May 5, 2025
(Airdrie, AB) – It was the first time to the CPRA winner’s circle for barrel racer Taylor-Jane Gardner. Not only did she top the field at the Kananaskis Pro Rodeo in Coleman, AB with a 12.96 for $2387, she also connected for a 3/4 split at the Drayton Valley Pro Rodeo for another $2200. The $4500 plus weekend will unofficially vault the Purple Springs, Alberta cowgirl into the top ten in the young CPRA season standings.
Gardner was riding her 11 year-old stallion, A Frenchmans Ledoux, an own son of Frenchman’s Guy who had been on the sidelines last year after tearing a superficial tendon in September of 2023. After ten months of care and recovery time, “Ledoux” only recently returned to action.
“I honestly didn’t know what he was going to do,” Gardner admitted, “since we’ve never run on anything that small (referring to the smaller indoor patterns at Coleman, Drayton Valley and Medicine Hat where she has been enjoying outstanding success in recent weeks.)
As for the back to back to back money runs this spring, the veteran cowgirl said, “This really takes the pressure off. I had big goals for this year, the first one being to win enough money to qualify for Ponoka. Once we won that money last weekend at our second rodeo of the year, I thought okay, the pressure’s off; now we can just go and have fun… and apparently that’s what he’s doing.”
As for the Kananaskis winning run, Gardiner smiled, “Ledoux is so easy to trust. You can just send him and you know he’s going to go and find it and do his job. But it’s funny, after our run at Drayton Valley I said to (my boyfriend) Owen that I thought he stepped off his first a little bit and I think he could have been faster. Ledoux must have heard me because he wrapped his first so hard in Coleman… he didn’t touch it but I think my pant leg did. He had me puckering at every barrel; it was like he was saying I’m here to win it.”
Other competitors who experienced early May success included…
– Four-time Canadian Champion Scott Guenthner was up to his old tricks as the Provost star won both halves of the steer wrestling double-bill this weekend. A 3.8 second run netted Guenthner the win at Coleman for $2205 and he was back for more at Drayton Valley where he bested the field again, this time with an even quicker 3.6 for $2718. Guenthner will unofficially move among the top three on the season leaderboard.
– Riley Warren is looking for a bounce back after last season’s uncharacteristic off year. Warren and team roping partner Wyatt Hayes were a rapid 4.2 seconds for the win at Drayton Valley ($2491 each), then added a $156 8th place cheque at Coleman where Warren also captured third in the tie-down roping with a smooth 8.8 for another $!869.
– Bronc rider Kole Ashbacher teamed up with an old friend, Duane Kesler Championship Rodeo’s 476 Double Red for 86.5 points and $1199, then saw his 83 point effort catch second place at Drayton Valley (behind Quentin Taylor), adding another $1297 to the Ashbacher bank account.
– And while we’re on the subject of first wins, a shout-out is in order for Keely Pugh who collected her first pro win in breakaway roping with a speedy 2.2 second run for a tidy $2026.
Next on the CPRA schedule is the inaugural Lakeland Xtreme Broncs event in Cold Lake on May 10th.