Some athletes will be spending their Thanksgiving long weekend competing for half a million dollars in payouts.

The annual Canadian Team Cattle Penning National Finals are starting up on Friday, October 7, and will be finishing up on Monday, October 10.

The competition begins as early as 8:00 a.m. and won't be finishing up for the night until as late as 10:00 p.m.

382 competitors, in teams of three, from all over Rocky View County, Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and even Montana and Oregon, will be racing against the clock.

The object of team cattle penning is for teams of three on horseback to bring out three head of cattle out of a herd of 30 and get them into a small pen on the other end of the arena in 90 seconds or less. 

The competition is taking place at the Agrium Western Event Centre and all spectators are welcome.