition runs from Monday through Saturday.