Canadian tie-down roper, Austin Hines, is on a mission. The Marwayne, Alberta cowboy is determined to have a bounce back year. After qualifying for his first CFR in 2023, Hines had a disappointing 2024 campaign.
And his first win at the Daines Ranch Rodeo in Innisfail on the weekend has the 23-year-old hand right on target to this point in the season. The win courtesy of an 8.2 second run and a $2533 payday will see him among or close to the top five in the Canadian standings at the mid-June point of the season.
“I had about the best calf I could have after a bad gate on my first one gave me a re-run,” Hines reflected. “The spare was a really good calf and I was really glad it worked out.”
The Friday night run was complicated by the fact that a large downpour of rain resulted in standing water in the arena. “That ground there handles water really well and your footing’s always good for the horses. It didn’t feel like it hindered me at all.”
Like most timed event competitors, the third-generation competitor was quick to credit his horse. “I’ve got a thirteen year-old bay gelding I call Gator (KR Moonshinin) that I bought about a year and a half ago from Shad Mayfield. He’s awesome; he works really good every time and makes it easy for me to do my job.”
It’s not surprising that Hines is a successful rodeo athlete given the line of family connections to the sport. “My grandpa rode broncs, my aunt barrel raced and my dad’s three sisters all married bull riders. And my sister Bailey is a breakaway roper and she’s married to (fellow tie-down roper) Clayton Smith.”
The Hines family runs a feedlot and calves out 550 cows, with a setup that works well for a guy who wants the time to practice and compete through the summer and fall months. With two arenas nearby for him and travelling partner and brother-in-law, Smith, to practice in (the Hines family is just about four miles from the Lea Park rodeo grounds), it’s all systems go for a roper whose goal is to get back to the CFR.
And Hines got a great start to the season posting fall wins at Medicine Lodge and Coronation (with times of 7.9 and 8.0 seconds).
“You always want to win everywhere you go but after last year didn’t really go the way I planned, it was nice to get a good start to this year and get back to winning.”
Getting back to winning is exactly what the fourth year pro did in Innisfail. And if he and Gator can continue their winning ways, there’s a good chance rodeo fans will see them in Edmonton this fall—stirring memories of his trips to the CFR as a kid.
Austin Hines might just fashion some memories of his own at CFR ’51.
Bronc rider Sawyer Eirikson’s dream season continued on the weekend as the second-generation talent put up a monster 91.5-point ride on the Calgary Stampede bronc B-7 Birch Bubbles to take home top honours (and the $6000 short round cheque) at the Wildwood Bronc Bustin. Eirikson’s Wildwood earnings of $8449 plus a fourth place $830 cheque from the Stavely Pro Rodeo will vault him into a top three position in the Canadian standings.
Among the stand-out barrel racers was two time and defending Canadian Champion Taylor Manning who won Stavely with a 16.11 second run for $4615 and placed third at Innisfail to collect another 3360. The $7975 total takes her from thirteenth to the top five. Texas barrel racer, Jackie Ganter was also on her game as she bested the field at Innisfail with a 15.80 second run (good for $5170). The four-time CFR qualifier added a 12th place $576 cheque at Stavely for a $5746 weekend total that will place her very much in the conversation for that fifth CFR appearance.
And two-event cowgirl Bradi Whiteside continued her June success story with breakaway roping wins at both Innisfail (2.0 secs) and Stavely (2.2 secs)… netting the Longview, Alberta talent $4462. The weekend BAW wins make four in a row for Whiteside who earned top spot at both Grande Prairie and Lea Park earlier this month.
Check out rodeocanada.com for complete unofficial weekend results.
Busy days ahead for contestants with five rodeos upcoming on the CPRA schedule…
– Sundre Pro Rodeo June 19-22 and the Wainwright Stampede June 20-22 – both SMS Equipment Pro Tour stops
– High River’s Guy Weadick Rodeo runs June 20-22, Bassano Pro Rodeo June 21-22 and Midnight Days Pro Rodeo in Fort Macleod June 23-24 round out the week’s action. The latter three stops are all part of the Maple Leaf Circuit.