Rustlers Rodeo Team to Launch 2026-27 Season with Early Training Camp
The Lakeland Rustlers Rodeo Team will return to campus a week early for the 2026-27 season to take part in a five-day training camp designed to prepare student-athletes for competition and team development ahead of the fall rodeo season.
New for Fall 2026, the training camp will bring together both returning and incoming team members for an intensive start to the year focused on skill development, mental preparation, and team cohesion.
Over five days, student-athletes will prepare in team orientation, event-specific training sessions, jackpot practice, mental performance training, and structured team-building activities. The program is designed to not only sharpen the individual performance in rodeo events, but also to strengthen communication, trust, and unity across the team.
According to Braiden Bach, Lakeland Rustlers rodeo & arena coordinator, the early start plays an important role in setting the tone for the season.
"This training camp gives our student-athletes a chance to come together before the competitive season begins and establish who we are as a team," he says. "It's about building confidence in the arena (Livestock Learning Centre) and, just as importantly, building trust and connection outside of it. That foundation will carry through the entire season."
Beyond physical and technical preparation, the camp places a strong emphasis on mental performance and teamwork, key components in collegiate rodeo where individual events still rely heavily on team support and consistency across disciplines.
"Rodeo is unique in that student-athletes compete individually, but succeed collectively," Bach adds. "The better we prepare in August, the stronger we preform when it counts in September and beyond."
The training camp will serve as the official kickoff to the Rustlers' season, leading to their first competition scheduled for Sept. 12-13. Lakeland hosts the Fall Classic Rodeo Oct. 16-18 in the Livestock Learning Centre at the Vermilion campus.