This information is courtesy of the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association:
The bull riders had the advantage on the last week of July with four Canadian Professional Rodeo Association-sanctioned competitions to work compared to two for the other event contestants. So, it was no surprise that four bull riders topped the earnings list.
Ty Pozzobon picked up $6,597.50 and occupies second place in the bull riding standings with a $22,773. This puts him just behind veteran Scott Schiffner, who maintains the standings lead with $26,237. after a $2,500 week.
Like the other members of the rodeo family, the bull riders worked stops at Medicine Hat and Bruce, but also had sanctioned events of their own at Oyen and Cochrane.
Joining Pozzobon at the top of the weekend earnings leaderboard were Montana’s Beau Hill with $6,108, Ponoka’s Tyler Pankewitz with $5,482 and reigning Canadian champion Chad Besplug at $4,980.
The best of the rest? How about Ponoka bullogger, Craig Weisgerber, who collected $4,046 out of the steer wrestling at Medicine Hat and Bruce? He soared from 31st in the event rankings to inside the top 10 with $9,305 for the season.
But, maybe the best roughstock ride of the week came at the White Lightning Dodge Cowboy Crunch bull riding at Oyen. Pozzobon stuck a snappy 90-point trip on Ellie Skori’s rightspinner Gengis Kong and is believed to be the first lefthander to get by the dark brindle this year.
It was far different result from a week earlier, when the two first danced at a bull riding in Manor, Sask.
“He made pretty short work of me,” Pozzobon reported, “he went to the right and I barely made it around the first corner.”
The bull made the same tracks at Oyen and Pozzobon never wobbled. “If anything, he was a little bit faster,” said the Merritt, B.C., product. “It was really good.”
Did he learn anything from their first meeting?
“Not really,” Pozzobon responded. “Like I said, I didn’t get much of a feel for him. It just felt like he bucked.”
The 20-year-old has locked up a roster spot for the Canadian Finals Rodeo in November at Edmonton.
“That’s awesome,” said Pozzobon, who made his first CFR appearance in 2010 as a rookie. “It’s a pretty nice feeling to already have it made. I’m looking forward to it.”
Coming Up: A two-day rodeo at High Prairie, which ends on Aug. 1, a four-day bull riding at Camrose that starts Aug. 2, the Heritage Days rodeo at Strathmore and the Mighty Fraser Rodeo at Abbotsford, B.C., both starting Aug. 3, a two-day rodeo at Grimshaw starting Aug. 4 and another two-day stop at LaCrete starting Aug. 6.
Pozzobon has entered all of them.