ProRodeo Sports News - February 5, 2021

PRORODEO CANADIANS

Canadian Migration

Cowboys north of the border head south due to ongoing pandemic

BY MATT NABER C anadian rodeos have been at a standstill for nearly a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, causing some cowboys to refocus their approach to ProRodeo competition and temporarily relocate to the U.S. Several Canadian cowboys shared their recent experiences about adjusting to those challenges and figuring out the rodeo scene in the U.S. Steer wrestler Joseph Guze won $14,430 competing with the PRCA in the summer of 2018 but then focused only on Canada until the pandemic hit. “With COVID shutting things down, we didn’t have a rodeo season last year, so I brought some horses down here to Arizona and was hoping to get a chance to go to some, not knowing how it would go,” Guze said. “It’s tough because a lot of guys can’t make it work or don’t want to come down, but it pushed us who want to rodeo and have the drive to go. We have to come down here or else we can’t rodeo.” The Drayton Valley, Alberta, cowboy finished ninth in the Canadian standings in 2017 and had been in the top 30 up north every year since. This year he’s competing in the U.S. for the first time during the winter. Luckily, he’s friends with seven-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier Curtis Cassidy, of Donalda, Alberta. LEARNING THE ROPES

William Kierce photo Alberta steer wrestler Joseph Guze normally focuses on competing in Canada, but with no ProRodeo competitions happening in his home country he’s competing in the U.S. winter run for the first time.

ProRodeo Sports News 2/5/2021

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