– By Clay Creasy for Canadian Rodeo News
For Ryder Topolinski, the road to his first Canadian Junior Steer Riding title was paved with persistence and poise. The 15-year-old from Grande Prairie entered the CFR ahead of the pack the season leader and left Edmonton in the same position—but it wasn’t easy.
“The competition was sure tough this year,” Topolinski said. “It was a dogfight to the end, even just to make the CFR. The money was spread out so much that the rider in 10th could’ve still made it right up to the final weekend. Once we got [to Edmonton], everybody made it a good finals.”
While speaking highly of his fellow competitors, Topolinski displayed the same level of consistency that got him to Rogers Place, placing in each of the first two rounds, while riding all four of his draws to secure second in the aggregate. Maple Creek’s Dayton Cronkhite made a strong push over their four rounds of competition, but Topolinski’s steady performance proved to be enough.
“The third round was a bit tough,” pointing to a ride that came in lower than he’d normally expect, “but I knew I just had to finish the final round strong, and it would work out.”
The young cowboy happily celebrated his championship, but he will have to wait to begin preparing for next season’s title defence. Having just recently suffered a broken foot, he’s come to terms with the need for recovery in the slow part of the rodeo season. “Couldn’t have happened at a better time”, Topolinski considered, “I’ll be out about six weeks—gives me a bit of a break.”
It was Topolinski’s first time competing under the bright lights of the CFR, and he was struck by the scale of the event. “It was a lot to take in,” he said. “But being underneath Rogers Place was pretty cool.”
The steer riding this year featured two pens of rank, hard-bucking cows, something Topolinski acknowledged with respect. “[Duane] Ashbacher tries really hard to match a good, even pen, and it was a great set of stock. The [Ashbacher] cow I got on in the first round has been around forever, while C Bar Buckers had some real good cows in there as well.”
After clinching his title, Topolinski looks to show that his approach—focused, humble, and grounded—will carry him to the level of the other champions who started out in the same place.
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