Contestants Take Advantage of Big Money Weekend
CALGARY, AB-There was a lot of money to be won this past weekend and contestants took advantage of that fact. Wainwright, High River and Sundre, Alta. were hosts to three Canadian Professional Rodeo Association rodeos. They were the places to be if you wanted to witness some fast-paced, real rodeo action.
Alan Bandy, (Wainwright, Alta.) was the clear saddle bronc winner with an 83-point ride on Vold Rodeo’s Easy to Love at Wainwright. A second cheque at Sundre brought his weekend earnings to over $3,500. Dustin Hausauer, (Dickinson, ND) and Clair Fitzpatrick, (Lethbridge, Alta.) also won with 82 and 84-point rides in Sundre and High River, respectively. Hausauer was paired up with Franklin Rodeo’s 2007 saddle bronc of the CFR, Blue Too, while Fitzpatrick rode to his first-place win on board another former CFR champion, Big Country’s War Cry.
Dusty LaValley, (Crooked Creek, Alta.) laid claim to the highest bareback score of the weekend with an 88-point ride in High River on Big Country’s Jack Pot. Airdrie, Alta.’s Russ Hallaby, also saw two cheques out of Wainwright and High River earning him a total of over $3,400.
Bull rider Denton Edge continued his winning streak over the weekend. The Marwayne, Alta. cowboy tied for first place with Côme Bouvier, (Empress, Alta.) at Wainwright. Both cowboys had 86-point rides. Edge was matched up with Big Stone Rodeo’s Super Nova, while Bouvier teamed up with Vold’s Night Prowler. Denton also came out on top at Sundre with a trip on Frankin Rodeo’s 410 for 83.5 points. The two wins brought his weekend earnings to over $5,300. At High River, Jordie Campbell, (Empress, Alta.), had marked the highest bull riding score of the weekend with a trip on Big Country Rodeo’s Cavity Search for 88.5-points and about $2,600.
Enjoying success at the other end of the arena, was tie-down roper Matt Shiozawa, (Chubbuck, ID). He won the aggregate at Wainwright and tied for second in High River adding over $6,800 to his rodeo account. Jordan Richardson, (Bowden, Alta.) won in High River with a time of 7.9 seconds while Tyson Durfey, (Colbert, WA) and Dean Edge, (Rimbey, Alta.) tied in Sundre with times of 7.4 seconds.
In the steer wrestling Donalda, Alta.’s Curtis Cassidy came out on top, winning the aggregate in Wainwright and also taking home a cheque from Sundre. His weekend earnings reached over $8,530.
Longview Alta.’s Kendra Edey took home the most money in the ladies barrel racing over the weekend, with winnings totalling close to $4,541. Aimee Willis, (Princeton, B.C), won at High River with the fastest time of 16.86 seconds, while Lisa Lockhart, (Oelrichs, SD) stopped the clock in Sundre at 17.33 seconds for first place. These ladies also took home multiple cheques over the weekend. Aimee took home close to $4,188 and Lisa pocketed around $4,199.
Cowboy Christmas kicks off north of the border with Ponoka and Airdrie, Alta. as well as Williams Lake, B.C and Swift Current, Sask. this coming weekend.
Please check www.rodeocanada.com for rodeo standings and results.