– BY CLAY CREASY
Lead Up to Night One
While the excitement builds for Night One of the 51st Canadian Finals Rodeo, final preparations are underway to make the event a success. Rogers Place, normally home to hockey teams and concerts, has been transformed with the dirt and steel required to host this year’s championship of Canadian Pro Rodeo. Facilities to house the timed-event horses have been constructed in the adjacent parking lot, giving contestants quick access to the arena.
Horses and cattle arrived several days early. The roughstock animals were divided into three pens: the “sweet” pen, where riders typically welcome their draws; the “TV” pen, dating back to the early days of televised rodeo when the very best stock were saved for the final performances; and the “eliminator” pen, featuring the hardest-to-ride animals. Judges and office staff complete the draw the day before each performance.
Novice Bareback and Saddle Bronc contestants, competing through the first three rounds, also get the same three pens of horses, with those horses potentially getting promoted to the draw in their respective major events on Saturday.
Although the bucking stock were selected well in advance of the CFR, the timed-event cattle—provided by Manerd Bird and Darren Shaw—are sorted into two groups per event on Wednesday, just hours before the first performance.
Last night, contestants and their families gathered for the “Night of Champions,” recognizing season leaders as well as many other award winners. Each contestant walked across the stage to be introduced and receive their CFR back number, and whether they were making their first, or for some their 23rd, CFR appearance, they were getting excited to kick things off!
Here’s a look at some of the potential top performers in Go Round 1 Wednesday Night:
Bareback Riding
As the opening event of CFR 51, the Bareback riders start with the “sweet” pen—a round where nearly every draw is a welcome one.
- Orin Larsen matches up with Kesler’s 661 Stands Alone, a strong opening test as Larsen makes a quick turnaround from his late-season NFR push that fell just short yesterday in Colorado.
- Defending Canadian champion Kody Lamb drew Wayne Vold’s 500 Coconut Valley, a descendant of the legendary Grated Coconut who has been turning heads for the Vold string the past two years.
- Two-time champion Clint Laye, who saw Lamb steal last year’s title from him on a reride in the final performance, arrives with a sizeable lead. C5 Rodeo’s -68 Flapjack gives him the chance to start his finals on solid footing.
Steer Wrestling
This year’s steer wrestling field leans heavily on veteran experience, with four of the 12 contestants over 40.
- Donalda’s Curtis Cassidy returns for his 23th CFR steer wrestling appearance, alongside his 13 previous qualifications in Tie-Down Roping. Backed by his decorated horse Tyson, Cassidy’s combination of experience and horsepower makes him a threat in any round, especially the first where jitters can impact his younger competition.
- First-time qualifier Clay Guthrie, the only rookie in the field, has already displayed sharp technique and athleticism that suggest this opening run will be the first of many CFR appearances.
- Season leader Scott Guenthner, known for clutch runs and consistent performances, looks to hold his slim lead over Innisfail’s Ryan Schuckburgh. Expect him to showcase the same form that secured another trip to Las Vegas.
Novice Saddle Bronc Riding
With a commanding lead, Clay Greenslade is within reach of his goal of claiming a Novice Saddle Bronc title, while also becoming the first contestant to appear in both novice events at a single CFR. After starting his college rodeo season at Tarleton State in Stephenville, Texas, he returns north aboard Outlaw Buckers’ Z11 Canadian Trip—a fitting matchup for a rider making his own Canadian trip back to Edmonton.
Novice Bareback Riding
Greenslade’s travelling partner and college rodeo teammate Jace Lomheim holds only a slim $53 advantage over rookie Quaide Skjonsberg. Lomheim has a familiar opponent in C5 Rodeo’s -44 Sesame Street, the horse he faced as he claimed last year’s championship in the event.
Junior Steer Riding
With a roster full of first-time CFR competitors, Ryder Topolinski aims to finish the finals in the same position he entered—on top of the Canadian Junior Steer Riding standings. He’s matched with Duane Ashbacher’s brahma heifer 101, with hopes of making a textbook ride.
Team Roping
- Sometimes pairing experience with youth is the winning recipe in team roping. Ponoka’s Brett Buss has made that formula work before, and he’ll try again with first-time CFR qualifier Joey Romo II.
- Kolton Schmidt, who earned another NFR berth this season while roping with multiple heelers, will partner here with Tyce McLeod.
- Sid Sporer, who captured the prestigious Ponoka Stampede alongside Schmidt, will rope with Tyce’s younger brother Tee McLeod, competing at his second straight CFR after a long break from Canadian rodeo.
- The youthful team of Kavis Drake (2024 Canadian Heading Champion) and Denim Ross sit atop the standings with a full go-round cushion in each event. They’ll look to prove that last year’s CFR success was no accident, and extend their lead, helping Ross to claim his first Heeling Championship after coming close last year.
Breakaway Roping
At just 16, Ponoka’s Keely Pugh is the youngest major-event competitor at CFR 51. In her debut, she hopes to open strong and post a run that holds up for the win.
At the bottom of the order, the two top earners of the 2025 CPRA Breakaway season—Jenna Dallyn and Bradi Whiteside— will square off, each chasing their first Canadian title in the event.
Saddle Bronc Riding
Bronc riders also open with their “sweet” pen of stock.
- Tyrel Roberts, who clinched his CFR spot on the season’s final weekend, has Northcott Yule’s 78 Gingersnap, a horse with plenty of hang time to show off his style.
- Freshly qualified for his first NFR after a strong showing in the PRCA’s Governor’s Cup last weekend, Quinten Taylor hopes to carry his momentum into his matchup with Ward Macza’s 728 Texas Tough.
- Coming in as season leader after claiming five consecutive championships, Zeke Thurston holds only a slim lead over Nicholas Patterson, but opens with an exciting matchup: Big Stone’s perennial CFR and NFR horse 711 Rubels.
Barrel Racing
- Barrel racing is the only CFR event where claiming the season leader title allows you to run first instead of last. Gleichen’s Jayden Wilson will try to take advantage of that opening night draw and set the pace for her competitors.
- Right behind Wilson is 2024 Canadian Champion Taylor Manning, who adapted quickly to Rogers Place last year and will look to continue that form.
- Chauvin’s Blake Molle, nearly missing the CFR for a second straight year, completed her late season charge with big wins at Merritt and Langley over the final weekend. Since climbing aboard her new horse, she has proven to be one of the toughest competitors in the field.
Tie-Down Roping
The tie-down roping field features both seasoned veterans and rising stars.
- Murray Pole of Erskine makes his first CFR appearance since 2013. Leaning on horsemanship and veteran savvy, he’ll aim to make his long-awaited return a profitable one.
- Season leader Logan Bird enters his fifth CFR at the top of the standings, pursuing a second Canadian title. Close behind, Kyle Lucas looks to claim his first national championship to cap off a season already highlighted by his debut NFR qualification. The friendly rivalry has continued from almost a calendar year ago, as both cowboys kicked off their 2025 seasons in a big way shared the outstanding horse Peso at last year’s Maple Leaf Circuit Finals.
- After Kyle Lucas and Logan Bird shared Bird’s great horse Peso at last year’s Maple Leaf Circuit Finals to start their 2025 seasons off on the right foot, they enter CFR 51 as the top 2 tie down ropers in Canada coming into this finals. With Logan entering the CFR as the season leader for a fifth time, he wants to add his second championship, while Lucas hopes to add his first title to another 2025 accomplishment, with him set to make his first trip to the NFR this December.
Bull Riding
While horse events start with their friendlier stock, bull riders face no such luxury—especially with the Kesler bulls that have claimed the last four CPRA Bull of the Year awards in tonight’s draw.
- Grady Young faces Kesler’s 715 Rodgers Red Angus Chester, a rematch from the Medicine Hat this summer, where his 87.5 point score put him on the short list of riders to ever tame the two-time CPRA Bull of the Year.
- Season leader Jacob Gardner meets the reigning and also two-time Bull of the Year, Kesler’s 731 Alberta Prime Devil’s Advocate. Although no easy feat, a qualified ride would provide him with some more separation in the standings as he looks to add a Bull Riding title to his 3 combined All-Around/Kenny McLean awards.
- Veteran Garrett Green draws Vold’s 175 Effective, a bull that carried Dakota Buttar to an 87.5-point win in Okotoks late in the season.
For the full list of Round 1 Matchups, head to the CFR Daily Draw on the Pro Rodeo Canada Website
For a full schedule of events taking place during rodeo weekend, check out the Canadian Finals Rodeo webpage https://www.cfr.ca