It took a record setting performance at the 40th Canadian Finals Rodeo last November for Rylan Geiger to walk out of Rexall Place with his first Canadian saddle bronc championship. When he gets to Edmonton this fall, Geiger may only need a small portion of that effort to repeat as champ.
“I got Edmonton clinched so I’m happy,” said the Saskatchewan cowboy shortly after sweeping the top money at the Wrangler Canadian Pro Rodeo Tour stop in Strathmore, AB. “That’s everybody’s goal at the start of the year.”
Capturing the Strathmore championship for the second time in three years was not an easy task for Geiger, who celebrated his 25th birthday last Saturday. His first draw was two-time Canadian saddle bronc horse of the year, Get Smart from the Northcott Rodeo Company.
” The result was an 87.75-point score and the first go-round win. Then came the 2012 horse of the year, Pedro from Wayne Vold’s string in the holiday Monday finals.
“Some trips, he’s pretty nice but he can be a handful,” said a sore Geiger moments after a rough trip with the nine-year-old, four-legged superstar. “He hit the front of the chute, then the first jump he popped my chin hard. It felt like he folded me inside out. From there it was just hustle.”
Despite the bad start, the four-time CFR qualifier was 88.5-points to win the short round and the Strathmore average title. Coupled with a win earlier in the week in High Prairie, AB, Geiger added $9,100 to his season earnings, which now top the 32-thousand dollar mark, nearly double what he won during the entire 2013 regular campaign.
Bareback rider, Jake Vold kicked off the Strathmore finals with a 90.25-point trip on another fast rising Vold Rodeo superstar, Mucho Dinero.
“I kind of figured we’d get along good. He’s so electric and underneath himself. He’s a big horse and I’ve got long legs. I needed to be 90 today and I needed to have something to do that on.”
While the 27 year-old, Vold added another $4,665 to his season-leading total from Strathmore, a win in High Prairie and another cheque from the North Peace Stampede in Grimshaw, AB, were worth another $2,078.
Veteran bullrider, Tyler Thomson has never won a season leader title in his 13-year pro rodeo career. After an $8,185 weekend, which included wins in Strathmore and at the Mighty Fraser Pro Rodeo in Abbotsford, BC, the Black Diamond, AB, cowboy is one step closer to achieving that goal.
“I’ve always wanted to go into the finals in 1st place and win that saddle. I missed by seventeen bucks one year so that’s something I’d really like to have.”
The 33 year-old, Thomson, who has won over sixteen thousand dollars since mid-July, will jump into the number two spot in the new Canadian bullriding standings behind Dakota Buttar.
Both Thomson and Buttar were shutout of the money at the remaining weekend stop in Camrose, AB. Ty Elliott and Beau Hill split the win at the Bulls for Breakfast event as part of the Big Valley Jamboree.
The only stop for the steer riders was in Strathmore where Camrose youngster, Coy Robbins was 79 points to win $1,463, which will unofficially move him from 7th to 2nd in the Canadian standings. Spur Lacasse was top money winner among the novice bareback riders with cheques from Strathmore, Grimshaw and High Prairie totaling $1,305. Tyler Kampjes of Sturgeon County, AB, won $1,156 in the novice saddle bronc.
Other big money winners from the week included bareback rider, RC Landingham ($6,376) and JR Vezain ($5,883); steer wrestlers, Travis Reay ($6,146), Lee Graves ($5,800) and Chance Butterfield ($5,233); roper, Rhen Richard ($5,094 TR, $3,518 TDR); team ropers, Travis Gallais and Kevin Schreiner ($6,602 each) and Jeremy Buhler ($5,094); barrel racers, Britany Diaz ($7,288) and Rebecca Paradis ($6,472); bullrider, Ty Elliott ($4,174); tie-down roper, Al Bouchard ($6,958) and two-event cowboy, Logan Hodson ($3,261 BB, $1,014 SB).
Next up on the Pro Rodeo Canada schedule is the Field of Dreams Stampede in La Crete, AB (Aug. 5-6) and the Dawson Creek Stampede in Dawson Creek, BC (Aug. 8-10).
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Go Ponoka Go!