CALGARY, AB – It’s been an exciting two weeks in Texas, as eight Canadian contestants rode, roped and raced their ways to the Rodeo Houston semifinals at Reliant Park.
The first of two semifinal rounds begins tonight in Houston, Texas, where saddle bronc riders Luke Butterfield and Rod Hay, and bull rider Brett Thompson, will compete for a place in the March 20 championship round.
Bronc rider Dustin Flundra, steer wrestlers Cody Cassidy and Lee Graves, barrel racer Lindsay Sears, and team roper Marty Becker, along with his partner Brady Williams of Hammond, Mont.
To get to the semifinals, each contest competed in one of five series, with each series comprised of three go-rounds. The top four contestants in each series qualified for the semifinals.
Sears, from Nanton, Alta., placed second in her first go-round in Series I with a time of 14.90 seconds. A 14.97 in the second go-round was enough for a first place win, adding $2,000 to the $1,000 cheque she picked up the night before. Sears placed fourth in the third go-round and although only the first three placings earn, her second best aggregate time of 44.89 earned her an additional $2,000 for total series winnings of $5,000, second place in that series, and a guaranteed spot in the semifinals.
Butterfield, from Ponoka, Alta., earned his trip to the semis in Series II. He split first and second with fellow Alberta bronc rider Sam Kelts in the first go-round, worth $1,500 to each cowboy. A 72.5 and a 76 in each of the last two go-rounds weren’t high enough to pick up a first, second or third place cheque, but added up to first place in the aggregate and an additional $4,000, which boosted his earnings to $5,500 and first place in the qualifying series.
Graves and Thompson paved their ways to the semifinals in Series III. Two first place times for Graves, of Calgary, Alta., secured the aggregate, and total earnings of $6,250. Thompson’s road wasn’t as smooth. The Medicine Hat, Alta. bull rider was bucked off in the first two go-rounds; but, a similar fate for the rest of the series’ bull riders, and a solid 81-point ride in the third go, gave Thompson $2,000 for the ride, $4,000 for the aggregate, and a grand total of $6,000.
Becker (Cardston, Alta.) and Williams weren’t the fastest in each of their team roping go-rounds in Series IV, but they were definitely the most consistent. Their times of 6.2, 6.9 and 6.3 took first place overall in the series after the duo added $8,000 to their three-day winnings for the 19.4-second aggregate time. They head into the semifinals with $10,000.
Flundra (Pincher Creek, Alta.) and Hay (Wildwood, Alta.) kicked off Series V with a bang, placing first and second, respectively, with Hay’s 79-point ride splitting second and third with Texan Sam Spreadborough. Both were bucked off in the second go-round, but made up for it in round three. Hay scored an 80.5 for second place, worth an additional $500. Placing third in the aggregate boosted him by another $1,000 to $2,250. Flundra didn’t pick up a cheque in the third, and at the end of the round was tied for fourth place with two other contestants. With only one being able to move on to the semifinals, it came down to Flundra’s consistency. He rode all three of his broncs, whereas Rusty Allen (Eagle Mountain, Utah) was bucked off in go-round two, and Cody Wright (Milford, Utah) was bucked off in the third.
The top four from each event in each semifinal round will advance to the March 20 championship round and shootout. The remaining contestants will compete in a wild card round, giving two semifinals contestants in each event one last chance to reach the championships.
