The Interior Provincial Exhibition & Stampede hosted the final stop on the 2006 Canadian Rodeo Tour last weekend. The five performance rodeo featured the best stock and the top cowboys and cowgirls as they took one more shot at pre-qualifying for the Canadian Finals Rodeo through the Tour. The IPE & Stampede was held August 30 to September 3 in Armstrong, B.C.
The 11-rodeo Tour features the largest rodeos on the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association’s circuit and promotes the top two ranked contestants after its completion to the Canadian Finals Rodeo in each of the five major events (saddle bronc, bareback, bull riding, tie-down roping and steer wrestling) as well as ladies barrel racing, regardless of their citizenship. The 32nd annual Canadian Finals will take place in Edmonton, Alta. November 8-12 this year, with over $1 million dollars in prize money up for grabs.
The cowboy who made the biggest move in Armstrong was steer wrestler Beau Franzen (Goodwell, Okla.). The 25-year-old Oklahoman finished second, twisting his steer in 3.5 seconds, winning $2,077.
But more importantly, Franzen picked up 75 Tour points, boosting his total to 242.5, moving him from 15th to second in the Tour standings. He passed Travis Frank (Stony Plain, Alta.) who ended up third with 215 points.
Coming into the weekend, Franzen was 32nd in the Canadian steer wrestling standings, virtually shut out of Finals contention.
Franzen will join fellow bulldogger Alex Cripps (Williams Lake, B.C.) as a Finals pre-qualifier.
Cripps, who’ll be making his fourth consecutive CFR appearance, claimed his first Tour title with 320 points.
In the saddle bronc race, Lance Mulvahill (Dawson Creek, B.C.) split third place in Armstrong with three other cowboys, picking up 50 Tour points. It was good enough to move him into the top spot in the Tour standings, claiming his first Canadian Rodeo Tour title.
Six-time world champion saddle bronc rider Dan Mortensen (Billings, Mont.) and 2001 world saddle bronc riding rookie of the year Billy Richards (Cochrane, Alta.) ended up splitting second place in the Tour standings, deadlocked at 323.33 points apiece.
Mortensen will get the CFR nod via the Tour’s tie-breaking procedure, based on most money won at Tour events. Including Armstrong, Mortensen has made a total of $15,217 at Tour rodeos this year, Richards $12,605.
The good news for Richards is that he’s currently seventh in the Canadian saddle bronc standings, which virtually guarantees his spot at the Finals.
There are only three rodeos left on the 2006 schedule, to be held in McCord, Sask. (September 22-23), Hanna, Alta. (September 22-24) and Saskatoon, Sask. (September 29-October 1).
Click on link below for complete standings.
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