Mid-Way Point in the CPRA Season

Coy Robbins continued his winning ways with a sweep of the bull riding at the two weekend CPRA events.

The Camrose, AB cowboy put up an 87-point score at Bowden Daze on Macza Rodeo’s 8681 Dirty Money for a $1052 payday. Robbins then topped the field at the SMS Equipment Pro Tour event at the Teepee Creek Stampede with an 88 pointer aboard Duane Kesler Championship Rodeo’s Perlich Brothers Ivy League for a tidy $2658 injection into the bank account.

The 24-old runner-up for the 2022 Canadian Bull Riding title entered the weekend with a $1400 lead in the season standings and will pad that lead by a little over $3700 over second place man, Jordan Hansen.

“I feel really good rolling into this time of year,” Robbins commented. “I used this weekend as a little bit of redemption for missing out on Championship Sunday at the Calgary Stampede. I wanted to make this weekend count and I’m happy that I was able to do that.”

The six-year pro reflected on what it would mean to win the season leader title. “That would be a great accomplishment for sure. There is still lots of season left and lots of guys are riding really well so it’ll be a fun race to the end of the year.

“I haven’t really changed much of anything as the year is going on,” Robbins added. “I just try to stay in my lane and stay focused. I keep myself feeling good by going to Acumen Performance and operating my business at home. I’m excited to carry the momentum forward as we head into the second half of the season.”

In 2022, there was one sub two second run recorded in Canadian Breakaway Roping. That time was turned in by Claresholm, AB cowgirl Shaya Biever. This weekend the 2022 CFR qualifier went sub 2.0 on back-to-back runs that led to a pair of wins for the 23-year-old.

Biever posted a 1.9 second run at Teepee Creek for a $2876 first-place finish, and was a tick faster at Bowden, roping her stock in a blistering 1.8 seconds for another $1292. The dual triumphs and $4168 winnings will move the talented roper off the 12th place ‘bubble’ into the top half dozen breakaway ropers in Canada.

Biever and her 16-year-old gelding, ‘CQ Badgers Thor’, have well defined goals for the 2023 season. “A return trip to the CFR is definitely a goal. And I’ve been competing a little bit south of the 49th as well. It’s my rookie year in the WPRA, and I’m hoping to get inside the top 40 and get into the winter rodeos.”

It’s a big commitment and one the southern Alberta talent is very willing to make. “Life outside the rodeo arena is mostly just practicing for life inside the rodeo arena,” she acknowledged.

“The changes in breakaway roping have been huge. More and more rodeos are having breakaway and having equal money at them, I’ve definitely made a change to rodeo more now that it’s getting so big. I’m so grateful to all the rodeo committees out there adding breakaway and all the added money.”

Canadian champion and two time NFR qualifying bull rider Jordan Hansen, made some big-time noise at the recently completed NFR Open at Colorado Springs as the Amisk, AB athlete finished third in the first round, fourth in the average, and second in both the semi-final and final to top out at over $16,000 in earnings and give his NFR aspirations a major boost.

Additional money makers at the 5-day event included tie down roper Clayton Smith who placed in a round, the average the semi-finals and finals for close to $9800; bronc rider Layton Green who won a round and picked up third in the average for $8750; team ropers Dawson/Dillon Graham who split the first round ($4979) and Logan Bonnett/Riley Wilson (5th in the average/$1,202 each); barrel racer Bradi Whiteside ($1,202 for a round placing) and bareback rider Pascal Isabelle ($429/round two).

The Calgary Stampede [a non-CPRA sanctioned event] wrapped up this past Sunday and there was a distinctly Canadian vibe on the grandstand stage as the bronzes and big cheques ($50.000) were handed out. Canadians won four of the six events and two of those events saw Canucks finish up one-two. Dawson Hay kept the bronc riding bragging rights in the family following in his brother Logan’s footsteps to capture the title courtesy of a spectacular 92-point ride on the Stampede’s equine superstar, Xplosive Skies, with Ben Anderson just two points back of his cousin with a 90-point effort to net $25,000.

Tie down roper, Beau Cooper, was a popular winner with a spectacular 7.0 second run cueing his visit to the presentation stage. Carstairs cowboy Kyle Lucas nailed down the second-place roping cheque. Three-time Canadian Champion steer wrestler, Scott Guenthner collected his first Stampede win with a dazzling 3.2 second run while reigning Canadian Champion bull rider, Jared Parsonage, was the lone non-Albertan in the Canadian crew to hit the winner’s circle as the Saskatchewan hand mastered the Vold bull Wild Time for 89 points and his share of Stampede glory.

In a year that saw all first-time winners, American bareback rider Kade Sonnier combined with the legendary C5 grey, Virgil, for 92 points, while barrel racer Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, after 19 years of Stampede appearances, won her first title as she negotiated the pattern in a lightning fast 17.113 seconds. A good portion of the money won at Stampede counts in the World standings.

This week’s Pro Rodeo Canada action includes SMS Pro Rodeo Tour event Manitoba Stampede and Exhibition July 21-23 in Morris, MB and the Moose Mountain Pro Rodeo in Kennedy, Sask July 22-23.

For complete unofficial results go to rodeocanada.com