Young Ropers Lead the Way

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It was a trio of young ropers that dominated at the pay window at the two weekend stops on the Pro Rodeo Canada trail. Morgan Grant, Logan Bird and Kyle Lucas each improved their chances of injecting some new blood into the event at the Canadian Finals Rodeo in November.

Grant led the way with a pair of cheques in the tie-down roping and another in the steer wrestling for a $4,600 weekend. The Ontario-born cowboy split first at Harmon Valley with an 8.5-second run and then threw down a steer in 4.1 seconds to earn a second place cheque. An 8.1-second trip in the roping at Teepee Creek was good for another second place cheque.

“Everything is falling my way,” offers Grant, who will move into the number two spot in the new Canadian tie-down standings with over $16,000 in earnings. “I’ve been drawing good and getting lucky. Things are going really good.”

The weekend bulldogging earnings will move Grant near the top twenty of the standings, giving him an opportunity for a berth in two events at the CFR.

“I was close the 1st year I made it,” recalls Grant, who competed at the 2010 Finals. “But I’ve still got to win a lot of money yet.”

Logan Bird, who turned his season around at the Ponoka Stampede, continued his winning ways with a first-place, 7.8-second run at Teepee Creek. That, and his third place finish at Harmon Valley, was good for $3,189 and pops the Nanton, Alta., roper into 3rd in the Canadian standings with close to $14,000.

“I won second at the first rodeo of the season (Camrose) and I was off to a really good start,” says the 19 year-old of the beginning of his 2013 season. “Then I hit a slump. I was drawing bad or breaking the barrier. It hadn’t been going so good.” The month of July has clearly changed all that for the young cowboy.

Kyle Lucas rounds out the trio of northern winners as he pocketed $2,418 in the tie-down and team roping.

Jeremy Harden is hoping to rekindle some magic. The Big Valley, Alta., cowboy has qualified for the Canadian All-Around championship after winning a pair of bronc riding cheques on the weekend. Harden, who won that award in 2005, also grabbed some money in the steer wrestling to boost his total weekend earnings to $2056. Another $2,098 went back to Big Valley with younger brother, Josh who won the steer wrestling in Harmon Valley and split 4th in the bronc riding with Jeremy.

Other top money winners from the Northern Alberta stops included Travis Reay ($2,051 SW, $137 SB), bullrider, Adam Jamison ($2,141), bareback riders, Matt Lait ($1,952) and Ky Marshall ($1,923), barrel racer, Kendra Edey ($1,697), bronc rider, Mark O’Dempsey ($1,924) and novice saddle bronc rider, Clay Elliot, who swept both rodeos to win $1,520.

CPRA competitors head east this weekend for action in Morris, Manitoba (July 18-21… celebrating 50 years), Maple Creek, Sask. (July 17-19) and Kennedy, Sask. (July 20-21).

For more information visit www.rodeocanada.com, Pro Rodeo Canada.

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