ProRodeo Sports News - Dec. 20, 2019

REGINA, SASK.

Cody Cassidy wins first Maple Leaf Circuit title Sweet Maple BY MATT NABER B eing the first to win a rodeo is an honor that few ProRodeo cowboys get to experience. And the opportunity to be the first to win a circuit is even rarer. But steer wrestler Cody Cassidy experienced that rarity when he won the first Maple Leaf Circuit Finals Rodeo in Regina, Saskatchewan, Nov. 27-30. BAREBACK RIDING 1. Cole Goodine ............... 333 pts. on 4 2. Jacob Stemo ............................ 330.5 3. Ty Taypotat ................................. 330 STEER WRESTLING 1. Cody Cassidy ............. 20.5 sec. on 4 2. Layne Delemont ........................ 21.3 3. Stephen Culling . ........................ 30.8 TEAM ROPING TOP SCORES

The 2019 season marked the first year since the circuit system was formed 44 years ago in 1975 that a new circuit was added. “Because it was the first year for the circuit it was kind of neat and gave us an opportunity to go down to Florida to compete at the National Circuit Finals,” Cassidy said. “That’s hard to do if you are Canadian and have to circuit down in the states, but that still doesn’t guarantee a trip there.” The 38-year-old, Alberta cowboy placed third in Round 1 with a 5.9-second run, followed by a Round 2 win at 4.2 seconds. He placed fourth in Round 3 with a 5.6-second run and second in Round 4 at 4.8 seconds to win the average with 20.5 seconds on four head. Cassidy was riding his 10-year-old, buckskin American Quarter Horse, appropriately named Payday. Cassidy’s brother, Curtis, was his hazer. “He’s the self-proclaimed, ‘World’s Greatest Hazer,’ so we have to give him a good ribbing since he’s full of advice,” Cody Cassidy joked. All told, Cassidy took home $5,443 for his MLCFR win and ended the 2019 season at the top of the Maple Leaf Circuit standings for steer wrestling with $24,743. Cody Cassidy is no stranger to ProRodeo success, having competed at the 2010Wrangler NFR. Although he doubts he will make another run for the Wrangler NFR, he’s looking forward to the RAMNCFR and the other large rodeos of the late winter and early spring. “My outfitting business (Big Knife Outfitters) is quite busy now, and I would love to go to the NFR again, but once the 10th round is done reality sets in,” Cassidy said. “I’d love to be back in Las Vegas again but so many people don’t realize the sacrifices those guys make to get there.” Cassidy plans on competing at the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show in Fort Worth, Texas, and La Fiesta de los Vaqueros in Tucson, Ariz., before heading to Florida. “I’d like to get qualified intoThe American’s semifinals and make my way through there,” Cassidy said. “That’s the best way for me to make the NFR and about the only way, since the circuit finals aren’t counting for the world standings this year.” A side trip to Disney is a possibility with his wife, Tanya, and their children Clyde, 6, and Quinn, 3. “I’m kind of a Canadian cowboy now,” Cassidy said. “Everyone wants to be in Las Vegas, but there’s a lot of money in Canada too, and you can be home during the week. It’s like another circuit up here is how we’ve always been. “It’s was nice to finally have it (Canada) recognized as a circuit. It made a lot of guys happy.”

1. R. Warren/C. Ullery ..... 32.6 sec. on 4 2. R. Wilson/R. Roy ...................... 35.2 3. K. Bonnett/L. Bonnett . 15.1 sec. on 3 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Kolby Wanchuk ........ 329.5 pts. on 4 2. Jake Burwash . ........................... 313 3. Ben Andersen . .......... 251.5 pts. on 3 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Jesse Popescul .......... 40.0 sec. on 4 2. Blair Smith ................................. 41.8 3. Logan Bird ................................ 43.3 BARREL RACING 1. Brooke Wills . ......... 54.819 sec. on 4 2. Rylee Trenholm ..................... 55.071 3. Justine Elliott ........................ 56.122 BULL RIDING 1. Jacob Gardner .......... 249.5 pts. on 3 2. Jared Parsonage ......... 169 pts. on 2 3. Todd Chotowetz ......................... 160 44 The circuit system was formed 44 years ago in 1975, and the Maple Leaf is the first new circuit to be added since. $149K Cowboys competed for $149,678 at the inaugural Maple Leaf Circuit Finals Rodeo. Complete results/Page 96

ProRodeo Sports News 12/20/2019

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