COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – If Grated Coconut could talk, the Calgary Stampede bucking horse could ask for a raise, or at least an extra scoop of oats. The Calgary Stampede stud claimed the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company/PRCA Bareback Riding Horse of the Year Award for the fourth consecutive year and a record-tying sixth time (2003-04, 2006-09).
With the top nod, Grated Coconut ties the legendary bucking horse Descent of Beutler Brothers & Cervi, who also garnered six awards (1966-69, 1971-72). Grated Coconut claimed his sixth Canadian Professional Rodeo Association award last week. Grated Coconut, 12, is the son of dam, Coconut Roll, and sire Wyatt Earp.
Bareback riding equine stars Wise Guy, of the Classic Pro Rodeo string, and Growney Brothers’ Moulin Rouge finished second and third in the voting, respectively.
In the saddle bronc riding, Spring Planting of the Flying 5 Rodeo string earned her first USSTC/PRCA Horse of the Year honor. The blue roan mare is a source of pride for the Hutsell family, since she was raised on the family’s eastern Washington ranch. She is the daughter of dam, Jubille, and sire Spring Break, also Flying 5 Rodeo bucking horses.
“She is solid from when the gate opens until the whistle blows,” said Chad Hutsell, general manager of Flying 5 Rodeo. Frontier Rodeo’s Let ’er Rip finished second and Harry Vold Rodeo’s Painted Valley came in third in the voting.
Buckeye of Silverado Rodeo Company has been honored as the USSTC/PRCA Bucking Bull of the Year posthumously. The bull sustained a back injury in an altercation with another bull in a pen. The bull was treated by veterinarians at Texas A&M University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital in College Station for about 10 days. However, extensive efforts were not successful.
Owner Harlan Robertson was greatly moved to have Buckeye honored. “He just bucked like heck,” said Robertson of the Wrangler NFR qualifier and son of Panhandle Slim. Reigning World Champion Bull Rider J.W. Harris was bucked off Buckeye in their one meeting.
“He had it all,” said Harris, the PRCA World Standings leader. “He would jump five feet into the air, kick over his head and turn back. That is what you want in a bucking bull. If you rode him, you would be 90 points. He bucked.”
The honor is Robertson’s second. His bull Biloxi Blues was USSTC/PRCA Bull of the Year in 2006. Robertson submitted Buckeye for honors at the request of bull riders. “It was special to me (to win) in 2006, but this is more special,” Robertson said.
Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Little Lightning earned the No. 2 spot in the voting, while Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Multi-Chem Texas Cocktail finished third.
Stock contractors submitted nominations for two animals from their herds for the livestock of the year awards. The top 30 cowboys in bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding, as of Sept. 1, were mailed a ballot with the list of eligible stock in their event. Ballots returned by Oct. 9 were counted for the awards. The livestock, and their owners, will be honored at the annual PRCA Awards Banquet, Dec. 2 at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas.
The AQHA/PRCA Horses of the Year are expected to be announced later this week and will be posted on ProRodeo.com. The list also will be included in the Oct. 18 news release.
CPRA awards feature livestock seen at the Wrangler NFR
Courtesy/Pamela Porosky, CPRA
CALGARY, Alberta – Bucking horses Grated Coconut and Lynx Mountain, along with steer wrestling equine star Rtr Little Willy are among the outstanding animal athletes recognized by the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA).
The livestock stars also were among those seen at the 2008 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
The CPRA has announced its 2009 award winners for Stock of the Year, Timed Event Horses of the Year, and the elected personnel for the 2009 Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR), set for Nov. 11-15 in Edmonton, Alberta.
Steer wrestling horse Rtr Little Willy, owned by Greg Cassidy of Donalda, Alberta is celebrated in two countries. Willy is a record-setting six-time CPRA Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year and the 2008 AQHA Horse of the Year in the PRCA. Willy carried Rope Myers (2001), Lee Graves (2005), Jason Miller (2007) and Luke Branquinho (2008) to PRCA world titles.
Voted on by members of the CPRA, these annual awards recognize the top bucking stock, timed-event horses and the year’s top stock contractor, as well as the Specialty Act and Announcer of the Year.
The Calgary Stampede has been voted Stock Contractor of the Year, and has swept the bucking stock awards for 2009, the first such occurrence since 1983 when Vold Rodeo Ltd. won all three stock awards.
Calgary Stampede’s L-40 Lynx Mountain picks up the Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year title for the first time. The mare has been selected for CFR twice, and made trips to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in 2007-2008.
Another Stampede horse, but one that needs little introduction, has earned the Bareback Horse of the Year title for the sixth time. The award-decorated stud G-65 Grated Coconut was previously honored with the title in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008. Runner-up was Grated Coconut’s son, M-32 Majestic Rocket, a bucking powerhouse in his own right.
Grated Coconut has been named the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company Stock of the Year five times in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
The black, brockle-faced bull C-301 Speed Dial, also from the Calgary Stampede, has something to call home about, since being voted in as the 2009 Canadian Bull of the Year.
A record has been broken in the timed event end of the arena. Greg Cassidy’s horse Willy wins Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year for the sixth time, ousting Hall of Fame inductee Wes Zieffle’s outstanding horse, Twist, from his long time position as the steer wrestling horse who has won the most Horse of the Year titles.
Ryan Gray scored 89.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Grated Coconut in Round 10 of the 2008 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo last December in Las Vegas. Gray finished second in the average and fourth in the World Standings in 2008.
Pincher, owned by Chad Johnson of Del Bonita, Alberta, was named Tie-Down Roping Horse of the Year for the first time.
Reiner, owned by Okotoks, Alberta cowgirl Deb Renger, has been given the award for Barrel Racing Horse With the Most Heart. It is Reiner’s first time receiving the title.
The Specialty Act of the Year award goes to Ash Cooper of Senlac, Saskatchewan, while the Announcer of the Year award goes to Les McIntyre of Claresholm, Alberta, a first-time winner.
Heading to the CFR are pick-up men Gary Rempel of Fort Shaw, Mont., making his record-breaking 12th appearance at the Finals, and Jason Resch of Fort Assiniboine, Alberta who makes his third straight appearance.
Bullfighting cousins Scott and Jesse Byrne, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan are in the arena together for the first time at the CFR. For Scott, of Wainwright, Alta., this is his eighth consecutive CFR appearance. This year’s alternate is bullfighter David Sandilands of Esterhazy, Saskatchewan. Once again, Brenda Vold and Maxine Baird will be the CFR timers.
For more information on the CPRA, visit www.rodeocanada.com.
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