Pro Rodeo Canada Insider April/May 2022 by Tanner Young Publishing Group

Pro Rodeo

CANADA

INSIDER

Kolby Wanchuk of Sherwood Park, Alta., riding for the win on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s V60 Vitalix Womanizer for 89 points, at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver. NWSS photo by Ric Andersen.

RODEOCANADA.COM cowboycountrymagazine.com

CANADIAN COWBOY COUNTRY APRIL/MAY 2022 18

Pro Rodeo Canada Insider 2022 CPRA Schedule

MAY Taber, AB.........................................................May 6–7 Falkland, BC...............................................May 21–23 Grande Prairie, AB..................................May 26–29

APRIL

JUNE

Dawson Creek, BC....................................Apr 22–23 Medicine Hat, AB......................................Apr 22–24 Crowsnest Pass, AB.........................Apr 29–May 1 Drayton Valley, AB............................Apr 29–May 1

Leduc, AB..........................................................Jun 2–5 Bonnyville, AB.................................................Jun 3–4 Hand Hills, AB.................................................Jun 4–5 Brooks, AB....................................................Jun 10–11

Rocky Mountain House, AB.................. Jun 10–12 Lea Park, AB................................................ Jun 10–12 Gleichen, AB *(SB)............................................Jun 15 Wildwood, AB *(SB)...................................Jun 17–18 Stavely, AB....................................................Jun 17–19 Innisfail, AB...................................................Jun 17–19 Wainwright, AB.........................................Jun 24–26 Sundre, AB..................................................Jun 24–26 High River, AB............................................Jun 25–26 Ponoka, AB...............................................Jun 27–Jul 3.

JULY Airdrie, AB...............................................Jun 29–Jul 3 Williams Lake, BC ................................Jun 30–Jul 2 Benalto, AB......................................................Jul 7–10 Coronation, AB................................................ Jul 8–9 Teepee Creek, AB ........................................Jul 15–17 Bowden, AB ..................................................Jul 16–17 Morris, MB ................................................... Jul 21–24 Rockyford, AB............................................. Jul 23–24 Kennedy, SK................................................ Jul 23–24 Medicine Hat, AB ...................................... Jul 28–30 Strathmore, AB ....................................Jul 29–Aug 1 Pollockville, AB *(SB)........................................Jul 30 Bruce, AB.............................................................. Jul 31.

AUGUST High Prairie, AB.............................................Aug 2–3 Regina, SK ......................................................Aug 5–7 Grimshaw, AB................................................Aug 6–7 La Crete, AB..................................................Aug 9–10 Jasper, AB.................................................... Aug 10–13 Dawson Creek, BC ................................... Aug 12–14 Cranbrook, BC............................................ Aug 19–21 Pincher Creek, AB..................................... Aug 19–21 Smithers, BC * (BB)........................................ Aug 25 Okotoks, AB...............................................Aug 26–28 Taber, AB .................................................... Aug 27–28 Armstrong, BC ................................... Aug 31–Sep 3.

SEPTEMBER Merritt, BC.......................................................Sep 3–4 Armstrong, BC–Pro Tour Final......................Sep 4 Medicine Lodge, AB..................................... Sept 10 Olds, AB.........................................................Sep 16–17 Brooks, AB................................................. Sep 23–24 Edmonton, AB .......................................... Sep 23–25 Hanna, AB...................................................Sep 24–25

NOVEMBER Red Deer, AB–Canadian Finals Rodeo** .........................................................................Nov 2–6

Subscriptions starting from

$12.50/month. Sign-up at FloRodeo.com/signup

*BB—Bareback *SB—Saddle Bronc ** — Broadcast on FloRodeo Network Visit RodeoCanada.com for updates

Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2022

Pro Rodeo Canada Insider 2021 Canadian Novice Saddle Bronc Champion Brodie Roessler on Duffy Rodeo's 242 Tool Time. CFR photo by Covy Moore.

Heading into Spring Excitement is building as we approach our first CPRA rodeos of the 2022 season. With a schedule that sees the return of virtually all past events, along with the addition of some new ones, Pro Rodeo Canada committees, members, partners and fans are ready to hit the rodeo trail. We are looking at an exciting Pro Tour roster with upwards of ten rodeos… with a September Finals at the Armstrong IPE and Stampede. As well, our Maple Leaf Circuit — with a Finals also held later in the year — will feature most of the regular rodeos on the schedule. Congratulations to those athletes who are already enjoying success on the World stage with wins and placings at spring rodeos in the U.S. Several CPRA members are among the top 15 in the World at this point. A number of stand-out rough stock horses have also been in the spotlight at rodeos including Denver, Fort Worth, Rapid City, San Antonio and Houston. One of the partnerships we’re excited about… and want to remind young rough stock competitors about is the 20

CPRA — Semi-Pro Rough Stock Agreement. Essentially, members of the CPRA, Wild Rose Association (WRA), Lakeland Rodeo Association (LRA), British Columbia Rodeo Association (BCRA) and the Canadian Cowboys Association (CCA) have an agreement to support young cowboys competing in novice events at CPRA and semi-pro rodeos. How it works: If a novice competitor is competing in one of the four listed semipro associations in the OPEN rough stock events and also holds a CPRA NOVICE bareback, saddle bronc or junior bull riding card, money won at the semi-pro rodeos will count for the year-end standings in both the mother semi-pro association as well as in the CPRA novice standings. Competitors must have a membership in the CPRA and the semi-pro association(s) of choice (from the list above) before their winnings will count in the standings. Example: Let's say that you are a bareback rider and you enter Medicine Lodge WRA rodeo. You win the rodeo and it pays you $500. That money will be added to your

CPRA novice standings provided you hold both a WRA card and a CPRA Novice card. Benefits: There is significant money to be won at semi-pro and CPRA rodeos that include novice events. This agreement gives young rough stock athletes the opportunity to compete at many rodeos and have their earnings accumulate in the CPRA novice standings. Young contestants will gain broad experience and mentorship from professional cowboys along the way. This is a huge opportunity for young cowboys. Contact each Association for more information. Events start in March for the WRA so now is the time to get started. Have a great start to rodeo season everyone!

Terry Cooke, President, Canadian Professional Rodeo Association Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2022

Pro Rodeo Canada Insider WHAT DOES IT TAKE?

2022 RODEO SCHOOLS

HE 2022 RODEO SEASON IS UNDERWAY, AND I’VE GATHERED AS MUCH INFORMATION AS I COULD

ON SOME UPCOMING RODEO SCHOOLS, INCLUDING BARREL RACING, STEER WRESTLING, CHUTE DOGGING, TIEDOWN AND BREAKAWAY ROPING, BAREBACK RIDING, SADDLE BRONC, AND RANCH SADDLE BRONC RIDING TO HELP YOU SHARPEN YOUR SKILLS. RODEO SCHOOLS ARE FEATURED ON THE CPRA WEBSITE AND MORE ARE ADDED WEEKLY. VISIT RODEOCANADA.COM FOR MORE. 21

ROUGHSTOCK SCHOOLS 5th Annual Suchorab Bronc School $350 April 2–3 Clearview Arena, Fort Qu'Appelle, Sask For more information, email: NSuchorab@gmail.com INSTRUCTORS Bareback: Clint Laye Saddle Bronc: Ben Anderson, Logan Hay, Kolby Wanchuk Pick up men: Wade Rempel, Blade Young Stock: Outlaw Buckers

“Personally I am a first-generation rodeo cowboy. I started this school for guys just like myself. I go to a lot of amateur rodeos and meet these kids who may not come from a rodeo background but are interested and want to try bucking horses. We start (or restart) everybody on the spur board. We go through their equipment. The instructors physically show them in the slowest possible motion what a mark out looks like, what a spur stroke looks like, and how to lift on your rein because I’ve found that even with a bucking machine things are still happening too fast. It's not just getting on, getting off, there’s so much more to learn. We get the best stock we can with Outlaw Buckers, the best pick up men and the best instructors available because these novice riders deserve a good start.” — Noah Suchorab (pronounced SUE kah rab) Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2022

STOCK.ADOBE.COM/ YULIA

By TERRI MASON

Pro Rodeo Canada Insider 2nd Annual Moore Ranch Bucking Horse School Apr 16–17 Moore Ranch, Pouce Coupe, BC (located about 10 minutes from Dawson Creek) Visit their Facebook site: Moore Ranch — Rodeo & Cattle Co. for updated information. INSTRUCTORS Bareback: Alan Dacyk, Jake Vold, Jake Stemo Saddle Bronc: Sam Kelts, Logan Hodgson Pick up men: Clayton Moore, Rodney Keith, Link Copeland Stock Contractor: Clem Lowry Proven stock for riders 15 and up — no colts Contact TJ Corr at LetsRodeo71@hotmail.com “My wife and I have a place up by Fort St. John, and I organize and pretty much look after the bucking horse stuff on the Moore Ranch. This is our second bucking horse school. We’ve held two steer riding clinics and a bull riding school as well. In the bucking horse school, there are no colts whatsoever. We don’t do that on the Moore Ranch with these kids. We’re trying to make cowboys, not bucking horses. I brought in Clem Lowry because he’s got about 30-40 good ol’ campaigners that he keeps around just for training kids. He leaves me with a dozen of them up at Clayton’s place and we hold practices all winter. Last year at our bucking horse school, we bucked 78 head of horses with 15 kids in a day and a half. If we’d had a bunch of colts there, we’d’ve bucked 30 head at most. At 6 pm on Sunday, there were kids wanting more, but we were out of horses.” — TJ Corr

INSTRUCTORS Saddle Bronc: Lee Sinclair, Donnie Gillespie Bareback: Ross Smith, Dwight Dokken Ranch Bronc Riding Pick up men: Wade Rempel, Dwight Dokken, Luke Ellingson Stock: Shawn Francis/Francis Rodeo CONTACT: Lee Bellows (306) 693-7533 The Moose Jaw Roughstock School has been going on for years and its start began the way most fun ideas start — with cowboys visiting. “A bunch of us guys just sitting around one day talking about things and decided that schools weren't doing what we needed them to do,” explained Lee Bellows. “To give these kids a safe as possible start. Get the right kind of stock. What we're using for stock are old broodmares and horses that are basically not competitive; hoppers. In the early spring, it really works good because those pregnant mares don't have a whole lot of hop to them, but they still remember they buck.” — Lee Bellows Stock contractor Shawn Francis has been rounding up stock for the school for about a dozen years. “Our school is aimed at the guys that have never been on a bucking horse,” he explained. “You’ve got to learn how to walk before you can run. The horses have to be

absolutely chute broke; easy to get out on and be able to buck to build confidence in these guys. Hoppers mainly, but challenging hoppers.” — Shawn-Boy Francis For more, contact the always-interesting Lee Bellows.

*2022 Strathmore Rodeo School $300 + GST — includes lunch Aug 15-18 (Two-day clinics) *Saddle Bronc, Bareback, Barrel Racing, Bull Riding, Breakaway Roping, Bull Fighting Register at StrathmoreStampede.com *teaching roughstock and timed events.

TIMED EVENT SCHOOLS Breakaway Roping Clinic $250 April dates TBA Agriculture Society Pavilion Pincher Creek, Alta. Instructor: Randy Smith All levels of ropers are welcome. Contact (403) 339-4399

Bronc Riding Clinic $350 Apr 30–May 1 Kmita Arena, Weyburn, SK For more information, call Tyler (306) 8610567 or Nicole (306) 861-1668 Bareback and Saddle Bronc Clinic — suitable stock for all levels.

STOCK.ADOBE.COM/ YULIA

INSTRUCTORS Bareback: Jake Vold Saddle Bronc: Rylan Geiger Stock: Outlaw Buckers

Moose Jaw Roughstock School $250 May 6–8 Gomersall Arena, Exhibition Grounds, Moose Jaw, Sask. 22

Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2022

Pro Rodeo Canada Insider 6th Annual Clayton Moore Steer Wrestling & Chute Dogging School Apr 1–3 Moore Ranch, Pouce Coupe, BC (located about 10 minutes from Dawson Creek) Visit their Facebook site: Moore Ranch —Rodeo & Cattle Co. for updated information. Professional guest instructors. Email: MooreRanch01@outlook.com

Steve Thiessen Breakaway Clinics Visit their Facebook site: Steve Thiessen Rope Clinics and Jackpots for updated information Apr 2-3 Botha, Alta. Apr 9-10 Botha, Alta. Apr 19-20 Introduction to Breakaway beginner clinic. Delburne, Alta. Apr 21 Dummy Roping, Delburne, Alta. May 10-11 Saskatchewan clinic; stay tuned May 17-18 Williams Lake, B.C. May 19-20 Tie Down Roping with Steven Lloyd. Quesnel, B.C. (250) 925-4669 May 24-25 Botha, Alta. May 30-31 Botha, Alta. Steve Thiessen has been teaching roping “forever,” but in the last eight years he has really ramped up clinics and lessons both on the road, and from his and Melissa’s home place near Botha, Alta. “Everybody that comes to this school has to bring their own rope and their own horse,” said Melissa. “The clinics are geared for everybody of all skill levels of the rider and the horse. We keep our clinic numbers really small so that everybody gets lots of time. We're about quality, not quantity.” There is no age limit for participants, and your horse should be broke, and you be able to swing a loop while on its back without it “freaking out,” but it doesn’t have to be a solid rope horse. These clinics can help people that are just entering into the sport of roping, and who are looking to increase their horsemanship and roping skills. Steve is well-regarded as a teacher and Melissa sums it up best; “Steve has trained a lot of horses, and he also loves to teach. We came to the realization with the horse training part, 23

that we want to be the people that teach the people to fish, not just give them a fish. Now when they ask; ‘will you take my horse and train it?’ He can do that, but he’d rather teach you how to train your horse, you're gonna be better off.” — Melissa Thiessen

INSTRUCTOR: Sarah Gerard Limited to 12 participants; stabling available. Contact Sarah (250) 682-6089

Lynette Brodoway Barrel Clinics

$500 — lunch included May 14-15

April 5–7 Calnash Ag Event Center, Ponoka, Alta. Clinic is full; auditors welcome ($100/day) Contact Tammy Dee Clemmer for waitlist or auditing: ttbraith@hotmail.com April 15–17 Silver Sage Community Corral, Brooks, Alta. Contact Amy Finnerty: finnertyperformancehorses@gmail.com May 10 Claresholm Agriplex Contact Randa Nugent: Clinic is full; auditors welcome. May 30–Jun 1 Vanscoy, SK Contact Nikki Storbakken: Nikki.Storbakken@USask.ca For those new to barrel racing, Lynette Brodoway is one of Canada’s most well-known and respected barrel racers, horse trainers and clinicians. Lynette has worked throughout her life to continually grow and develop her horsemanship skills. Her primary focus in her clinics is to help riders recognize and ‘feel’ the unique style of their horse. Each horse has a preferred style of turning and travelling. Once this is learned and discovered, the rider can leverage what comes naturally to the horse. When this happens, the sky is the limit and true partnerships are created between horse and rider. It is about unleashing innate strengths, ‘feeling’ the horse and finding its path. — Lynette Brodoway biography

Sarah Gerard Barrel Racing Clinic $450 Apr 8-10 Cherry Creek Ranch, 5420 Trans Canada Hwy. Kamloops, BC

Simpson & Buhler Team Roping Clinic

INSTRUCTORS: 2016 World Champion Team Ropers Levi Simpson & Jeremy Buhler Galloway Arena, Ponoka, Alta. 12 Headers/12 Heelers Groundwork, horsemanship, roping “Smarty” and live cattle Call or text Christie (250) 794-1386

Simpson & Buhler Team Roping Clinic $500 — lunch included May 28-29 INSTRUCTORS: 2016 World Champion Team Ropers Levi Simpson & Jeremy Buhler Lyons Arena, Bezanson, Alta. 12 Headers/12 Heelers Groundwork, horsemanship, roping “Smarty” and live cattle. Camping available onsite. Call or text Christie (250) 794-1386

Diane Skocdopole Barrel Racing Clinic $350 — lunch included May 28-29 Delburne AgriPlex, Delburne, Alta. INSTRUCTOR: Diane Skocdopole 10 students max To register, contact Jessica at (403) 505-4535

Pro Rodeo Canada Insider ROAD TO THE CFR

The 2021 PRCA Rookies of the Year included Canadians (from left, second red shirt) PRCA Saddle Bronc Rookie, K's Thomson of Lundbreck, Alta., and right beside him is TDR Rookie Beau Cooper of Stettler, Alta. (blue shirt, fawn hat.) PRCA photo by Rod Connor.

BEAU COOPER ROOKIE OF THE YEAR By TIM ELLIS

EAU COOPER HAS ALREADY PROVEN HE HAS THE TALENT TO COMPETE WITH THE BEST ROPERS

IN THE WORLD. THE HOPE IS HE’LL NOW BE ABLE TO SHOW THAT TALENT TO CANADIAN RODEO FANS THIS

PRCA PHOTO BY ROD CONNOR

SEASON. Cooper became the first Canadian to win the PRCA’s Tie-Down Roping Rookie of the Year award in 2021, collecting his buckle during the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas last December. “That was pretty cool to be the first Canadian kid to do it. To be able to walk out 24

in the arena at the Thomas & Mack in front of all the fans was pretty neat,” offers the 20-year-old Cooper. “We got to 83 rodeos. The first rodeo on my (PRCA) pro card was San Angelo. I won about $8,000 there, and that got me into Reno and Calgary — things just snowballed from there.” But, while the showing in San Angelo, Texas was the first step towards winning the rookie of the year title, it was a 7.8-second run in Lake City, Florida in mid-March of last season that may have kick-started his pro rodeo career. “I called my mom and told her I’m never getting off my permit,” recalls Cooper, who bought his pro card after filling his permit with the $1,600 won in Florida. “I’d gone to about 15 rodeos before that and then finally made a good run.” The Rookie of the Year award was not the first time the Stettler, Alta., cowboy has collected hardware on the rodeo trail. He won the 2019 Lakeland Rodeo Association roping championship and partnered with his dad, Jim, to win the Foothills Cowboys Association team roping title in 2017. “My dad taught me how to rope,” declares Cooper, who also won the tiedown roping aggregate buckle at both

the LRA and Wildrose Rodeo Association Finals in 2019. “I started roping everything when I was little but only started roping calves when I was 15.” Now, it’s four-time Canadian champion and 2013 world titleholder, Shane Hanchey who has taken Cooper under his wing for the next portion of his career. “Shane came up to Canada to put on some roping schools,” begins Cooper, who had won about $4,000 at U.S. winter rodeos through mid-February of this season. “After the schools, he asked if I wanted to come down and hang out and rodeo.” “He’s been one of my idols for a while, so I had to take the opportunity. I first went down in the fall of 2020 and went back the next January. He’s been a great guy to learn from.” Chasing success across the border left Cooper virtually no time to compete in Canada in 2021. But he expects that to change this season. “I’m planning to get to all of the spring rodeos to get my count up,” confirms Cooper. “Then I’ll be back and forth through the summer. My goal now is to be the season leader and Canadian champion.” c Canadian Cowboy Country April/May 2022