PRORODEO Sports News - July 12, 2024

PRORODEO STOCK Calgary Stampede to retire X-9 Xplosive Skies Legendary Career BY TANNER BARTH T he legendary career of Calgary Stampede’s bucking horse X-9 Xplosive Skies has come to an end. The 14-year-old star horse suffered an injury outside of competition while being transported to the Lea Park Rodeo in 2021 and just last season was named Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year. In 2022, Logan Hay set the PRCA Saddle Bronc Riding World Record on Xplosive Skies. The duo combined for 95.5 points at the Hardgrass Bronc Match in Pollockville, Alberta. Over her career, she made six trips to the National Finals Rodeo (five in bareback, one in saddle bronc) and was named Bareback Horse of the NFR in 2016 and Saddle Bronc Horse of the NFR in 2023. Six cowboys reached the pay window on her back at the Finals,

Marwayne, Alberta, in early June. Keith Marrington, the Stock Contracting Representative for the Calgary Stampede, said while she will be greatly missed by rodeo fans and competitors, retiring Xplosive Skies was the best outcome given the situation. “She suffered a season ending injury and we made the decision to just go ahead and retire her. We can still look at this as a positive in our sense,” said Marrington. “She’s still only 14 years old and a really great mare. Now, we can breed her and raise some pretty good colts out of her through our Born to Buck program.” Xplosive Skies has undoubtedly been one of ProRodeo’s top horses ever since she made her NFR debut as a bareback horse in 2016. X-9 is one of just four horses to win PRCA Horse of the Year honors in two events. She claimed the World Champion Bareback Horse of the Year award in

highlighted by three round wins (Kaycee Feild, 91.5 points, Round 3, 2020; Jess Pope, Round 8, 89 points, 2020, Zeke Thurston, Round 5, 91 points, 2023). “She’s done so many great things in the rodeo arena in a short amount of time and now she will continue to hopefully produce world champions bucking horse on the ranch,” Marrington said. “She is so beneficial to the program we have up here, and I know she’ll be a great mare for years to come. Xplosive Skies last out was in the Championship Shootout at RodeoHouston, where Sage Newman rode X-9 for an 88-point ride. The granddaughter of ProRodeo Hall of Fame horse Grated Coconut will spend the rest of her days at home on the 23,000-acre Stampede Ranch in Alberta.

PRCA ProRodeo photo Saddle bronc rider Zeke Thurston won Round 5 at the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo with a 91-point ride on Calgary Stampede’s Xplosive Skies in Las Vegas.

ProRodeo Sports News 7/12/2024

ProRodeo.com

33