Canadian Presence is Huge With Two Rounds Remaining
Two towns in Canada.
Barrhead, Alberta.
Big Valley, Alberta.
Two hometowns to two Canadian cowboys who have a chance to etch their names in the Pro Rodeo Book of greatness.
The first is a team roper from a team roping dynasty. Kolton Schmidt is competing at his third Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and after Canada Night and with two rounds remaining at this year’s NFR, he has been one of the stories of 2025. He came to Las Vegas well back in the field of fifteen but tonight he and Florida partner Jonathan Torres won their third round of this NFR with a 3.8. And with eight rounds in the books, they sit first in the aggregate (28.7 on 7 runs) and first in the world standings—Schmidt has banked $279,074 and while there’s still work to do, it has been an incredible run for the hands-across-the-border tandem.
And in the bronc riding the King of the Canadian Cowboys—Zeke Thurston, has moved into the driver’s seat in the saddle bronc riding and is bearing down on a remarkable fifth world title. But it’s not over, not by a long shot, because the youngest of the three Wright brothers in the event, Statler, is nipping at the heels of the Big Valley superstar, who just a couple of months ago won his sixth Canadian title. On Canada Night at the NFR, Thurston finished out of the money but maintained his hold on first place in the aggregate (Statler is second) and third in the world standings (Statler is fourth). The two of them will battle to the wire and the two remaining rides from each man will determine the 2025 champion.
There were other solid efforts from the land of the Maple Leaf on this night. The Wainwright brother combination, Dawson and Dillon Graham, cashed their third cheque of the finals, this one a fifth place $9463 courtesy of their 4.9 second run.
In the tie-down roping event, four-time Canadian Champion, Shane Hanchey from Sulphur, Louisiana split 2/3 in the round with a 7.5 second effort and the man he tied with, Texan Joel Harris, was riding the four-legged buckskin who has been the equine story of the last two NFR’s, Logan Bird’s Daddys Shiner Cat (Peso). The Bird family call Nanton, Alberta home. And after splitting 4/5 in the round, California hand, Brushton Minton, occupies third place in the aggregate, just one second out of the lead. Minton is mounted on Medicine Hat, Alberta cowboy, Tyler Popescul’s Lincoln who has been flawless throughout the first eight NFR rounds.
In the bareback riding, 2024 world champion, Dean Thompson rode C5 Rodeo’s 712 Winning Rose to a third place 86.25 and $21,882. It was the second money ride made on the horse at
NFR 2025. And in bull riding it was Legend Rodeo’s 470 Huckleberry carrying Luke Mackey to a 5/6 split with an 87 pointer that paid $7688. In steer wrestling the hazing horse for both the first and second place finishers in the round, Tucker Allen and Jesse Brown (3.9 and 4.0 seconds respectively) came from the Danard breeding program in Parkland County, Alberta.
And Quebec cowgirl Julie Plourde placed for the second night in a row, putting up a 13.89 for a sixth place cheque ($5914) and more Importantly, she held onto second place in the aggregate, right behind reigning world champion Kassie Mowry and 67 one-hundredths of a second up on Brittany Pozzi Tonnozzi.
For complete WNFR results, visit www.prorodeo.com
