IN REVIEW: GRANDE PRAIRIE STOMPEDE, WILDWOOD BRONC BUSTIN' AND HANDHILLS LAKE STAMPEDE
June 2, 2009

More than 25,000 spectators came out to the 32nd annual Grande Prairie Stompede thanks to four days of near-perfect weather and undeniably great rodeo action.

Cody Taton of Newell, S.D. landed in first place in the saddle bronc at the northern Alberta town with Miss Congeniality. The eight-year-old chestnut mare from Outlawbuckers Rodeo Corp. bucked Taton to an impressive 87 points, worth $3,463.

Hot Bananas spiced things up in the bareback riding with Dustan McPhee. The Hanley, Sask. cowboy, and 2008 Canadian rookie of the year, earned a scorching 85 points for his $2,888 paycheque.

Bull rider Ty Elliot of Vernon, B.C. picked up $4,520 in Grande Prairie, including day money. His go on the 1,475 lb. CFR bull Archie counted for 87 points.

Reigning Canadian tie-down roping champion Tyson Durfey won first place in his event of expertise. The Colbert, Wash. roper wrapped up his go in 7.3 seconds, securing him a cheque for $2,835.

Lee Graves took first in the steer wrestling with a 4.0 second go. The 2005 Canadian High Point champion from Calgary, Alta. added $2,925 to his 2009 earnings.

Alberta barrel racer Brooke Ramsay took first place with her 15.42 second run. She earned $3,516.

Team ropers Shank Edwards and Doug Pharr won their event in 4.8 seconds. The Texans will split a cheque – or is that “check?” – for $3,621. And with a first place finish in Maple Creek, Sask. last weekend, and a second place go in Luxton, B.C. the week before, the “Texas Two” are proving a force to be reckoned with this season.

Rylan Geiger placed first in the novice saddle bronc riding with his 69-point ride. The Bracken, Sask. rider earned $477.

Up-and-comers Gavin DeRose and Brady Bertram tied for first in the novice bareback riding with 70 points each. They each received $336.

Kyler Hooper from Airdrie, Alta. took top honours in the boys’ steer riding. His 74-point ride earned him $326, while Shay Marks of Sunnybrook, Alta. won second place just notch behind with 73 points. Marks added $244 to the money earned from his third place victory at the Hand Hills Lake Stampede. His 72-point ride at the oldest consecutive rodeo in Alberta was worth an additional $189 to his weekend.

Bryce West from Cadogan, Alta. won first place in the boys’ steer riding at the two-day rodeo in Hand Hills, Alta.

Celebrating their 93rd anniversary, the Hand Hills Lake Stampede had “more entries, more spectators and more cameras” then committee member Blake Morton’s ever seen. The Birds of a Feather Media crew were out filming for the documentary series “Rodeo – An Eternity in Eight Seconds” and certainly captured some excellent rodeoing from all the cowboys and cowgirls in attendance.

And it was definitely the day for U.S. and Alberta-based competitors at the rodeo sanctioned by both the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). Morgan Forbes won first place in the saddle bronc riding on the Calgary Stampede’s Loaded Rocket. The Wyoming cowboy picked up $910 for the 84-point turn in the dirt.

Montana cowboy Beau Hill rode Speed Dial for 86.5 points. Staying atop the 1,200 lb. black beast earned the bull rider $1,100, including day money, and Utah cowboy Clint Robinson locked down the tie-down roping with his 7.9 second run, worth $1,445.

It was Princess Warrior that led Airdrie, Alta. cowboy Russ Hallaby to victory in the bareback riding. Hallaby won $910 with his score of 81.5 points. In hot pursuit was a three-way tie of 81 points and cheques for $455 each for Kevin Taylor, Reid Rowan and Dave Shields, Jr., whose dad was honoured with the Professional Rodeo Hall of Fame’s Legendary Achievement Award during Sunday’s performance.

Fellow Albertan Tanner Milan won in the steer wrestling. His 3.7 second go added $1,445 to his earnings for the year so far.

In the ladies barrel racing, Brittany Pharr, of Victoria, Texas, won in 17.42 seconds. Pharr earned $1,008 for the run, adding to the sixth-place cheque of $1,055 she picked up in Grande Prairie the day before.

Mark Sawchuk took the laurels in the wild horse race. The Hairy Hill, Alta. horse racer won $504 for placing first in his event of specialty.

Novice bareback rider Gavin DeRose picked up his second cheque of the weekend with a 72-point ride. DeRose earned $287, while Coleman Watt from the Alberta town of Hardisty won first place in the novice saddle bronc with 76 points. He picked up $457 in Hand Hills, and an additional $103 at the 6th annual Wildwood Bronc Bustin’ for his fourth-place 67-point ride there. Permit holder William Smith from Laguff, S.C. won $411 and first place in the novice saddle bronc with 74 points.

But it was bronc rider Alan Bandy who took first place overall at the CPRA-sanctioned saddle bronc riding event in the western Alberta town. His 82.5 point ride in the first go-round, and his 77-point ride in the second go-round ensured him a chance in the finals, where he placed first with an 85.5 ride. That $3,201 cheque was added to the combined $1,721 he earned in the first two go-rounds, making it a $4,922 weekend for the Wainwright, Alta. cowboy.