British Columbia Rodeo Royalty

By Monique Noble

Rodeo royalty does not always wear a crown. Joy Allen of Hazelton, BC never donned the tiara or chaps of a rodeo queen, but her passion for rodeo and its traditions has inspired many cowboys and cowgirls and has ensured they have the opportunity to take part in the best rural rodeos in Western Canada.

Originally from Idaho, Joy’s family moved to Kispiox Valley in northern BC when her father was working in the area and fell in love with it. Born into horses, the young cowgirl grew up in the rodeo community. She saw how it brought people together and gave them something to look forward to and enjoy after the hard work of daily life in the remote northern community.

“We might not have had the best furniture in the world, but we always had good horses. We used our horses for absolutely everything, and they did everything well from gymkhana to horse shows, mountain horses, swimming in rivers. They did it all.”

Joy married Gene Allen, the son of pioneer ranchers in the area. They raised four children who share a love of horses which has been passed down to their grandchildren.

For many years both Joy and Gene were serious rodeo competitors winning several championships, as well as rodeo stock contractors, making them very familiar with the highs and the lows on both sides of the chute. Together they raised exceptional bucking horses, including several top-selling bucking horses at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. 

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“We did rodeo schools for years and years because we had a lot of young stock. Gene would work with them so they were quiet in the chute. They weren’t mean, they never bucked or were scared or mad.” Word spread that Gene had cowboy-friendly horses and because young horses don’t have a lot of power, kids from all over would get on them, she says.

Gene and Joy Allen

Joy has always felt that family and youth are the key to rodeo and its survival. She took every opportunity to introduce youth to rodeo and make it accessible, from putting on clinics with her own horses to canvassing the community for secondhand boots and gear so kids could learn the ropes and join in the fun. When she and Gene eventually retired from stock contracting, they built the beautiful Bear Claw Lodge in Kispiox Valley, which is now being run by their daughter Kaleigh.  

The unbreakable spirit of versatility combined with grit and grace is embodied in Joy Allen. She was a cofounder of the BC Rodeo Association (BCRA) together with other longtime rodeo fans and continues to help keep rodeo and its traditions alive in rural BC through involvement in many associations. 

Joy’s love and commitment to rodeo has spanned more than 50 years from competing and volunteering to eventually becoming the Kispiox Valley Rodeo president. Christoph Muigg, Kispiox Valley Rodeo’s current president, attributes the rodeo’s long success to Joy’s work. 

“It’s hard to look at the Kispiox Rodeo and not think of Joy Allen. She was president for over 30 years, shaping the Kispiox Rodeo into what it is today and also helping form the BCRA. 

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“For myself, she was always at the forefront of leading events,” says Muigg. “I remember getting my first roping lessons from her when I was nine. She started and ran the mounted drill team at the rodeo, organized kids’ camps, taught so many of us valley kids how to ride, and almost equally important has been an encyclopedia on the history of rodeo in BC. Through thick and thin, good and lean times, she’s been a part of rodeo, dedicating her time. 

“When I took on the role as president of the Kispiox Rodeo [I saw that] through her years of dedication to the rodeo club she had set the club up with the right directors to ensure that whatever happened, the club would be fine. To me, that shows the cowgirl she really is, knowing whatever needed to be done ahead of time so the trail would be easier to follow. She has given this valley and our province a world class education on being a true pioneer and horsewoman.”

Pioneering has long been in her family’s blood and it’s perhaps the similarities between pioneering and rodeo that have inspired her all these years. Pioneering and rodeo both require community to be successful, as Joy is quick to point out.

“Rodeo, the way Kispiox does it, hopefully sends a message to these contestants that it’s about family and friends that support each other. You know, when you’re a long way from home in the cowboy world, somebody’s going to help take care of you.”

In homage to the cowboy world, to her father, and to the rodeo tradition, one of the things that brings her joy is the annual Kispiox Dutch Oven Cowboy Dinner. All are welcome and valued, from the potato peelers to the cooks to the cowboys and cowgirls who hunker down to a warm, free meal cooked in ovens, some of which are more than 100 years old.

This camaraderie and willingness to come together to appreciate and take care of each other is part of the Western way of life that Joy sought to achieve in her events and instill in her children and students. Now Joy’s living legacy is a strong family tradition, with brothers, sisters, and younger generations proving that the same passion for rodeo runs in their blood. Grandson Gordy just brought home his first rodeo cheque at eight years old, and grandnieces Layla Henderson and Callie-Lou Forsyth are the Kispiox Valley Rodeo’s 2024 queen and princess respectively. 

To Joy Allen and her family, rodeo isn’t just a sport — it’s a way of life.

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Photo: Gene and Joy Allen