 MILAN COLLECTS AT MORRIS
July 26, 2010
Baillie Milan roped his way to first place at the Manitoba Stampede & Exhibition in Morris this weekend with an 8.1 second run.
“I had a pretty decent calf and that was about all there was to it,” the Cochrane, Alta. cowboy shrugged. “He didn’t run real hard or kick; he was just dang sure good.”
Good for $2,258 all the way to the bank.
“It changed things up quite a bit,” he said of the win. “I have a bit of a chance now. I also ended up winning $800 or so at Kennedy, too, so it gives me a chance and I should probably have the (Wrangler Canadian Professional Rodeo) Tour Finals made – or close to having them made.”
Milan also placed third in the tie-down roping at the Moose Mountain Pro Rodeo in Kennedy, Sask. with an 8.6 second run on the same borrowed horse from fellow-contestant Darren Zieffle that he rode in Morris.
“That was the first time I rode him. He seems to be all right,” he chuckles. “He knew what he was doing, which does make it a lot easier.”
Getting a little healthier each week probably doesn’t hurt, either. Milan, 28, suffered a painful injury to his rotator cuff, forcing him out of the steer wrestling, his main event, while competing at the 2009 Canadian Finals Rodeo.
“It actually started off last year at Dawson Creek (B.C.),” he said of the injury, “and then I ended up hurting it pretty good at the Finals, tearing my pec muscle off, and I didn’t bulldog anywhere until Innisfail (Alta.).”
It’s not 100 per cent yet, so Milan’s just taking things one rodeo at a time, but he’s enthusiastic about his chances in the tie-down roping.
“I really like roping,” says Milan. “I’d sure like to get back to Edmonton, that’s for sure, so I’m just going to keep going and see what happens. I’d really like to get back there in the bulldogging, but that’s going to be a long road ahead right now. We’ll just keep going and see what happens.” |
