Canada Equine ...On-Line News: Canadian Rodeo Tour Kicks Off In Calgary

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Canadian Rodeo Tour Kicks Off In Calgary

April 9, 2006

Rodeo Royal, the Calgary Stampede’s spring indoor rodeo, was the first stop on the 2006 Canadian Rodeo Tour schedule and was held this past weekend (April 6-9).

The 11-stop Canadian Rodeo Tour will pre-qualify two contestants in each of the five major rodeo events and ladies barrel racing for the Canadian Finals Rodeo, to be held in Edmonton, Alta. November 8-12.

With over $187,000 in prize money up for grabs, the excitement was high and the competition was fierce at Rodeo Royal. When all was said and done, two Americans and four Canadians finished on top of their respective events.

Six-time world saddle bronc riding champion Dan Mortensen (Billings, Mont.) rode Calgary Stampede’s Foolish Margie for 85 points, winning $6,937.

While Mortensen has won a pile of money over the years at Canadian rodeos, this will mark the first time that he’ll appear on top of the Canadian standings. The CPRA recently opened up the Canadian standings to non-Canadians, who can now qualify for the Finals through both the Tour and the standings, to a maximum of four per event.

He also jumps into the lead in the Tour standings with 85 points.

Cloverdale, B.C. hosts the second stop on the Tour in May.

Bareback rider Chris Harris (Hasca, Tex.), is in the same position as Mortensen. Harris rode Calgary Stampede’s 1,100-lb. bay mare Fearless Warrior for 86 points, $6,425, 85 Tour points and first place in the Canadian standings. He also earned the one thing that Dan Mortensen didn’t need, an invitation to this year’s Calgary Stampede.

The Calgary Stampede is only taking 20 contestants per event this year, with all of the Rodeo Royal champions earning a spot. But, Mortensen had already earned his invitation based on his performance at last year’s National Finals Rodeo, held in Las Vegas.

It must have been a familiar feeling for Harris, who also qualified for the summer Stampede via Rodeo Royal in 1999.

2001 Canadian champion bull rider and Calgary Stampede $50,000 bonus winner Scott Schiffner (Stettler, Alta.) cashed in on the 2005 Canadian bull of the CFR, Kesler Rodeo Co.’s Shiver N Shake. The match-up resulted in the first bull riding score in the 90s since Wade Joyal rode Stan Weatherly’s big brown bull Raisin’ Hell for 91 points in 1999.

Schiffner won $7,187.

At the other end of the arena, Curtis Cassidy (Donalda, Alta.) dominated both the tie-down roping and steer wrestling events, winning them both. The three-time Canadian high-point champion had choice timing, as coming into the rodeo, he had not secured a Stampede berth in either of his events yet.

Cassidy won $5,676 in the tie-down roping with a 7.8-second run and $6,082 in the steer wrestling after a 4.7-second effort.

2005 Canadian champion barrel racer Rayel Robinson (Alix, Alta.) ran a speedy 13.30-second pattern during the final performance, beating out Monica Wilson’s (Cardston, Alta.) time of 13.38.

Robinson padded her bank account with $6,042.

CANADIAN PROFESSIONAL RODEO ASSOCIATION
Unofficial Standings • April 11, 2006
Up to and including Rodeo Royal - Calgary, AB

SADDLE BRONC
1     Dan Mortensen, Billings, MT     $6,937
2     Jim Berry, Rocky Mtn House, AB     5,839
3     Lance Mulvahill, Dawson Creek, BC     4,625
4     Scott Bresee, Ponoka, AB     3,758
5     Alan Bandy, Wainwright, AB     3,712
6     Kyle Thomson, Black Diamond, AB     2,467
7     Billy Richards, Cochrane, AB     1,590
8     Dan Black, Maple Creek, SK     1,495
9     Scott Lourance, Winfield, AB     961
10     Levi Harbin, Peers, AB     961
11     Jeremy Tennant, Provost, AB     867
12     Cody Taton, Newell, SD     867
BAREBACK
1     Chris Harris, Hasca, TX     $6,425
2     Jason DelGuercio, Maple Creek, SK     5,087
3     Don McLeod, Hanna, AB     4,556
4     Dusty LaValley, Crooked Creek, AB     4,076
5     Luke Walker, Vanderhoof, BC     2,320
6     Alan Dacyk, Worsley, AB     2,320
7     Cimmaron Gerke, Brighton, CO     2,320
8     Kyle Bowers, Brooks, AB     2,320
9     Roger Lacasse, Montreal, QC     803
10     Jay Phipps, Marshall, SK     639
11     Doug Tkach, Coronation, AB     639
12     Troy Tattrie, Youngstown, AB     479
BULL RIDING
1     Scott Schiffner, Strathmore, AB     $7,187
2     Steven Turner, Cochrane, AB     5,697
3     Ty Elliott, Vernon, BC     5,692
4     Blade Young, Tyvan, SK     4,305
5     Karson Legault, Val Marie, SK     2,852
6     Chris Sanderson, 150 Mile House, BC     2,802
7     Nathan Roy, Asquith, SK     1,626
8     Tanner Girletz, Cereal, AB     1,501
9     Jason Finkbeiner, Wardlow, AB     1,501
10     Tyler Thomson, Black Diamond, AB     1,478
11     Come Bouvier, Empress, AB     1,398
12     Garth Oldfield, Lethbridge, AB     1,117
TIE-DOWN ROPING
1     Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, AB     $5,676
2     Brad Goodrich, Stanfield, OR     5,079
3     Grady Lockhart, Chadron, NE     4,481
4     Baillie Milan, Cochrane, AB     3,884
5     Blair Burk, Durant, OK     3,286
6     Cliff Williamson, Madden, AB     2,689
7     Stacy Cornet, Kyle, SK     2,190
8     Darren Zieffle, Consort, AB     2,164
9     Travis Gallais, Olds, AB     1,793
10     Dalton Kraft, Medicine Hat, AB     1,485
11     Cody Rood, Bengough, SK     1,262
12     Brett Fleming, Worden, MT     1,040

STEER WRESTLING
1     Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, AB     $6,082
2     Alex Cripps, Williams Lake, BC     5,442
3     Dallas Frank, Stony Plain, AB     4,802
4     Shawn Greenfield, Lakeview, OR     4,161
5     Kyle Thomson, Black Diamond, AB     3,521
6     Todd Woodward, Magrath, AB     2,881
7     Brock Butterfield, Ponoka, AB     2,423
8     Gene Wiart, Alliance, AB     2,227
9     Luke Laskosky, Viking, AB     1,936
10     Clayton Moore, Pouce Coupe, BC     1,921
11     JD Hays, Rocky Mtn House, AB     1,895
12     Duane Gervais, Airdrie, AB     1,676
LADIES BARREL RACING
1     Rayel Robinson, Alix, AB     $6,042
2     Monica Wilson, Cardston, AB     4,834
3     Rachelle Boyes, Souris, MB     3,552
4     Renee Rae Willis, Princeton, BC     3,474
5     Braidy Howes, Metiskow, AB     2,417
6     Erin Hagan, Virden, MB     2,024
7     Teri Kay Leibrand, Belt, MT     1,644
8     Sierra Stoney, DeWinton, AB     1,593
9     Brooke Ramsay, Cochrane, AB     1,561
10     Donna Leibrand, Peerless, MT     1,561
11     Donna Beierbach, Maple Creek, SK     1,420
12     Lindsay Sears, Nanton, AB     1,409
TEAM ROPING (HEADER)
1     Travis Gallais, Olds, AB     $1,336
2     Delon Parker, Billings, MT     1,105
3     Dirk McCarroll, Camrose, AB     1,019
4     Daryn Knapp, Mayerthorpe, AB     1,019
5     Cole Bevans, Hill Spring, AB     997
6     Marty Lillico, Spirit River, AB     875
7     Justin McCarroll, Edmonton, AB     645
8     Dale Skocdopole, Big Valley, AB     291
9     Brian Larson, Medicine Hat, AB     230
TEAM ROPING (HEELER)
1     Rocky Dallyn, Nanton, AB     $1,336
2     John Robertson, Billings, MT     1,105
3     Cody McCarroll, Edmonton, AB     1,019
4     Dwight Wigemyr, Brooks, AB     1,019
5     Josey Brodoway, Brooks, AB     997
6     Rocky Ross, Botha, AB     875
7     Brett McCarroll, Camrose, AB     645
8     Wayne Skocdopole, Big Valley, AB     291
9     Jim-Bob Gomersall, Moose Jaw, SK     230
BOYS STEER RIDING
1     Wacey Finkbeiner, Ponoka, AB    $328
2    Joel Rangen, Eckville, AB    205
HORSE RACING
1    Dan Brown, Chestermere, AB    $640
2    Terry Arnholtz, Okotoks, AB    466

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