Photo credit: Rycroft Race the 8: Bulls & Broncs

By Curtis Galbraith

Local Sports

Another busy sports weekend ahead in the Peace

Jul 28, 2023 | 2:43 PM

It is a packed sports schedule this weekend.

Race the 8 goes Friday through Sunday in Rycroft. Chariots and wagons start at 7 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Saturday will also include bull riding and other events at 7 p.m. There is a bucking horse futurity at 11 a.m. Sunday, followed by bareback and saddle bronc riding at 12:30. The full schedule can be found here.

Horse racing at Evergreen Park Saturday and Sunday at 1:15 p.m. Sunday will be Derby Day. It will feature both the Grande Prairie Derby, with six horses going to the post, and the Grande Prairie Oaks, with five horses entered. Both will have a purse of $25,000.

The Peace Draft Horse Club is hosting Driving Days Saturday and Sunday at Evergreen Park. Saturday’s events start at 8:30 a.m. with Sunday’s schedule getting going at 9 a.m. Events have been relocated from outside, to inside the Drysdale Centre at Evergreen Park, due to the recent rainfall affecting the ground. More information on the club’s Facebook page.

Football

The Peace Country Cowboys will visit the Calgary Wolfpack Saturday in the Alberta Football League quarterfinals. The game will start at 7 p.m. at Calgary’s Shouldice Athletic Park. The Central Alberta Buccaneers and Edmonton Elite meet in the other quarter-final. Cold Lake and Airdrie have first-round byes.

Baseball

The Grande Prairie Reds are hosting 13U and 15U AA baseball provincials at Diamonds 4 and 6 at Evergreen Park. The 13U games continue at 6 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m., noon, 3 and 6 p.m. Saturday. 15U games continue at 6 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m., noon, 3 and 6 p.m. Saturday. The Reds also host 18U provincials from August 4 to 6.

The Northern Lights U15 AAA team is in Fort McMurray for provincials this weekend. They play on Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at noon.

Rugby

The Grande Prairie Sirens rugby team will host Leduc Saturday at 2 p.m., then the Division 2 Centaurs play the Crude at 4 p.m. at Macklin Field in a game being called the annual grudge match. The Division 1 Centaurs visit the Edmonton Pirates on August 12 then host the Clansmen August 19 at 2 p.m.

Hockey Camps

Grande Prairie Minor Hockey has some camps coming up. A skills camp and AAA camp run from July 31 to August 3. One for defense and forwards and one for competing run August 8 to 10. There is a conditioning/prep camp August 11 to 13. All are for U9 to U18 players, and all are at the Crosslink County Sportsplex. Registration is available through the Grande Prairie Minor Hockey website.

The Storm are hosting a bunch of summer hockey camps this summer for kids aged U9 through U15, girls and boys. A couple of goalie camps start July 31 with the others starting in August. More information and a link to register can be found here.