Canadian superstar bronc rider Ben Andersen was on his game as he collected a pair of weekend wins, the first at Massey Ferguson Pro Tour’s Lea Park Rodeo where he combined with the Calgary Stampede bronc F-53 Flying Carma for 87 points and $3023.04. Andersen then capped off his weekend with the Sunday afternoon win at his hometown Rocky Pro Rodeo where he rode the Big O bucker 905 Black Elvis for 85 points and $1760.81.
“It doesn’t get better than this,” Andersen grinned after his ride at Rocky Mountain House. “My hometown rodeo, my family’s here cheering me on and a real good horse from Orrin Wade and Big O Rodeo, this is pretty cool.
“I’m really happy with the way the season has gone so far and I just want to keep it going,” the four-time NFR qualifier added.
And of his recent marriage, the twenty-six year-old had some fun at the expense of longtime rodeo clown Dennis Halstead (who has made a living with wife/mother-in-law jokes). “I love married life (with Grace). It’s way better than Dennis makes it out to be,” Anderson chuckled.
With the $4783 in earnings, the five-time CFR hand will jump up in the Canadian standings from 10th entering the weekend to a solid top five spot while at the same time moving into the top fifteen conversation south of the 49th parallel as he vies for a Las Vegas return trip.
Leader, Saskatchewan bull rider, Grady Young overcame challenging weather conditions and several tons of bovine bad attitude en route to three wins out of a possible four on the busiest weekend of the CPRA season to date.
Young’s biggest payday came at Lea Park where he rode Macza Rodeo’s 199 Counting Sheep to 86 points for $3000.48. The 20-year-old talent followed up that success with wins at the Bonnyville Pro Rodeo with a second 86 mark, this on Yule Rodeo’s 273 Chase the Good for $1720.11 and the Newell Pro Rodeo at Brooks as he mastered Big Stone Rodeo’s J34 Key Lix Emerson for 87 points and $1373.90.
The trio of first-place finishes and the $6094.49 in earnings will see the two-time CFR qualifier at or near the top of the updated Canadian bull riding standings when they appear later in the week and will also push him into the top 35 in the PRCA standings amid the chase for an NFR berth come December.
The second-generation cowboy had a shot at a rare four-event sweep but came up short at the Rocky Pro Rodeo, his final stop in a dizzying schedule that had cowboys and cowgirls criss-crossing Alberta in their desire to get to all four CPRA stops.
Other notable results on the critical rodeo weekend:
Team ropers Kash Bonnett and Logan Cullen were among the big winners on the weekend as they put up a dramatic 4.6 second miracle run in the Rocky mud for the win and placed at all three of the others for a $7617.76 cash injection that will vault them into top spot in the Canadian standings with over $24,000 won.
Bemiidji, Minnesota barrel racer, Austyn Tobey picked up the lucrative win at Lea Park where her 16.37 second run earned her $5160.60; she too placed at the other three Canadian stops for a whopping $7048.59 total
Next up on the CPRA schedule—the mid-week Gunners Bronc Battle at Gleichen, AB June 10, Stavely Pro Rodeo and Daines Ranch Pro Rodeo (Innisfail, AB) June 11-13 and the Wildwood Bronc Bustin (Wildwood, AB) June 13.
For complete unofficial results and a full schedule of events, head over to rodeocanada.com
* Unofficial Results here