TURNER CASHES IN ON 'GOOD VIBRATIONS' AT INNISFAIL
June 21, 2010

Steven Turner settled an old score this weekend. The three-time Canadian All-Around champion wasn’t feeling much love from Franklin Rodeos Good Vibrations when the bull bucked him off in the third round of the 2009 Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR).

But when the pair met up again in Innisfail, Alta. at the Daines Ranch Rodeo, Turner knew he had a real opportunity with the past CFR and National Finals Rodeo selection.

“That’s a good bull,” he exclaimed of the 1,500 lb draw. “I knew going in there I was probably going to win a bunch.”

Not getting bucked off was the first order of business, and the successful ride gave Turner some much needed “redemption.”

He was real good,” he recalled. “He came right out of there and he just spun away from my hand.”

When he came up 89 points, his prediction of being in the money became all the more real, he just didn’t know where he would end up overall.

“It was a pretty tough bull riding,” he nodded.

“They don’t usually get too many rides over (89) so I knew it was going to be up in the top, for sure. But I thought they might bump me once or twice on Sunday, but I knew they weren’t going to get me too many times.

When sixth and final bull riding performance wrapped up in Innisfail, Turner was still on top, with the next closest scored ride an 86.5 by Scandia, Alta. bull rider Devon Mezei, who rode Vold Rodeo’s Big Presure.

Turner picked up $5,911 for the first place win. But it was only part of his success at the Daines Ranch. The Cochrane, Alta. cowboy also competed in the steer wrestling, and picked up a first place cheque in that event worth $7,891 for his 4.4-second run.

“All the steers were a bit fresh, so they were a little trickier than usual,” Turner described. “I got a really good start and caught him quick, and that helped. But I drew a good steer.”

He continued, “I like it when they’re fresher and a little wilder, and the crowd likes to watch them.”

Turner was riding a gray horse by the name of Casper that was recently purchased by Curtis and Cody Cassidy, and it seems the four-legged athlete is having a pretty good season himself.

“Hand Hills was the first rodeo we took him to and he’s been wanting to be real good,” Curtis said of the 10-year-old horse. “They won Hand Hills on him and Cody won Rocky Mountain House on him and now (Turner) won Innisfail on him, so he’s doing pretty good for his first couple of weeks.”

Casper was purchased from fellow steer wrestler Luke Branquinho of Los Alamos, Calif.

“I was originally not going to take him to any rodeos, I was just going to ride him at home and practice on him and get him going good, but the way it turned out, Rocky Mountain House was muddy, and I didn’t want to take my A-string of horses over there, so we decided to take him and ride him and he started working really good right away, so he might be moving (up) right away.”

Turner also picked up a steer wrestling cheque at the Coronation Pro Rodeo in Coronation, Alta. He placed fifth with a 5.3 worth $489, and is currently leading the all-around race.