Duane Kesler (right) has been named the parade marshal for the 2024 Whoop-Up Days Parade. (Photo: Lethbridge & District Exhibition)

By David Opinko and Christian Oldale

Duane Kesler named Whoop-Up Days Parade Marshal

Jun 17, 2024 | 12:40 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Lethbridge & District Exhibition has announced who will be at the helm of this summer’s parade.

Duane Kesler will serve as the Honourary Parade Marshall. Kesler is a third-generation rodeo stock contractor.

Exhibition’s Director of Community Engagement Paul Kingsmith says Kelser was chosen, not only for his feats on the rodeo grounds, but off of it as well.

“Duane Kesler’s accomplishments in rodeo are too numerous to list and obvious to anyone connected with the sport,” says Kingsmith. “But what Duane does behind the scenes when no one is looking is what makes him a truly special person. He is the first to step up to offer support and find solutions and our organization has benefitted greatly from his involvement over many decades.”

The Duane Kesler Championship Rodeo Stock has served as the stock contractor to the Lethbridge & District Pro Rodeo since its post-COVID comeback in 2022. He has also provided stock to the Whoop-Up Days Bucking and Barrels program in the 2010s and the Whoop-Up Days Pro Rodeo prior to that.

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His father and grandfather had similar roles in stock contracting.

Kesler is a multi-time winner of the Canadian Pro Rodeo Association Stock Contractor of the Year award, including having earned the honour in each of the last two seasons. He has supplied bucking stock to the Canadian Finals Rodeo, the National Finals Rodeo, and countless other major rodeos across North America.

He says it is an honour to be this year’s parade marshal.

“I have been a part of Lethbridge & District Exhibition since I was four years old and I am proud to say I have lived in southern Alberta my whole life. I truly could not think of a better place to call home,” says Kesler.

Lethbridge & District Pro Rodeo Executive Producer Kynan Vine says Duane has been an important part of his career.

“Duane has made a career of helping people and rodeos in the industry be better and that’s what he has done for Lethbridge and the communities around the area as well. Duane and his family are ambassadors for the Lethbridge area and always represent it in the best light,” says Vine.

The theme for this year’s Whoop-Up Days Parade is “Grow Up Western,” celebrating how people of different backgrounds make up southern Alberta while sharing the essence of western culture and spirit.

The parade begins at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20 from Park Place Shopping Centre, before moving along 3 Street S., east on 3 Avenue S., north on 13th Street N., then east on 9 Avenue N. before dispersing at Galbraith Elementary School.

The Whoop-Up Days Parade is free to enter and applications are open from now until Aug. 1. Anyone interested can apply through whoopupdays.ca.

READ MORE: Whoop-Up Days returns for 2024

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