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No... We don't throw real gophers out of a hot air balloon, but we do drop stuffed facsimiles of the cute little prairie rodent during a fun filled day of sports, games, dancing and festivities to raise funds for the Cuplex.

In 1993, the community was looking for a major fundraiser to complete our recreation complex and to date the Gopher Drop has raised over $100,000.

The idea of the gopher Drop came from a local resident as he watched the TV sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati. During that episode, the radio station personel as a promotion were throwing live turkeys out of a helicopter. As he watched this he was thinking this is a unique concept and thought what was unique to Cupar and Saskatchewan. GOPHERS! Saskatchewan and Cupar's farm land is a hot bed for gophers, therefore "The Cupar Gopher Drop" was originated.

Each year the residents of Cupar sell tickets on numbered gophers. On the day of the drop, all the sold gophers are placed in a huge bag along with the stuffed foam gopher holes numbered to the amount of prizes that are giving away. These gophers holes represent which prize the numbered gopher that fall closest to will win.

The bag is then attached to the hot air balloon.The balloon is launched from the ground with all the gophers and holes on board. Once the balloon reaches it's appropriate altitude, the bag is opened, releasing the gophers and holes free falling to the ground. Once all the gophers and holes land on the the ground, they are checked to see which numbered gopher landed closest to which numbered gopher hole. The gopher that landed nearest to hole number 1 wins the grand prize, the gopher closest to hole numbered 2 wins second prize, and so on.

The Cupar Gopher Drop has entertained people from far and wide with a day of entertainment on the sports grounds with kid's games/rides, bingo, ball tournament, beer gardens, concessions and a dance to end the evening.


2003 Rodeo & Dance Information

2003 Gopher Drop Prize Winners!
$3000 Vacation Package
Trevor Macknak - Cupar
$745 Camping Package
Mitchell Shevela - Punnichy
$830 Deck Package
Mary Aschenbrener - Cupar
$450 Roughrider Package
Donna Bonish - Cupar
Meat Package
Ray Miller - Regina
Deacons Bench Dane Bonish - Cupar
Manitou Springs John Weldon - Cupar
Original Painting Thomas Jamison - Cupar
DVD Player Steve & Cecile Tuttosi - Punnichy
Stained Glass Sharon Huber - Regina
Lady's Slipper Cody Frick - Whitewood
Tina Orbin Painting Jared Frank - Cupar
Glass Wheat Ginny Mason - Watrous
Glass Wheat Mark Konecsni - Regina
Blown Glass Dylan Ban - Cupar

A very special thank you to all the sponsors and volunteers who helped make the 11th Annual Cupar Gopher Drop & District Rodeo a great success

 

2002 Gopher Drop Prize Winners!
27" Flat Screen TV & Stand
Joy DeGooijer - Kelliher
Swing'n Slide Playground Kit
Twyla Pugh - Lestock
Treadmill
Sheldon Affleck - Pilot Butte
VCR/DVD Player
Jennifer Langen-Bell - Regina
Toy Riding Tractor
Kevin Schwartz - Morinville, AB
Chimenea Cast Iron Stove Josh Serbu - Regina
Glass Wheat Frame Darcy Lalach - Regina
Hand Crafted Rocking Horse Ida Schmalenberg - Raymore
Hand Painted Buffalo Skull Ruth Keewatin - Balcarres
Glass Prairie Lily Globe Denise Sefzczyn - Kelliher
Portable Stereo Frankie Battyanie - Cupar
Hand Painted Antique Grain Shovel Janice Somerville - Kelliher

A very special thank you to all the sponsors and volunteers who helped make the 10th Annual Cupar Gopher Drop & District Rodeo a great success

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