Q&A with - Joseph Fentiman, New Zealand
November 14 - Kiwi novice bareback rider Joseph Fentiman is at his second Canadian Finals Rodeo. This year he's competing in Rexall Place wearing a back number that's familiar to many fans - number 99. Fentiman won the fourth go-round in the novice bareback riding on Saturday afternoon.

Joseph Fentiman on Big Stone Rodeo Co.'s Grey Dawn during the fifth performance of the Canadian Finals Rodeo on Saturday evening.

CRN: How did Easy Money treat you this afternoon?
Fentiman: It was good. He is a nice horse and you should be able to get a lot of points on him. He's just a good, honest horse.

CRN: Can you walk us through the ride?
Fentiman: Well, last night, after I rode, Kelly Timberman came up to me and gave me some pointers on my mark out. So when I hopped on, I tried it, and the first two jumps out of there I was thinking too much and it made the first part of my ride a bit slow and not very good and I thought, “Oh, I'd better hurry up and do something,” and just tried to finish as best I can.

CRN: This building you're in has a bit of history, especially when combined with that number on your back.
Fentiman: I was stoked, because I was kind of guessing I would be around that number coming up to it, and with my parents come up to watch me from New Zealand, I was explaining to them about Wayne Gretzky and that he was number 99, and that that was probably going to be me this year.

CRN: What are you going to do when you go home after CFR wraps up?
Fentiman: Rodeo. Our season starts just after Christmas and we ride that through January and February and have our finals in March.

CRN: We going to see you in the open next year?
Fentiman: You always want to step up and take it to the next level. We'll just see how it goes this winter in New Zealand and take it from there.