Bounce Back Night for Canadian Team Ropers

Some members of the Team Canada NFR contingent who were a little quiet in round one of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo made a whole lot more noise in round number two.

There was a three-way tie for second place in the team roping on Friday night and two of the three teams in that 2-4 split have a Maple Leaf connection. The Wainwright, Alberta brothers, Dawson and Dillon Graham, bounced back from a no-time on night number one to post a rapid 4.1 while Barrhead’s Kolton Schmidt, roping alongside Jonathan Torres, matched the Grahams time with both teams pocketing $22,080 per man.

Zeke Thurston, in search of a fifth world saddle bronc riding title, made a statement ride for 89 points on Kirsten Vold Rodeo Company’s Breezy Fling to split 2/3 in the round with Stetson Wright and was just one point back of Australian Damian Brennan’s 90-point winning ride. Thurston, the Big Valley, Alberta superstar collected $25,431 and sits 3rd in the aggregate with 176 on two rides. The six time and reigning Canadian titleist has moved to third overall and is less than $59,000 behind Brennan in the fight for bronc riding supremacy. That’s not an insurmountable deficit when you consider that a round pays $36,668 to win it and the aggregate (average) pays $94,035 to the winner.

Steer wrestler Scott Guenthner was out of the money on night number two but is holding down fifth place in the aggregate with 9.3 seconds on two runs. Tie down roper Kyle Lucas and bronc riders, Q. Taylor, Dawson Hay and Ben Andersen have yet to hit the pay window.

On the animal side, Wayne Vold was smiling once again as his great veteran, True Grit, carried reigning World Champion bareback rider, Dean Thompson, to an 84 score and a 3-4 go-round split. And in an outstanding round of bull riding, Duane Kesler Championship Rodeo’s Alberta Prime Devil’s Advocate and his dance partner, Jesse Petri, teamed up for 85.5 points and sixth place in the round.

A send-off fit for a king. During last night’s performance, the Wrangler NFR honoured the great F13 Virgil (2025 World Saddle Bronc Horse) after it was announced he would retire at the end of this year’s event. What a great moment for C5 Rodeo!

For complete WNFR results, visit www.prorodeo.com