BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
The Ponoka Stampede is one of the most prestigious rodeos north of the border and it did not disappoint.
The Showdown Round saw a roughstock sweep by Alberta natives Orin Larsen, Zeke Thurston and Nick Tetz along with barrel racer Emily Beisel winning for the second time in as many appearances.
The remaining champions were World No. 1 Dalton Massey in steer wrestling, Paul Eaves/Erich Rogers in team roping and Ty Harris in tie-down roping.
The Ponoka Stampede pays in each round. It also pays a two-head Average in the roughstock events and barrel racing as well as a three-head Average in the timed events prior to the Showdown. The winner of the Showdown is declared the winner of the rodeo. In total, more than $500,000 is paid out.
BAREBACK RIDING
First Round: 1. Kade Sonnier, 89.25 points on C5 Rodeo’s Virgil, $4,735; 2. Orin Larsen, 88.50, $3,748; 3. (tie) Kody Lamb and Leighton Berry, 86.50, $2,860 each; 5. Waylon Bourgeois, 86.25, $1,578; 6. Ty Taypotat, 85.75, $1,184; 7. (tie) Trenten Montero and Ty Breuer, 85.50, $888 each; 9. (tie) Caleb Bennett and Tim O’Connell, 85.25, $493 each.
Finals: 1. Kade Sonnier, 89.50 points on Calgary Stampede’s Blasting Sand, $2,000; 2. Kody Lamb, 89.00, $1,500; 3. Orin Larsen, 88.50, $1,000; 4. Ty Breuer, 87.50, $500.
Average: 1. Kade Sonnier, 178.75 points on two head, $4,735; 2. Orin Larsen, 177, $3,748; 3. Kody Lamb, 175.50, $3,156; 4. Ty Breuer, 173, $2,565; 5. Caleb Bennett, 171.50, $1,578; 6. (tie) Ty Taypotat and Waylon Bourgeois, 170.50, $1,085 each; 8. Tim O’Connell, 169.75, $789; 9. Trenton Montero, 167.25, $592; 10. Strawbs Jones, 165.75, $395.
Showdown: 1. Orin Larsen, 90.75 points on Calgary Stampede’s Yippee Kibitz, $7,500; 2. Kade Sonnier, 88.25, $3,750; 3. Kody Lamb, 87.75, $2,250; 4. Ty Breuer, 84.75, 1,500.
STEER WRESTLING
First Round: 1. Dalton Massey, 4.0 seconds, $3,862; 2. (tie) Harley Cole and Riley Reiss, 4.2, $3,107 each; 4. Craig Weisgerber, 4.3, $2,351; 5. Cody Cassidy, 4.4, $1,847; 6. Pacen Deleeuw, 4.5, $1,343; 7. (tie) Chance Butterfield and Scott Guenthner, 4.8, $588 each.
Second Round: 1. Craig Weisgerber, 4.1 seconds, $3,862; 2. Baillie Milan, 4.2, $3,358; 3. James Stuxness, 4.3, $2,855; 4. (tie) Brock Butterfield, Riley Reiss and Travis Munro, 4.5, $1,847 each; 7. Dallas Frank, 4.6, $840; 8. (tie) Dalton Massey and Jason Willick, 4.9, $168 each.
Finals: 1. James Struxness, 3.4 seconds, $2,000; 2. Riley Wakefield, 4.1, $1,500; 3. Marc Joiner and Riley Reiss, 5.0, $750 each.
Average: 1. James Struxness, 13.5 seconds on three head, $5,793; 2. Riley Reiss, 13.7, $5,038; 3. Dalton Massey, 14.3, $4,282; 4. Riley Wakefield, 15.9, $3,526; 5. Marc Joiner, 17.1, $2,771; 6. Kalane Anders, 23.8, $2,015; 7. Pacean Deleeuw, 25.8, $1,259; 8. Colin Crawford, 31.3, $504.
Showdown: 1. Dalton Massey, 4.6 seconds, $9,750; 2. James Struxness, 10.8, $5250; no other qualified runs.
TEAM ROPING
First Round: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 5.1, $4,635 each; 2. Tyce McLeod/Tuftin McLeod, 5.4, $4,031; 3. Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 5.6, $3,426; 4. Logan Groves/Brody Groves, 5.8, $2,822; 5. Kash Koch/Colt Fletcher, 5.9, $2,217; 6. (tie) Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler and Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 6.0, $1,310 each; 8. Taylor Wudrich/Clint Schreiner, 6.2, $403.
Second Round: 1. Trey Gallais/Tristin Woolsey, 4.9 seconds, $4,635 each; 2. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 5.2, $4,031; 3. Cody Snow/Jade Corkill, 5.6, $3,426; 4. (tie) Jake Clay/Kollin Vonahn and Cash Bonnett/Trent Tunke, 5.7, $2,519 each; 6. Roland McFadden/Tyrel Flewelling, 5.8, $1,612; 7. (tie) Jesse Popescul/Garrett Brownlee and Brady Tryan/Calgary Smith, 6.0, $705.
Finals: 1. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 5.0 seconds, $2,000 each; 2. Keely Bonnett/Logan Bonnett, 5.8, $1,500; 3. (tie) Jake Clay/Kollin Vonahn and Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 5.9, $750 each.
Average: 1. Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 17.8 seconds on three head, $6,953 each; 2. Paul Eaves/Erich Rogers, 18.0, $6,046; 3. Keely Bonnett/Logan Bonnett, 19.1, $5,139; 4. Tuftin McLeod/Tyce McLeod, 19.2, $4,232; 5. Logan Groves/Brody Groves, 19.9, $3,325; 6. (tie) Jake Clay/Kollin Vonahn and Aaron Tsinigne/ Ryan Motes, 20.1, $1,965 each; 8. (tie) Chase Skocdopole/Stran Pollitt and Shay Carroll/Evan Arnold,21.3, $302 each.
Showdown: 1. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 6.9 seconds; $8,250 each; 2. Logan Bonnett/Keely Bonnett, 7.2, $4,200; 3. Tuftin McLeod/ Tyce McLeod, 18.6, $2,550; no other qualified runs.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
First Round: 1. Chase Brooks, 89.25 on Duane Kesler Championship Rodeo’s Double Red, $5,524; 2. Dawson Hay, 88.75, $4,373; 3. Sage Newman, 87.50, $3,683; 4. Zeke Thurston, 87.00, $2,992; 5. Ben Andersen, 86.00, $1,841; 6. Houston Brown, 85.75, $1,381; 7. Lucas Macza, 85.50, $1,151; 8. (tie) Cash Wilson, Sawyer Eirikson and Kolby Wanchuk, 85.00, $691 each.
Finals: 1. Zeke Thurston, 89.25 points on Calgary Stampede’s Wild Cherry, $2,000; 2. Kolby Wanchuk, 88, $1,500; 3. Sage Newman, 87, $1,000; 4. Chase Brooks, 86.25, $500.
Average: 1. Zeke Thurston, 176.25 points on two head, $5,524; 2. Chase Brooks, 175.50, $4,373; 3. Sage Newman, 174.50, $3,683; 4. Kolby Wanchuk, 173, $2,992; 5. (tie) Lucas Macza and Houston Brown, 170.50, $1,611 each; 7. Leon Fountain, 170.25, $1,151; 8. Ben Andersen, 168.75, $921; 9. Dawson Hay, 88.75 on one head, $691; 10. (tie) Cash Wilson and Sawyer Eirikson, 85, $230 each.
Showdown: 1. Zeke Thurston, 92.5 points on Calgary Stampede Dandy Delight, $7,500; 2. Chase Brooks, 90, $3,750; 3. Kolby Wanchuk, 89.75, $2,250; 4. Sage Newman, 85.25, $1,500.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
First Round: 1. Haven Meged, 7.9 seconds, $3,862; 2. Cooper Resch, 8.0, $3,358; 3. Tuf Cooper, 8.1, $2,855; 4. Scot Meeks, 8.4, $2,351; 5. Clay McNichol, 8.5, $1,847; 6. (tie) Morgan Grant and Blane Cox, 8.6, $1,091 each; 8. Lane Livingston, 8.7, $336.
Second Round: 1. Ty Harris, 7.6 seconds, $3,862; 2. Tuf Cooper and Jesse Popescul, 8.0, $3,107 each; 4. Beau Cooper, 8.1, $2,351; 5. Shane Hanchey, 8.2, $1,847; 6. Bo Pickett, 8.4, $1,343; 7. (tie) Steele DePaoli and Matt Shiozawa, 8.5, $588.
Finals: 1. (tie) Beau Cooper and Zack Jongbloed, 8.8 seconds, $1,500 each; 3. Bo Pickett, 9.0, $1,000; 4. (tie) Ty Harris and Joel Harris, 9.1, $250 each.
Average: 1. Ty Harris, 25.6 seconds on three head, $5,793; 2. Beau Cooper, 26, $5,038; 3. (tie) Haven Meged and Bo Pickett, 27.4, $3,904 each; 5. Zack Jongbloed, 27.8, $2,771; 6. Jesse Popescul, 27.9, $2,015; 7. Joel Harris, 28, $1,259; 8. Tuf Cooper, 28.2, $504.
Showdown: 1. Ty Harris, 9.0 seconds, $8,250; 2. (tie) Haven Meged and Beau Cooper, 9.1, $3,375 each; no other qualified runs.
BARREL RACING
First Round: 1. Carlee Rae Otero, 17.20 seconds, $6,328; 2. Dona Kay Rule, 17.39, $5,379; 3. Emily Beisel, 17.42, $4,430; 4. Lynette Brodoway, 17.51, $3,797; 5. Grace Gardner, 17.53, $3,164; 6. Paige Jones, 17.60, $2,215; 7. Bobbi Henderson, 17.64, $1,582; 8. Stacey Ruzicka, 17.70, $1,266; 9. Justine Elliott, 17.73, $1,107; 10. Celeste Montpellier, 17.75, $949; 11. (tie) Margo Crowther and Lisa Lockhart, 17.77, $712 each.
Finals: 1. Paige Jones, 17.48 seconds, $2,000; 2. Bobbi Henderson, 17.61, $1,500; 3. Lisa Lockhart and Dona Kay Rule, 17.64, $750 each.
Average: 1. Dona Kay Rule, 35.03 seconds on two runs, $6,328; 2. (tie) Emily Beisel and Paige Jones, 35.08, $4,905 each; 4. Carlee Rae Otero, 35.22, $3,797; 5. Bobbi Henderson, 35.25, $3,164; 6. (tie) Celeste Montpellier and Lisa Lockhart, 35.41, $1,899; 8. Lynette Broadway, 35.60, $1,266; 9. Stacey Ruzicka, 35.64, $1,107; 10. Justine Elliott, 35.79, $949; 11. Margo Crowther, 41.35, $791; 12. Grace Gardiner, 44.83, $632.
Showdown: 1. Emily Beisel, 17.28 seconds, $7,500; 2. Paige Jones, 17.34, $3,750; 3. Dona Kay Rule, 17.84, $2,250; 4. Carlee Rae Otero, 22.88, $1,500.
BULL RIDING
First Round: *1. Jordan Hansen, 86.75 points on Vold Rodeo’s Uncle Kranky, $5,605; 2. (tie) Coy Robbins and Jacob Gardner, 86.00, $4,202 each; 4. Cole Hould, 85.50, $3,231; 5. Nick Tetz, 84.25, $2,162; 6. Griffin Smeltzer, 82.75, $1,720; 7. Cauy Schmidt, 82.00, $1,504; 8. Lonnie Phillips, 80.00, $1,288; 9. Jake Maher, 76.75, $1,073.
Finals: 1. Nick Tetz, 87.75 points on Vold Rodeo’s Hard Not To Get, $2,000; 2. Coy Robbins, 85.75, $1,500; 3. Lonnie Phillips, 84, $1,000; 4. Jordan Hansen, NS, $500.
Average: *1. Nick Tetz, 172 points on two head, $5,612; 2. Coy Robbins, 171.75, $4,533; 3. Lonnie Phillips, 164, $3,885; 4. Jordan Hansen, 86.75 on one head, $3,238; 5. Jacob Gardner, 86, $2,159; 6. Cole Hould, 85.5, $1,727; 7. Griffin Smeltzer, 82.75, $1,511; 8. Cauy Schmidt, 82, $1,295; 9. Jake Maher, 76.75, $1,079.
Showdown: 1. Nick Tetz, 88.75 points on Calgary Stampede’s Armed And Dangerous, $15,000; no other qualified rides. *(all totals include ground money).
