ProRodeo Sports News - November 19, 2021

“We have a lot of opportunities up here as far as good bucking horses, controlled environments, good pickup men, and people who know the sport to its core,” saidThurston, a seven-time NFR qualifier. “You know we are kind of spoiled in that aspect. “So, if that’s the path you want to take and you want to be serious about it, I think it’s easy for some of those kids to find somebody who has the knowledge to help them out.” It’s not just the cowboys who have been on the rise over the last few decades. The bucking stock in Canada is some of the sports best. This season Calgary Stampede’s Xplosive Skies was named the Pendleton

entire country behind you when you get climb over those yellow bucking chutes for the first time at the Thomas &Mack Center. “It truly is crazy the amount of support we get,” Wanchuck said. “To have a whole country behind you it kind of makes you step up to a whole new level. It just makes it exciting and fun to where you just want to go out and do your best every night.” It’s the sport of rodeo that brought these five saddle bronc riders together and what keeps them close no matter the situation. “We’ve kind of grown up together

CANADIAN TAKEOVER Nine Canadian cowboys have qualified for this year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Orin Larsen – Inglis, Manitoba Dawson Hay – Wildwood, Alberta Layton Green - Meeting Creek, Alberta Zeke Thurston - Big Valley, Alberta Kolby Wanchuk - Sherwood Park, Alberta Ben Andersen - Rocky Mountain House, Alberta

Scott Guenthner - Provost, Alberta Curtis Cassidy – Donalda, Alberta Jeremy Buhler – Arrowwood, Alberta

Whisky Let ‘er Buck Bucking Stock Bareback Back Horse of the Year, while their horse Wild Cherry came in second in the running for Saddle Bronc of the Year. Essentially the cowboys and the stock have learned together. Hay said he’s been getting on NFR bucking horses for long as he can remember. “I got on a couple horses in the novice up here in Canada that are some of the best in the world and going to the NFR every year,” Hay said. “Wild Cherry the horse that I set the arena record on this year in Pollockville. I watched Layton Green get on him for the first time at a young age. He came out of the chutes and bucked everyone off in the novice that year and then he went on to be the best horse in my opinion in the whole PRCA.” They say when you get on a horse like that there’s nothing like having an

and known each other forever,” saidThurston. “So, to see somebody who is that close to you have the same amount of success and accomplish similar dreams with you or at the same time as you that’s pretty darn cool, it really is. “You want them to do just as good as yourself. So, it’s a lot of fun, you kind of band together honestly. It’s not a team sport but it kind of feels like it sometimes.” And they don’t see the pipeline of Canadian saddle bronc riders slowing down anytime soon as younger riders set their sights on making their mark. “There’s dang sure a lot more coming from the country of Canada I can tell you that,” Wanchuk said. “There’s a lot of young talent around and that many more guys who are doing it and making it. It will only get tougher in the years to come.”

Kolby Wanchuck won more than $25,000 at this year’s Calgary Stampede, putting him in position to qualify for his first Wrangler NFR. Billie-Jean Duff photo

DEC. 2-11, 2021

ProRodeo Sports News 11/19/2021

39