ALBERTANS DOMINATE IN HOUSTON
March 19 , 2009

Of all the cowboys and cowgirls who made it to Rodeo Houston’s Super Series Semifinals this week, seven are from Canada and all hail from Alberta.

Crooked Creek bareback rider Dusty LaValley placed third in both points and money in Super Series III, but a 78-point ride in last night’s first semifinal at Reliant Stadium left him in fifth place, just 1.5 points shy of a guaranteed crack at the championship. But don’t write him off yet: LaValley will get another go in the Wild Card round March 20.

Steer wrestler Lee Graves of Calgary, Alta. earned $2,500 and a spot in the semis last week. But, like LaValley, Graves was just one place from going to the finals with his 4.5-second tackle. He went head-to-head with fellow Albertan Curtis Cassidy, who had squeezed into the semifinals with a $1,500 tackle in the second go-round of Super Series I, after a missed opening go-round and a penalty in the third. He grabbed a bit of redemption last night when he wrestled his steer in a brisk 3.8 seconds, the fastest of all 10 steer wrestling semi-finalists, for an assured chance in the finals.

Also competing in the first semifinal round was Marty Becker from Cardston, Alta. who earned $9,025 with his Texas-based roping partner David Key in Super Series III, leading them into the semifinals in first place in both time and money. They’ll move on to the finals after a fourth place finish of 5.6 seconds.

Barrel racer Lindsay Sears of Nanton, Alta., who also makes her home in Ropersville, Texas, will compete in the second semifinal performance. After a rough start in the first go-round of Super Series I, the current world champion barrel racer caught up to the competition with two first-place runs worth $2,000 each and chance for her and her horse Martha to run in tonight’s semifinal performance.

Joining Sears and Martha in the second Super Series Semifinals is saddle bronc rider Dustin Flundra of Pincher Creek, Alta. Flundra rode to second place in points and money after three go-rounds in Super Series V, and steer wrestler Zane Hankel of Red Cliff, Alta. also finished second in points and money with an aggregate time of 14.5 seconds and $3,500 in Super Series I.

The top four from each event in the two semifinal rounds, and the top two from each event in the Wild Card round, will compete in the finals March 21. Every competitor will each have one go in their event, with the top four from each event competing one final time that same day in a shootout for the championship titles.