CALGARY, Alberta (July 21, 2010) - Douglas Duncan knew he had to peak at the right time.
He knew he needed to win the final round of the 98th Calgary Stampede when $100,000 was at stake for turning in the highest bull riding score.
During Sunday’s performance, Duncan was the last of the four finalists to call for the chute gate to be opened. He clinched the title after riding for an 88, a point higher than second-place finisher Beau Hill.
“Shoot, I try to win first every time, and I’m just happy that all the cards fell together at the big rodeo,” Duncan said.
All in all, Duncan, 23, from Alvin, Texas, pocketed $110,500 (Canadian) from the final and qualifying rounds at the 10-day Stampede.
Calgary’s bull riding event was approved by the Professional Bull Riders. After winning the $110,500, Duncan has enough regular-season earnings advance to the Oct. 20-24 PBR World Finals in Las Vegas.
In 2006, the Stampede modified its format and begin inviting top competitors from various western riding sports organizations. That year, the rodeo upped its payoff to a single event winner from $50,000 to $100,000.
And during the past five editions, a cowboy who represented the PBR has won the coveted $100,000 prize. Duncan, who previously has ridden on the Built Ford Tough Series and the PBR’s Touring Pro Division, was invited to compete in the Stampede based on his ranking in the PBR’s standings.
Other PBR cowboys who have clinched Calgary’s bull riding title are Ross Coleman (2006), Brian Canter (2007), Mike Lee (2008) and J.B. Mauney (2009).
However, the 2010 Stampede was without the PBR’s very top competitors, because they rode at the Ford Series show last weekend in Tulsa, Okla. Their absence opened the door for Duncan and other talented cowboys such as Matt Bohon, who is currently attempting to work his way back onto the Ford Series.
Duncan made the most of the opportunity, and it was a victory he’s always dreamed about. After winning a $100,000 title at the Stampede, each champion stands on a stage in front of a huge crowd and receives a check and a coveted bronze.
As he received applause, Duncan was joined on stage by his mother, Melody. He said he watched the Stampede on TV while growing up and was inspired when he saw PBR legends Jim Sharp and Tuff Hedeman finishing in the money.
“I watched all of my heroes compete in this rodeo,” Duncan said. “Now, I’m standing on the same stage as them. Standing on the same stage as they did gave me a feeling I can't find words to explain.”
The bull riding earnings in Calgary count toward the PBR’s World Finals Qualifier Standings. The PBR is the only western riding association represented in Calgary that counts the Stampede earnings toward earning a berth in a global finals at the end of the regular season.
By comparison, the rodeo is not approved by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, and a contestant’s earnings in bareback riding, steer wrestling, tie-down roping and saddle bronc riding do not count toward qualifying for the December National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. The Women’s Professional Rodeo Association does not count the Calgary barrel racing earnings toward qualifying for the NFR.
However, the Stampede draws most of the PRCA’s and WPRA’s top contestants, such as seven time world all-around champion Trevor Brazile, because of the high payouts. Bull riders often compete all year to earn $100,000, but at the Stampede, a winner receives a six-figure check for 8 seconds of work.
Duncan said he will use a big portion of the money to build a house.
“I have bought some land near Austin and I’ve been waiting on a big win in order to build a house,” he said. “Now, I’m going home to build a house.”
Duncan said he’s also planning on continuing to work on his bachelor’s degree in agriculture business at Sam Houston State (based in Huntsville, Texas) by taking classes online this fall. Though he’s a successful bull rider who also has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo, Duncan said he wants to earn a college education so he will have other options to earn his livelihood.
“When I turned 18, I broke my pelvis and I couldn’t get on a bull for two years,” Duncan said. “So I realized that everything can be taken away tomorrow in bull riding, and then I will be stuck with nothing.”
But as of now, Duncan is healthy and determined to win.
“You don’t get paid to not stay on,” Duncan said. “There’s so many guys, when they’re on a bull, they just look off and jump off bulls a lot of times, and that makes me so mad. If you’re scared, you should just go play checkers. In my case, I hate losing.”
As he competes in high-profile bull riding events, Duncan said he thinks of his bull as the opponent, instead of the other cowboys he’s competing against.
“I compare it to a boxing match,” Duncan said. “If a bull bucks me off, I don’t like it at all. And that works out good for me because of the camaraderie in bull riding. It’s not a contest between me and my buddy. It’s me against the bull.”
When the title was at stake in the Calgary finals, Duncan conquered the rapid-fire spinner, (Braithwaite) Wranglers Déjà Vu. He said it was the bull that he wanted after winning the 10-man semifinal round with an 85.5 aboard (Calgary Stampede) River Rat.
“When we walked across the arena to go and draw our bulls on stage for the bonus round, the guys told me Deja Vu would be the one to pick, the round winner,” Duncan recalled. “I had the first pick, I got him and I was pretty tickled.”
Throughout the 8-second bout, Duncan never waned as the bull spun to the left and into his hand.
“When you ride them right you’re supposed to stay in that sweet spot,” Duncan said. “Once he started spinning, it was like sitting in a chair, spinning real fast and getting kind of dizzy. I like them to kick a little more than he did but, shoot, it worked out."
