BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
Last weekend was a big one in Western sports and it was certainly the biggest weekend of the year in north of the border as the Canadian Finals Rodeo crowned champions in Red Deer, Alberta.
Two of the best stories of the weekend were provided by Taylor Manning, Zeke Thurston and Scott Guenthner.
Manning was the year-end champion in the barrel racing and did so in her fifth appearance at the CFR, but she’s only 18-years-old. In Canada, there is no age requirement to compete, so barrel racers occasionally break through and win the country’s championship at a young age.
Thurston, on the other hand, is a staple at the CFR and he has won the last three Canadian Championships. This year, he sealed the win with 93.25 points on the legendary Get Smart, a Macza bucking horse that has won PRCA Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year and Canadian ProRodeo Association Horse of the Year before. It was Get Smart’s final out in Canada as he will be retired after the NFR this year.
Guenthner, like Thurston, is a veteran, so much so that he doesn’t even rodeo full-time anymore. That, however, didn’t stop the four-time NFR from accumulating enough money to win his home nation’s championship.
Other winners were Ty Taypotat in bareback riding, Dillon/Dawson Graham in team roping, Ty Harris in tie-down roping and Jared Parsonage in bull riding.
BAREBACK RIDING
CFR Round Earnings: 1. Ty Taypotat, $37,104; 2. Orin Larsen, $27,888; 3. Caleb Bennett, $18,214; 4. Strawbs Jones, $13,884; T5. Leighton Berry, $10,293; T5. Dantan Bertsch, $10,293.
CFR Aggregate Earnings: 1. Ty Taypotat, $14,004; 2. Orin Larsen, $10,413; 3. Caleb Bennett, $6,822; 4. Dantan Bertsch, $3,232; 5. Jacob Stemo, $1,436.
Total Year-End Earnings: 1. Ty Taypotat, $89,758; 2. Caleb Bennett, $59,817; 3. Orin Larsen, $57,416; 4. Cole Goodine, $50,791; 5. Clint Laye, $39,676.
STEER WRESTLING
CFR Round Earnings: 1. Tanner Milan, $23,817; 2. Curits Cassidy, $22,023; 3. Jonny Web, $21,784; 4. Stephen Culling, $17,475; 5. Scott Guenthner, $13,964.
CFR Aggregate Earnings: 1. Tanner Milan, $14,004; 2. Scott Guenthner, $10,413; 3. Jace Beil, $6,822; 4. Ryan Shuckburgh, $3,232; 5. James Struxness, $1,436.
Total Year-End Earnings: 1. Scott Guenthner, $74,199; 2. Stephen Culling $60,566; 3. Tanner Milan, $58,995; 4. Curtis Cassidy, $47,128; 5. Jonny Webb, $42,407.
TEAM ROPING
CFR Round Earnings*: 1. Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, $23,220; 2. Logan Bonnett/Keely Bonnett, $20,587; 3. Clint Buhler/Brett McCarroll, $18,672, 4. Levi Simpson/Jeremy Buhler, $18,343; 5. Kash Bonnett/Logan Spady, $11,012.
CFR Aggregate Earnings*: 1. Clint Buhler/Brent McCarroll, $14,004; 2. Kash Bonnett/Logan Spady, $10,413; 3. Logan Bonnett/Keely Bonnett, $6,822; 4. Kolton Schmidt/Cole Davison, $3,232; 5. Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, $1,436.
Total Year-End Earnings (Headers): 1. Dawson Graham, $65,590; 2. Clint Buhler, $57,020; 3. Logan Bonnett, $47,983; 4. Trey Gallais, $37,75; 5. Kash Bonett, $37,250.
Total Year-End Earnings (Heelers): 1. Dillon Graham, $65,590; 2. Brett McCarroll, $57,532; 3. Keely Bonnett, $47,983; 4. Tristen Woolsey, $37,754; 5. Jeremy Buhler, $37,653.
*Money based on individual earnings
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
CFR Round Earnings: 1. Zeke Thurston, $35,098; 2. Kole Ashbacher, $20,587; T3. Logan Hay, $18,433; T3. Ben Andersen, $18,433; 5. Layton Green, $16,996.
CFR Aggregate Earnings: 1. Zeke Thurston, $14,004; 2. Kole Ashbacher, $10,413; 3. Layton Green, $6,822; 4. Lucas Macza, $3,231; 5. Hunter Sawley, $1,436.
Total Year-End Earnings: 1. Zeke Thurston, $80,250; 2. Kole Ashbacher, $68,008; 3. Layton Green, $67,748; 4. Logan Hay, $62,636; 5. Ben Andersen, $38,525.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
CFR Round Earnings: 1. Ty Harris, $26,332; 2. Kyle Lucas, $22,981; 3. Beau Cooper $20,228; 4. Wyatt Hayes, $18,432; 5. Jesse Popescul, $14,842.
CFR Aggregate Earnings: 1. Riley Warren, $14,004; 2. Clayton Smith, $10,413; 3. Ty Harris, $6,822; 4. Kyle Lucas, $3,232; 5. Jesse Popescul, $1,436
Total Year-End Earnings: 1. Ty Harris, $60,592; 2. Kyle Lucas, $51,322; 3. Beau Cooper, $48,638; 4. Clayton Smith, $46,707; 5. Riley Warren, $38,842.
BARREL RACING
CFR Round Earnings: 1. Taylor Manning, $28,726; 2. Kylie Whiteside, $26,332; 3. Shelby Spielman, $23,220; 4. Stacey Ruzicka; 5. Bertina Olafson, $11,251.
CFR Aggregate Earnings: 1. Taylor Manning, $14,004; 2. Kylie Whiteside, $10,413; 3. Justine Elliott, $6,822; 4. Bayleigh Choate, $3,232; 5. Bertina Olafson, $1,436.
Total Year-End Earnings: 1. Taylor Manning, $73,929; 2. Bayleigh Choate, $68,171; 3. Shelby Spielman, $57,178; 4. Kylie Whiteside, $53,894; 5. Stacey Ruzicka, $46,189.
BULL RIDING
CFR Round Earnings: 1. Coy Robbins, $27,768; 2. Jordan Hansen, $24,417; 3. Wyatt Gleeson $17,236 4. Jared Parsonage, $16,039; 5. Jacob Gardner, $11,940.
CFR Aggregate Earnings: 1. Coy Robbins, $14,004; 2. Jordan Hansen, $10,413; 3. Jared Parsonage, $6,822; 4. Jacob Gardner, $3,232; 5. Wyatt Gleeson, $1,436.
Total Year-End Earnings: 1. Jared Parsonage, $81,927; 2. Coy Robbins, $80,600; 3. Jordan Hansen, $66,253; 4. Lonnie West, $53,325; 5. Wyatt Gleeson, $37,069.
