Back to back wins have taken veteran Canadian bareback rider, Matt Lait, to the overall lead at the midway point of the 2013 Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton. Tonight, the nine time CFR qualifier got together with an old friend, Kesler Rodeo’s buckskin mare Street Dance. The two combined for 87 points for the round win and the accompanying $11,467.84 cheque.

“Street Dance and I go back a long ways,” Lait stated. “I’ve been on her 6 times previously. I was 88 on her in Kallispell, I won a round at Cloverdale and I won a round here at the CFR before. I feel like I should send the Kesler family a bouquet of flowers. She’s a great horse.”

At the other end of the arena, 2009 Canadian Champion tie down roper, Alwin Bouchard, won the round with a 7.4 second run, the fastest time of the rodeo to date. The win helped move the tall, lanky veteran from twelfth place to fifth after three rounds.

“My calf was average but had a fast start, so I knew I needed to get out fast. And I was glad to be riding a solid older horse. Crowd noise can be a factor here.” The Scandia, Alberta cowboy explained. Al was riding a horse he used to own, a 16 year old gelding named Big John. When asked if this was his fastest ever CFR time, Bouchard responded, “6.8 is the fastest time I’ve run in my career, but I’ll take 7.4 here any day. That usually works out pretty good.”

Another former Canadian Champion who came up large on Friday night was the 2009 Bull Riding titlest, Tyler Thomson. Thomson mastered Outlaw Buckers’ Red Stag, Canada’s Bull of the Year for 2013, to the tune of 87.25.

“I had this bull once before, in the Ponoka Short Go earlier this year. He bucked me off fairly handily and spoiled my dreams that day,” the Turner Valley rancher grinned. “So today was payback time.”

Thomson went on to say, “I’m always confident in my riding. I went at Red Stag the same way I do with any bull, but sometimes, as in any sport, the other team is better. I didn’t feel I was in trouble at any point in the ride today.”

From the ‘You don’t see that everyday,’ category, two South Dakota barrel racers posted identical times to split the win in round three. Three time Canadian Champion, Lisa Lockhart and first time CFR qualifier, Nikki Steffes, crossed the line in 14.570 seconds… the fastest time run so far in the barrel racing event. And both women acknowledged the efforts of the arena crew for maintaining footing that allowed a win at both the top and bottom of the ground.

Complete results for the third performance of the Canadian Finals Rodeo included:

BAREBACK