Lester Gurnett

Born in 1948 in Orillia, Ontario, to Bill and Barbara Gurnett, Lester was the eldest of 6 siblings. In the fall of 1953, the family moved west to Berry Creek, Alberta, where Lester’s independent spirit first showed—once tethered by his clothes to a pole for safe keeping, he slipped free. Leaving his clothes in a pile and putting the world on notice, “I will not be tied down!”

Growing up in Youngstown, Lester kept up with family duties, broke colts and tinkered on motorcycles alongside his brother Royce. He had a job delivering groceries, joined his siblings and neighbours singing for his father’s radio broadcast, and lent a hand at Kleven’s farm. After a summer visit to the Calgary Stampede a spark caught fire and the Big Stone Riding and Roping club saw him get started with cows and bareback. The begining of a lifelong ride with rodeo.

In 1966, the family moved to Red Deer where Lester met Kathy at youth group. They dated while he attended Red Deer College. While there he wrestled, ran cross- country, and played basketball with plans to become a gym teacher. After a brief but decisive disagreement with a sociology professor he bid farewell to his gym teacher plans, continued with the college rodeo club and started driving for Edwards Trucking.

Lester and Kathy were married in June of 1969. Kathy worked at the hospital and Lester drove truck until an accident with a train ended that chapter of his career. He then took a job at Daine’s Western Wear and attended rodeo schools in 1971 and 1972. That winter, their first son, Todd was born. In the fall of 1972, the family moved to Airdrie, where Lester opened the Horseman store.

In June of 1973, twins Tana and Tara arrived while Lester competed at a rodeo in Morris, Manitoba. Their homestead north of Airdrie grew lively with children, goats, llamas, pheasants, and horses. In 1976, Ty was born on the first day of the Ponoka Stampede, joining his siblings in a childhood filled with rodeo, hockey, and farm life.

Paul and McDonald of the Calgary stockyards hired Lester in the fall of 1976 and sent him to auctioneer school in Billings, Montana, in 1977. This began a journey in the cattle industry that ran alongside rodeo for more than fifty years.

Lester sold for the Calgary stockyards, ran the Horseman store, operated Bar L trailer sales, Lestodd trucking, and in 1980 began a sheep contract for blood letting to the U of C. Balancing business, rodeo - including the first CFR appearance in 1974 - and family, Lester just made things happen; there was no “can’t” in him.

In the late 1980s, Lester retired from bronc riding and later became a respected

C.P.R.A. judge. Travelling from St. Tite Quebec to Luxton on Vancouver Island contributing to the sport he loved.

Hockey rinks, and gymnastics arenas put a spark in his eye as he watched his kids age through the ranks. A spark that only got brighter when grandchildren came along. With a little more time, and a little more wisdom, he lived through the moments of competition never missing the chance to encourage heart, grit, and determination when he saw it.

Later years saw Lester sharing his talents at Graham Auction, applying his famed MacGyver skills to fix and innovate. He rekindled an ‘old flame’ for fancy pigeons. That added more friends, stories and competitions that he had great fun with. Diagnosed with COPD in 2014, he faced his health challenges with quiet strength. Watching “sale days” and rodeo on his phone from the soft seat of the living room with a ball game or hockey on in the background. When the sale wrapped or the rodeo ended he followed it up with a phone call or two.

Lester served as director and president of the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame from 2007 to 2014, helping secure its home in Ponoka. He was inducted into the Calgary Pioneers of Rodeo (2016) and the Canadian Rodeo Hall of Fame (2017), honors befitting a life spent in the saddle.

A true cowboy at heart, His legacy is one of grit, humor, and grace—always aiming to give his absolute best.