 Airdrie, ALTA - December 2, 2018 - Scott Guenthner knew time was running out. After three mediocre runs at the 2018 edition of the Canadian Finals Rodeo, the steer wrestling season leader realized he had to make some changes or watch the dream of winning his first Canadian championship slip through his fingers like sand through an hourglass.
So change things he did. “I was having the worst luck,” the Provost, AB cowboy admitted, “so I thought I’d switch everything up. I rode a different horse, had a different hazer and it went a lot better.
“I switched horses to Tyson, Curtis Cassidy’s horse. He’s the Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year and the best horse in Canada. Curtis was really good about it even though there were already four guys riding him. (I’m going to be riding him at the NFR in Vegas too.) And Baillie Milan hazed for me. It felt awesome.”
The five time Canadian Finals Rodeo qualifier posted a 3.7 to win the 4th go-round and a cheque for $10,530 to jump back into contention for that coveted Canadian title. He followed that up with an even quicker 3.6 run in round five for a 1/2 split setting the stage for a thrilling Sunday afternoon finale—one run for the champion’s buckle.
As he backed into the box for his final run of CFR ‘45, the back to back Alberta Circuit winner knew what he had to do. Guenthner had already watched some of his closest competitors and travelling partners have varying degrees of success. He knew he didn’t have to win the round but needed to at least place to hold his spot in the aggregate and take home his first Canadian Championship. And that’s exactly what he did…with authority.
 The five time CFR qualifier posted his second consecutive 3.6 second run to split second and third in the round for $6480 and held on to fourth place in the average for another $7695. His total season earnings of $69,899 left him comfortably ahead of the second place man and Aggregate Champion, Stephen Culling.
"Sunday was a little nerve-racking,” Guenthner acknowledged. “My steer hadn’t come in (to the chute) yet. I could hear the announcers bragging me up and I tried to blank that out but I couldn’t really do it.”
With the crowd roaring around him, the second generation dogger made the run he needed to make. And as he bounced back to his feet after dogging that last steer, Scott Guenthner knew he’d won and the crowd knew it too. The celebration began.
While the win is Guenthner’s first, it’s not the first for the family. His Dad, Ken, captured the title 37 years earlier in 1981.
Guenthner heads to Las Vegas’s Thomas and Mack arena for his second consecutive WNFR appearance. with confidence and momentum on his side. His times for his last three steers in Red Deer—3.7, 3.6 and 3.6.
And he followed that up with an impressive performance at Regina’s Agribition Rodeo in the time between Finals Rodeos. The newly-crowned Canadian Champion will ride into Vegas to represent Canada and he’ll do that as the #3 steer wrestler in the world going in.
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