CANADIAN NATIONAL COLLEGE FINALS SET TO START IN EDMONTON
March 26 , 2009

Hang on to your hats: the Canadian Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (CIRA) is unleashing its annual end-of-season showdown tonight at the Canadian National College Finals Rodeo (CNCFR) at Northlands AgriCom in Edmonton, Alta.

The top 10 finalists in each event from the 2009 Canadian college rodeo season will buck, rope and ride it out for the national titles.

Each athlete will enter the arena with the goal of besting the competition in each of the six major events, plus team roping, goat tying, breakaway roping and pole bending, with the contestant who accumulates the most points over three performances claiming the championship buckle. The best all round cowboy and cowgirl will each take home buckles, as will the season’s high point earner.

“College rodeo is a stepping stone and a tool that students use to further their rodeo careers,” said Casey Crandall, 2008 CNCFR champion in barrel racing and pole bending and president of the CIRA.

The CIRA has been producing college rodeos for more than 20 years and while many of the contestants excel at their events, they’re even better in the classroom.

“This association promotes academics first and the sport of rodeo second. The number of rodeos is limited within a school year to give students time to juggle both their studies and still pursue the sport they love,” Crandall noted.

Many of the students involved in college rodeo have gone on to compete professionally, like 2007 Canadian Bull Riding Champion Nathan Roy and four-time Canadian Steer Wrestling Champion Blaine Pederson, who both studied at Lakeland College, who co-produce the CNCFR with Northlands.

The three-day rodeo runs March 26-28, with doors for each performance opening at 6 p.m. Tickets for the rodeo are just $10 and $12, and include admission to the Farm & Ranch Show.