CANUCKS ADVANCE TO SEMIFINALS AFTER RODEO HOUSTON'S SUPER SERIES I
March 6 , 2009

The first of five Super Series rodeos came to an end last night in Houston with barrel racer Lindsay Sears and her horse Martha moving on to the semifinals March 18 and 19. After a disappointing 20.36 run in the first round earlier this week, Sears and her six-year-old sorrel mare scored big in the second and third rounds with top times of 15.28 and 15.31, respectively, for $4,000. The 28-year-old races in defense of the 2008 Rodeo Houston barrel racing title.

Okotokian Deb Renger placed fourth in the barrel racing aggregate after last night’s championship round and a trio of consistent times, but with only $500 in her pocket, she won’t be moving on to the semifinals. Her earnings, however, will count towards the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) world standings and qualifications to the National Finals Rodeo.

The only other Canadian advancing to the semifinals so far is steer wrestler Curtis Cassidy of Donalda, Alta. Cassidy missed his first steer and suffered a penalty in the third; but, a 4.2 second go in the second round secured him $1,500 and a trip to the semifinals.

Cochrane’s Tanner Milan didn’t fair as well. He was robbed of his first steer, and managed a 13.7-second run in round two. Although he nailed a strong time of 4.5 seconds in the championship round, it was too far removed from aggregate leader K.C. Jones’ 4.1. Both Milan and bareback rider Kyle Bowers, from Brooks, Alta., were shut out of Rodeo Houston’s $1.4 million purse.

Rodeo Houston is the richest regular-season rodeo in the world, but getting to that championship payout is an arduous journey. There are five “super series” rodeos with a different group of 10 contestants in each event. Those riders have three back-to-back go-rounds; the top four money-earners from each series move on to the semifinals, consisting of 10 contestants in two brackets. The top four here will move on to the finals, with the remaining six from each semifinals competing in a Wild Card performance for one last crack at the championship. The top four in each event in the finals – based on fastest times and highest scores in this performance – will compete one last time in a shootout for the Rodeo Houston BP Super Series Event Champion titles.

On March 6-8, B.C. barrel racer Gaylene Buff will compete in Super Series II. Tune in March 9-11 as Alberta-based bareback riders Davey Shields, Matt Lait and Dusty LaValley buck it out in Super Series III along with saddle bronc rider Luke Butterfield, steer wrestler Lee Graves and barrel racer Suzanne DePaoli.