Preparations underway for possible Rupununi Rodeo this year

A cowboy in action ( Photo Amanda Richards )

The decrease in COVID-19 cases and increase in vaccination numbers can see the successful hosting of this year’s Rupununi Rodeo after two years. According to Rebecca Faria Chairman of the Rupununi Rodeo Committee, while she cannot yet confirm if the event will be hosted, preparations are underway.

“At this point of time, I cannot give a definite answer that rodeo will happen in 2022. But what I can say is that preparation is underway. We will like to host the event in 2022. Our management is in discussion of the possibility of the event with our partners,” she told the Big Smith News Watch.

According to Faria, discussions are ongoing in an effort to make the event a reality in keeping with COVID-19 guidelines. The Chair of the committee said approval will be sought from the National Taskforce.

Lassoing competition 2019 Rodeo ( Amanda Richards )

The annual Rupununi Rodeo is one of the biggest entertainment events in region nine. The event is usually celebrated during the East weekend in April and attracts persons from across Guyana and also international tourism.

The Rodeo was cancelled earlier this year due to a surge of positive COVID-19 cases across the country and due to the suspicion that the highly transmitted Omicron variant was in the country. That was the third time the event was cancelled in two years.

The country has over the last month seen a sharp decline in cases. The national Taskforce has since relaxed some restrictions that were previously in placed. One of these measures would have been the removal of the national curfew as the country look forward in returning to normalcy.