CALGARY, ALTA. – The last two regular season rodeos of 2009 are upon us; and, as all eyes turn towards who will make the roster for the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR), two Alberta barrel racers are vying for a single spot at the Wrangler Professional Rodeo Tour Championships in Calgary Oct. 2 through 4.
Okotoks, Alta. cowgirl Deb Renger is a shoe-in for the number one position in the Last Chance Rodeo Tour, and a guaranteed place at the Tour Finals, which leaves the second Last Chance spot to be determined by this weekend’s rodeos at McCord, Sask. and Hanna, Alta.
Renger’s fellow Okotokian, rookie Adel Hansen, and Lethbridge, Alta.’s Rana Walter will race it out for the final Last Chance Rodeo position, and the 12th spot at the Calgary Tour Finals.
Hansen is currently sitting with 1,235 points in the Last Chance Rodeo Tour standings and is set to perform on Friday at the McCord Indoor Pro Rodeo’s opening performance, and at the Hanna Pro Rodeo on Saturday. Walter, with 1,250 points, will also be at Friday’s performance in McCord, and will compete in Hanna on Sunday.
Contestants receive five points just for competing, but a first place win is worth an additional 100 points, while the contestants who fill in the remainder of the top ten positions are awarded points ranging from 90-10.
The two cowgirls aren’t the only ones looking for those last tickets to the Tour Finals, where the top two in each event automatically go to CFR and get a bye to the 2010 Calgary Stampede, and it should be a rodeo weekend to remember.
In Hanna, contestants from the six major events of saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, bull riding, steer wrestling, tie-down roping and ladies barrel racing, plus team roping, novice saddle bronc, novice bareback and boys steer riding will be firing things up inside the arena at 415-5th Avenue West. The first and second performances at the three-day rodeo kick off at 7 p.m., while the Sunday performance starts at 1 p.m.
The McCord Indoor Pro Rodeo runs Sept. 25 and 26 at the McCord Rink. Both performances start at 7:30 p.m. and feature the six major rodeo events and team roping.
Please visit www.rodeocanada.com for more results and standings.
