ProRodeo Sports News - November 17, 2023

RED DEER, ALBERTA

Meged adds CFR crown to resume Pairing Up BY DIANE FINSTAD, Special to ProRodeo Sports News CANADIAN FINALS RODEO

H aven Meged strengthened his ties with the nation to the north by marrying a Canadian, and then roping himself a national rodeo championship in 2023. The Montana-raised tie-down roper and his bride of six months, Shelby Boisjoli, both qualified for the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Red Deer. Boisjoli, who’s the leading breakaway roper in the world, was at her first CFR. Meged made the CFR in 2019, leaving as reserve champion, before heading to Las Vegas to claim the PRCA World Championship in his rookie year. Meged came into CFR 49 as season leader, with a $2,700 edge over his closest competitor, Logan Bird. But he didn’t get his Finals rolling until go-round three, when he took first in the round with an 8.3-second time. After finding his groove, he placed in each of the next three rounds, capping off his CFR with another go-round win to seal the deal. The run came just moments after his wife earned her second win of the week in breakaway roping. “It’s something we like doing,” Meged said. “We always try to win as much as possible, but it’s very cool to be able to win the go-round together.” Meged made good money in the north all season long, with big wins at Grande Prairie and Wainwright, and good cash injections from some of the biggest shows like Ponoka, Strathmore, and Armstrong. At the Finals, he won the average and collected $45,123, to push his season tally to $82,482. “I wish it was American dollars, but we’re not turning that $80,000 down,” chuckled the 25-year-old. “We set our plans to come up here a while ago, and to be able to win a Canadian title is just awesome. I had a good season, and tried to finish it up at the Canadian Finals and it worked out.” While Meged’s sixth round time was his fastest of the week at 8.1 seconds on what he considered the best calf he’d drawn, it was a lucky loop Saturday that will be hard to forget. Meged’s throw fell just shy of the speedy calf’s nose, but some handy horn nubs snagged it and allowed the rope to fall back to its original destination. “I should’ve gone and bought a lottery ticket after that,” he said. “But my wife’s loop wasn’t much better today. So, I told her you can’t give me a hard time about that, because your loop was no better.” “We’re living right, I guess that’s what you could say,” he joked. Next stop for the dynamic rodeo duo will be Las Vegas. Meged was testing his horse Smoke for the small pen and fast starts of the Thomas & Mack in Las Vegas at the CFR and the Canadian buckle will be a boost. “It’s a big stepping stone in life. Going into the National Finals, it’s going to help a lot. I’ll just keep pushing forward, getting ready for the NFR. To win a Canadian title is pretty dang cool – to be able to come up here and rope against the best Canadian ropers, and it’s just good for my horses, and good for your confidence.” Other championship winners at the $1.4 million Canadian Finals Rodeo included bareback rider Clint Laye (his second); steer wrestler Scott Guenthner (his fourth); team ropers Brady Tryan and Calgary Smith (set a new record fast average time); saddle bronc rider Zeke Thurston (his fourth straight title); barrel racer Lynette Brodoway; bull rider Edgar Durazo (his second) and breakaway roper Shaya Biever.

TOP SCORES

Tryan

Smith

TOP MONEY EARNER Brady Tryan/Calgary Smith ($62,838 each, team roping) BAREBACK RIDING 1. Clint Laye....................516.5 pts. on 6 2. Dantan Bertsch.............................514 3. Orin Larsen .............................508.75 STEER WRESTLING 1. Ty Miller........................26.0 sec. on 6 2. Scott Guenthner..........................32.9 3. Harley Cole..................................34.8 TEAM ROPING 1. B. Tryan/C. Smith..........24.3 sec. on 6 2. K. Schmidt/L. Spady....................47.1 3. T. McLeod/T. McLeod..........43.2 on 5 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Logan Hay..................515.5 pts. on 6 2. Leon Fountain..........................507.00 3. Lucas Macza............................506.75 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Haven Meged................53.8 sec. on 6 2. Kyle Lucas...................................63.3 3. Logan Bird...................................65.9 BULL RIDING 1. Edgar Durazo .......... 437.25 pts. on 5 2. Jared Parsonage ............ 341.75 on 4 3. Ashton Sahli .................. 174.75 on 2

Billie-Jean Duff photo

Tie-down roper Haven Meged tuned up for the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in December by winning the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Red Deer, Alberta on Nov. 5.

ProRodeo Sports News 11/17/2023

ProRodeo Sports News 11/17/2023

ProRodeo.com

ProRodeo.com

80

81