March 23, 2025
The West of the Fifth Pro Rodeo in Rimbey, Alberta kicked off the 2025 calendar year in Canadian Professional Rodeo with two performances on the weekend. And if it seems like every year we add to the roster of great Canadian bronc riders popping up around this time, well, that’s because we do.
And Cache Schellenberg would love to keep that tradition alive and well. The second-year pro put together a solid 80 point ride on Duffy Rodeo’s 2L Sonora to record his first pro win in Canada ($996.40) and get the season off to exactly the start every competitor hopes for.
The Melfort, Saskatchewan native who now makes his home in Cochrane had met Sonora previously. “She was the first horse I had when I started my amateur career and she bucked me off at about the end of the gate. But she’s really good, really honest and I was excited to see her name next to mine on the draw. She’s a little tough in the chute but once we were out there, she was as nice as can be.”
The win was a big confidence booster, Schellenbueg noted. “Things didn’t really go great last year. Kind of first year jitters and fighting my gear some, stuff you learn from, so it’s nice to get some money won early and get the confidence going for this year.”
The sophomore bronc rider’s previous most memorable rodeo performance is one he’d likely sooner forget. He was one of three unlucky bronc riders who all broke their legs in the same performance at the LRA finals in 2022.
But the young talent is hoping to have a lot more rides like the one in Rimbey and has his game plan carefully worked out for 2025. “I plan to ride on my permit this year and my goal is to get to the (Maple Leaf) Circuit Finals in Regina. Then I hope to use that to get set up for the winter.”
Other winners at the Rimbey event included Tanner Eno in the bull riding with a big-time 88.5 ride on the Duffy bull 905 Smooth Sailor for $1109.20; bareback rider Chase Siemens (80 points on Big O Rodeo’s 5 Bobby McGee for $864.80), six time Canadian steer wrestling champion, Cody Cassidy (4.1 seconds for $1894.57), veteran tie-down roper Murray Pole (9.0, $1697.15); and team ropers Coy Skocdopole and Kolton Johnson (5.1 seconds, $1649.23 each).
There was a four-way split in the barrel racing with Shelby Spielman, Lynette Brodoway, Lisa Warfield and Janet Moen all posting 14.82 second runs to take home $1643.35 apiece. And in the young competitors’ events the winners were Clay Greenslade in the novice bareback riding (78, $240.56), Colten Powell in the novice saddle bronc riding (72.5, $318.16) and in junior steer riding it was Koaltyn Ogilvie for the win (72.5, $388).
Next up on the CPRA schedule is a pair of events—the Taber Spring Classic April 25-26 and Medicine Hat’s Broncs and Honky Tonks slated for April 25-27.
For complete unofficial results go to rodeocanada.com