2009 MARKS ABOVE AVERAGE RODEO ATTENDANCE FOR STAVELY
May 5, 2009

As far as committee member Kim Cochlan is concerned, the 52nd annual Stavely Indoor Pro Rodeo was a success.

“It was great. It was a good crowd,” he enthused.

“We were way above average,” he said about attendance at the Stavely Arena, which seats around 800.

The rodeo was dual-approved by the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).

“[The co-sanctioning] made it a better spot for cowboys along the way when it counts for the year-end standings,” Cochlan opinioned. “We had cowboys from Idaho and Oregon and all across Alberta and western Canada,” noting that, overall, it was a great turnout of top-quality competitors, including those of the four-legged variety supplied by Vold Rodeo Ltd.

“The stock was great and really made the rodeo worthwhile to watch,” he said.

But it was a couple of small wins in the ladies barrel racing that made it an especially exciting weekend for Daysland, Alta.’s Crystal Shaw.

A fourth place run of 13.63 seconds earned her a cool $1,204 on Friday night.

She then headed north to the Leduc Black Gold Rodeo and placed third in Saturday’s performance with a time of 13.65 seconds for another $1,200.

The combined winnings were enough to propel her from 20th place in the standings into the top 10. Shaw now sits in 8th place.

The barrel racers in the top three slots in the standings, Adel Hansen, Kendra Edey and Gaylene Buff, each held fast to their placings.

Buff failed to place in Leduc, but a second place time of 13.54 seconds in Stavely sent her back to British Columbia with $1,667, for third in the standings with $5,564.

Edey competed in Leduc Thursday night. She left there empty-handed, but cleaned house on Sunday in Stavely. She placed first there and won $1,945. Those winnings bumped her 2009 total to $5,564 and at least another week at second overall in the standings.

Hansen, who leads the 2009 barrel racing pack, won just $185 with her 13.75-second run in Stavely. But she went on to tie for first place in Leduc on Saturday with Stavely’s own Allie Lait. They both received $1,560 for their 13.50-second runs. The Okotoks, Alta. cowgirl is sitting on top with a total of $6,207 in the bank.

Other top winners from the weekend included saddle bronc rider Billy Richards from Crossfield, Alta. The 2001 world saddle bronc rookie of the year earned $1,341 in Leduc after a 79.5 ride on Harvey Northcott’s Trade Mark.

In the bareback event, it was Kyle Bowers from Brooks, Alta. taking the first place cheque for $1,145. Bowers scored 85 points on Harvey Northcott’s Dirty Diana.

Marwayne, Alta.’s Denton Edge bested all the other bull riders in Leduc with an 86-point ride on Harvey Northcott’s Risky Remedy. He earned $1,708.

Tie-down roper Troy Houff of Hanna, Alta. scored $1,589 with his 8.2-second turn, while steer wrestler Norman Breen won his event in 5.4 seconds.

Team ropers Riley Wilson and Marty Lillico, from Cardston, Alta. and Sprit River, Alta., got the job done in 5.1 seconds, splitting first place with Stettler, Alta.’s Matt Fawcett, and Claresholm, Alta.’s Levi Simpson.

In Stavely, Scott Lourance of Winfield, AB topped the saddle bronc riding in Stavely with an 83-point ride on Vold Rodeo’s Distiller.

Three-time Canadian bareback champion Davey Shield’s Jr. placed first on Vold Rodeo’s Sweeny Todd. The Bashaw, Alta. cowboy was awarded 85.5 points.

Vernon, B.C.’s Ty Elliott took home top honours in the bull riding, earning $1,662 for his 88-point shake-up on Big Stone Rodeo’s Head Banger.

Chad Bouchard secured a $1,643 payday in Stavely. The resident of Rolling Hills Alta. placed first in the tie-down roping with 8.6 seconds.

Clayton Moore from Pouce Coupe, B.C. grabbed the fastest steer wrestling time of the weekend with a 3.7 run, pocketing $1,773.

Klay Whyte, from Bashaw, AB, and Dale Skocdopole, of Big Valley, AB, split a cheque for $2,421 after their 4.8 second go in the team roping.

The boys steer riders also got in on some of the rodeo action in Stavely. Tristan Carlier of Medicine Hat, Alta. earned 72 points and $326. This win squeezes Carlier from sixth place and into second place in the boys steer riding standings behind season leader Lonnie West. Carlier’s win bumped Sangudo, Alta.’s Austin Nash to third place by just two dollars. Carlier has a total of $679, while Nash sits at $677.