Bringing the Summer Heat

Several CPRA cowboys and cowgirls made the most of Canadian rodeo’s eastern swing to pad their earnings totals this past weekend.

Among the big winners were barrel racer Traci MacDonald, steer wrestler Scott Guenthner and bull rider Cauy Schmidt.

MacDonald (nee Traci Dawson), the Erskine, AB cowgirl who has both CFR and NFR credits on her resume, smoked the field at the Moose Mountain Pro Rodeo in Kennedy, Saskatchewan with a 15.64 second run to take home $1317; she added another $1842 for a third place run at the Manitoba Stampede and Exhibition in Morris – stop number ten on the SMS Equipment Pro Rodeo Tour.  MacDonald entered the weekend in 17th place in the Canadian standings but her $3100 plus haul will boost her upwards by several spots and place her solidly in the conversation for one of those coveted CFR qualifying berths.

Longtime CPRA observers maintain that no Canadian has ever made the NFR without attending a single rodeo on the south side of the 49th parallel (bronc rider Rylan Geiger was close). If anyone can accomplish that almost unheard-of feat, it would be three-time Canadian Champion steer wrestler, Scott Guenthner. The Provost cowboy, fresh off a $50,000 win at the Calgary Stampede (50% of Showdown Sunday money and 70% of go-round winnings count in the world standings), Guenthner was at his Guenthnerian best on the weekend with back to back wins. The four-time NFR qualifier nailed the first-place cheque at Kennedy with a 4.1 second run for $1292 and then in front of a packed Morris grandstand, blistered a 3.6 second run for the win and $2115.

After the twin victories, the likeable dogger, who was 10th in Canada and 18th in the world standings prior to weekend action, was clear on two points. One, he will not be going south to try to win dollars on that side of the line in a quest for a fifth NFR appearance [family and the home ranch remain his priorities] and two, if he is able to finish the season among the top fifteen based on Canadian earnings alone, he would absolutely head to Las Vegas when the action starts at the Thomas and Mack Arena. “Yeah, if it worked out, that I made it to the NFR doing it this way, I’ll be there,” the 31-year-old dogger confirmed. Stay tuned—this could get real interesting.

Coronation, AB bull rider Cauy Schmidt put an exclamation point on his remarkable comeback with back-to-back wins of his own on the weekend. The young talent, who suffered what appeared to be a career threatening injury at a late 2022 PBR event, benefitted from the fact that he was the only cowboy to ride at either weekend event—mastering Big Stone Rodeo’s 924 Watermelon Sugar for 77 points and $1371. Then at Manitoba’s only pro rodeo, Schmidt put up a terrific 84.5 effort on Vold Rodeo’s 708 Clear the Village for $2121. With ground money (essentially all the bull riding money at both rodeos), the sophomore hand pocketed $13,950 (unofficially). That will catapult him from a precarious 12th spot in the standings to a much more comfortable 6th place.

CPRA athletes have a jam-packed weekend coming up with SMS Equipment Tour stop, Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede July 27-29, two Maple Leaf Circuit events, Rockyford Rodeo July 28-29 and Bruce Stampede July 30 along with the Hard Grass Bronc Match in Pollockville July 29.

For complete unofficial results go to rodeocanada.com