Presented by Teton Ridge
NFR Canadian Connections – Round 10
… with Clay Creasy
Timed Events: We will see the same pens of stock from rounds 1, 4, and 7 which have been on the stronger end. The draw will play a role in some of the races that will unfold today.
Scott Guenthner currently holds 8th in the aggregate, and could move either up or down depending on how today goes. Although Tucker Allen sits in 2nd in the standings behind Will Lummus, his lead in the aggregate and Lummus being 15th leaves Allen almost guaranteed the title, provided he completes his run.
The Team Roping event looks great for Canada tonight, as Kolton Schmidt and Jonathan Torres are in a similar position to Allen, although they are leading both the aggregate and world standings. If they catch their steer, they will win the world, and a clean run will all but ensure they claim the aggregate title as well, as they currently hold a lead of over 7 seconds over the next fastest team.
The Graham brothers would need a lot of people ahead of them to miss in order to factor into the aggregate money, but the only way they can worry about is getting this steer caught and stretched as quickly as possible.
Ty Harris and Peso placed second in round 9, and will look for more go round money today as well. Brushton Minton and Lincoln still sit firmly in third place in the aggregate, and will hold that with a solid run. Joel Harris sent Peso a bit too early last night and now sits on the outside of aggregate money, but could move back in if things shake out his way. Kyle Lucas will look to focus solely on making go round money today, as the week didn’t quite go his way. It did go Riley Webb’s way, as Shad Mayfield is the only competitor within $100,000 of the soon to be 3 time champion, and sits well behind in the aggregate.
In the barrel racing, Julie Plourde just needs to complete a clean run, and will claim second in the aggregate. Although Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi could potentially sneak in for the championship if something drastic happened to season leader and 2024 champion Kassie Mowry, she is most likely guaranteed to defend her title.
Rough Stock: These are again the best of the best bucking stock in the world out to finish the NFR.
For the Canadian Saddle Bronc Riding contestants, Q Taylor gets to wrap up his first NFR aboard Macza’s outstanding gray mare 6 Squash Blossom Steely Dan. Kade Bruno placed on her in round 5, and Taylor will look to do the same.
Ben Andersen will play a vital role in the Saddle Bronc world championship race, as he currently sits in third place in the aggregate. He’ll face Kirsten Vold’s 516 Captain Hook, a horse that didn’t appear in round 5, but Zeke Thurston was a whopping 92.5 on the horse in Castle Rock, Colorado this summer. This will be the final performance of rodeo for Vold’s stock contracting outfit, as she has agreed to sell her card and stock, that had carried on her legendary father Harry’s legacy, to Frontier Rodeo.
For Thurston, last night’s buckoff pushed him outside the world title race, but he will focus solely on his matchup with Northcott Yule’s -91 Mary Lou, the 2024 Saddle Bronc of the CFR. The large chesnut mare will give him a great chance to place in the round, or even win it. Dawson Hay will climb aboard Sankey’s 613 Atomic Blonde, a horse that Andersen rode to 87.5 at the season ending Governor’s Cup event. After a pair of no scores, Hay will also compete solely for go round money in the final performance.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Looking at the rest of the stock out tonight, The Stampede brings C-35 Crocket back for a second trip, with the massive Crocket facing the diminutive Zac Dallas, who seemed to draw some giant horses at these finals. Dawson Hay placed third in round 5 on the recently crowned Saddle Bronc of the CFR winner.
They also have D-19 Dandy Delight out tonight, facing Ryder Wright, who looks to find some way to hold onto the world title that he has remained in the lead for since spring. His brother Stetson had the roan paint mare in round 5 to place with an 87 point ride, and he will need to win the round to put him in a spot to contend. As it stands, the youngest Wright brother, Statler, sits atop the aggregate and with a good draw of his own, likely will end up with a saddle bronc world championship like his two brothers.
In the Bareback, Dean Thompson will get on his fifth Canadian horse in round 10, this time against the Bareback Horse of this year’s CFR, Macza’s OLS Tubs Stevie Knicks. Jayco Roper landed outside the go round money in round 5 aboard the chesnut mare, but Dean Thompson knows what she is capable of.
Calgary’s A-91 Agent Lynx matches up with 10 time NFR qualifier Tilden Hooper, and he will be excited for this matchup, although he watched Waylon Bourgeois take a no score in the sorrel mare’s previous trip.
Another Calgary Horse, the 2025 Canadian Bareback Horse of the Year D-508 Disco Party, will play a big role in whether or not Rocker Steiner can claim his first world title in the event. If Rocker holds his place in the aggregate with a solid ride, he will hold off Jess Pope’s late charge, even without any go round money today. However, if he does ride the Brown paint mare, it’ll be hard for him to be outside the top 6, although she could get him on the ground and shake things up!
In the Bull Riding, I wanted to start by admitting my guilt in forgetting about Macza’s 114 Judge and Jury in last night’s preview, which went out and made quick work of Luke Mackey.
In tonight’s performance, Calgary’s G13 Grand Funk makes his first appearance at the NFR after bucking off both riders at this year’s CFR. Stetson Wright looks to claim both the Bull Riding and All-Around World titles, giving him 10 combined titles in his career.
Although this might be out of order, I wanted to save this horse to feature for last, the absolute legend, C5’s F13 Virgil. This will be the final time we will see him erupt out of the chutes, with Damian Brennan as his last dance partner. You can bet that Tyson Cardinal will have him ready to throw everything he can at the Aussie, and they will give him one final sendoff.
* ROUND 10 DAYSHEET
NFR Canadian Connections – Round 9
… with Clay Creasy
Timed Events:
These are the same pens of cattle from rounds 3 and 6, which are the best to handle stock, with fast times coming!
Steer Wrestler Scott Guenthner knows he can do better, and wants to leave Vegas with more money.
In the Team Roping, shades of 2016 are unfolding for Kolton Schmidt and Jonathan Torres, with Schmidt quoting World Champ Jeremy Buhler’s ‘one steer at a time’ line in his go-round winning interview with Katy Lucas. After that win, along with the two main competitors in the aggregate and world title race both missing their steers in Round 8, Schmidt and Torres are in the driver’s seat.
Dawson and Dillon Graham made a solid run last night to pick up another cheque, but you know they want to go even faster over these last two rounds. Expect speed speed speed!
In the Tie-Down Roping, the same good and bad momentum carried on. Joel Harris and Peso, along with Brushton Minton and Lincoln, each made good runs for more money in round 8, while Ty Harris and Kyle Lucas struggled. It would be great to see a result like round 5, where the four ropers were in the top 7 times of the performance, and we know they are all capable of it!
Julie Plourde picked up another go round placing last night, and continues to take care of business aboard her main man Rocky. Expect more of the same over these next two rounds, and I hope she knows we are all cheering for her!
Rough Stock:
Bareback: Although this pen brings the majority of the horses from round 4 back for another trip, Macza’s 64 OLS Tubs Side Show actually appeared in the first performance last week. Sam Petersen will look to have better luck than Jayco Roper did on the big brown horse, as he was only 79.5 points.
Saddle Bronc: Back to the Big E pen from Round 4! Although we only saw one buck off that night, we may see more tonight, as we see some new horses roll in to challenge the field.
Q Taylor faces one of those horses tonight, with Stace Smith’s 895 Chisholm Trail forcing many more buckoffs than qualified rides in 2025.
Dawson Hay matchup with Carr’s 73 Priefert’s Dirty Roots gets a chance for redemption for a buckoff last night, as well as their first meeting at RODEOHOUSTON in March. With Q Taylor and Zeke Thurston each making good rides of 88 and 87 points respectively earlier this year, he has some fellow Canadians to learn the playbook on the horse.
Ben Andersen drew Beutler’s Greeley Hat Works’ Hired Gun, a horse raised by the Cooper Clan that Lefty Holman rode for a score of 87.5 points to claim third place in round 4. Not only does Andersen want to claim some more go round money after only placing two times, but he wants to at least maintain his place in the aggregate, where he currently sits sixth.
Thurston faces Macza’s 612 Falkland Playboy, the notorious Appaloosa that gives riders a lot to keep up with. Zeke’s top competitor in the World Championship race, Ryder Wright, rode the horse for 86 points to place in round 9 last year, and Thurston will want to do the same after ending up outside the money last night.
Calgary Stampede sees the monstrous chestnut F-38 Freedom Xpress come back with Zac Dallas, after Stetson Wright weathered the storm for an 88.5 go round win during the 4th performance.
Bull Riding: Another strong pen of bulls, and our lone Canadian bull in the draw tonight, Big Stone’s 804 Ace, will either help All-Around contender Wacey Schalla get back on track after 6 straight buck offs, or compound his troubles. After dispatching Aussie rookie Qynn Andersen in round 4, it could go in the bull’s favour again.
* ROUND 9 DAYSHEET
NFR Canadian Connections – Round 8
… with Clay Creasy
Timed Events:
Round 8 cattle are the same pens from rounds 2 and 5, meaning the weaker end in the Steer Wrestling and Team Roping, medium pen in TDR. We still know this is the NFR, and there will be some great runs tonight!
In the steer wrestling, Scott Guenthner will look to have the same luck with this pen that he had in round 5, where he claimed the go round with a 3.4. We all want to see that double fist pump move again!
In the Team Roping, Kolton Schmidt and Jonathan Torres had a bit of trouble getting their ropes tight last night, but they still 2nd in the aggregate after getting another steer caught. That can’t be their only thought at this time, but it’s going to be in the back of their minds.
Dawson and Dillon Graham didn’t end up tying the arena record, but they DID win the round with a rapid 3.5 second run, and they still have 3 more chances to not just tie it, but break it!
In the Tie Down Roping, Joel Harris and Peso won their second consecutive go round. They look primed to keep rolling, while lurking in the aggregate race behind anyone else who misses a calf.
Kyle Lucas is going to get it together! (I will keep saying it until it happens!)
Brushton Minton and Ty Popescul’s horse Lincoln got bumped 2 spots in the aggregate, but they are still in a great spot to finish up their NFR.
Julie Plourde (don’t pronounce the e!) and Rocky sped up even more, placing in a go-round for the first time with a 5th place finish, while moving up to 2nd in the aggregate after Katelyn Scott’s horse fell down. Heartbreaking for Scott after having such a great NFR up to that point, but it was a truly incredible sign of sportsmanship in cheering on Peanut as he finished the pattern without her!
Rough Stock
Saddle Bronc: This is the sweet pen that we saw in round 3, the kind of horses you drive a lot of miles to get on in the regular season.
Q Taylor pairs up with Dakota Rodeo’s -9 Cover Girl, and again will likely reach out to Zeke Thurston for advice, after he put up a monstrous 90.5 score on her at the Daddy of them All this summer.
Zeke could also ask Q for some advice on his horse 307 Ragin’ Lunatic in return, as Q put up an 89 point ride on the brown horse at the Governor’s Cup, but Thurston has a solid history with the Lunatic Fringe bred horse, having placed on the horse at last year’s NFR.
Dawson Hay will be excited to get on Smith Pro Rodeo’s 652 Angel Cat, especially after watching Statler Wright win round 3 with an 88.25 score aboard the sorrel mare.
On the other end of the past results, Ben Andersen looks to get a bit more out of P1B Jitter Bug after Damian Brennan fell outside the money in that round.
The two veteran Calgary Stampede horses making their second trip of the finals tonight will face some savvy opponents, with W-1 Weekend Departure up against Sage Newman and T-77 Tokyo Bubbles finding Lefty Holman climbing aboard. Dawson Hay picked up a cheque after being offered Weekend Departure out of the reride pen, and Weston Patterson made a solid ride on Tokyo Bubbles, the 2024 Canadian Saddle Bronc of the Year.
Bareback: Another tough pen of horses, most of the same pen as in round 3. Apparently they weren’t happy with the horses from round 2, so they brought in 11 new horses for last night’s round 7 to make it more of a challenge, which it was!
C5 Rodeo’s 712 Winning Rose pairs up with 2024 World Champion Dean Thompson, making this the fourth Canadian horse he’s drawn. Having luck on 2 out of 3 of them, he looks to at least match Sam Petersen’s 87.25 score that placed second in round 3.
I wanted to give a shoutout to a pair of Championship Pro Rodeo horses out tonight that grew up at the Francis Ranch in Saskatchewan, 030 Pow Wow Nights and 107 Hooey Rocks. These veteran horses have some younger dance partners in Bradlee Miller and Waylon Bourgeois, but are good draws, with Rocker Steiner riding Hooey Rocks to an 87 point score in the third round.
Bull Riding: After paying ground money for the first time in the bull riding last night, we will see if we match the 6 rides in this pen from round 3.
470 Huckleberry bucked off TJ Gray during round 3, and looked hard to ride. We will see if Luke aka ‘Colorado Kid’ Mackey can come loaded for a fight!
* ROUND 8 DAYSHEET
NFR Canadian Connections – Round 7
… with Clay Creasy
Timed Events: These are the same pens from Rounds 1 and 4, and will be the only pens that get ran a fourth time, coming back for Round 10’s Championship Saturday.
For the steer wrestlers, including Scott Guenthner, this stronger pen has kept us from seeing a run in the 3 second range, while also forcing a few more contestants into taking a no time. Scott will be going for it with one steer missed, but will look to be smooth by sticking to his sound fundamentals.
The past two rounds have found Kolton Schmidt needing to reach on steers that broke hard to the right, and he’s set them up perfectly for partner Jonathan Torres to be 3.7 and 3.6. The team has moved themselves into contention for both the aggregate and world titles, and have been roping outstanding since they took a no time on opening night. They’ll need to keep pushing in the go rounds while continuing to make the right decisions.
When you’ve stopped your steers in 3.3 seconds two rounds in a row like Dawson and Dillon Graham have done, you hope to do it again but without the penalties or ‘crossfire’ concerns. With a clean run they would tie the NFR arena record, which is fitting for the team that knows one speed – fast.
Kyle Lucas roped his calf in a spot to place last night, but made a small bobble that pushed him outside the pay window of a rapid round. We’ve seen some fast times on this pen of calves, and he wants to put one of them on the board.
Outside of his one calf getting up, Joel Harris and Peso have been working together perfectly, highlighted by his incredible run last night. While Joel looks to keep things rolling, his brother Ty just hasn’t been able to get everything pieced together, but he ropes too well to not figure it out for some more go round money by week’s end.
Bruston Minton and Lincoln have been incredibly consistent throughout these finals, and now find themselves in the driver’s seat for the aggregate race. With Riley Webb and John Douch right on his heels he won’t be able to coast, but he has really roped well on Ty Popescul’s sorrel horse.
Julie Plourde had her best run of the finals last night as her and Rocky continue to remain consistent, while moving up to third in the aggregate. Even if she doesn’t end up placing in any rounds, keeping her barrels up and her runs smooth will lead to a lot of found money in Vegas.
Rough Stock:
Bareback: Tonight we see a bit of a change in the pen order, as only a few of these horses had an earlier trip. That brings in a bunch of fresh horses with a reputation of being much harder to ride than the pen we saw in round 2.
Big Stone’s 313 Mayhem will look to cause some grief for Jayco Roper, who has rode all of his horses but hasn’t placed yet. Look to the brown baldy to bail in the air and fall out of the sky like an anvil.
C5’s 630 Hangover Face brings a LOT of size to the chute, and despite a fairly straightforward set of tracks, will put plenty of power on young Cooper Cooke.
Carr’s 362 Foxhole Gunner, another horse raised by the Cooper Clan, will face a formidable opponent in multi time world and aggregate champion Jess Pope. The gray horse brings a lot of unpredictability to the table, so it should be good watching!
Saddle Bronc: The bronc riders have the majority of their pen from Round 2 out tonight, with a few horses coming in from the re-ride pen. This will be another group of horses that have some power or so moves, so we could see some big scores again.
Q Taylor has Kirsten Vold’s 704 Breezy Fling, which will be the horse’s last trip before Vold completes the sale of her stock contracting outfit to Frontier Rodeo. Q will definitely talk to Zeke about the horse after he split second place in that second round with an 89 point score on a horse that really likes to pump its head throughout the ride.
Ben Andersen faces Carr’s 086 Toma Jo, another horse with the ability to stall out and drop like Mayhem, while also throwing its head around like Breezy Fling. Andersen knows the drill, having been 86.5 points on the horse at Lovington, NM in August.
Ben’s cousin Dawson Hay climbs aboard another Carr Pro Rodeo horse in G91 Northern Exposure, with Statler Wright having been 86.5 for a cheque in round 2. Hay hopes to have a ride closer to Stetson Wright’s in Lovington, where they were 91 points for a split of the win. As he continues to stay within striking distance for the world title, that would be a huge boost.
Looking at the man who you will always find in the title race, Zeke Thurston matches up with a formidable foe in Calgary’s Y-38 Yesterday’s Delivery. We know the bay mare will launch out of the chute and then make a lot of jumps and direction changes, which Thurston will be ready to keep hustling through.
Bull Riding:
This pen brings most of the bulls from round 2 as well, and given the difficulty of some of those bulls combined with the soreness that will be building after 6 rounds, we may see less than 6 riders stay on for the first time during this NFR.
Wayne Vold’s 308 Splash Tide gets to make his NFR debut this year against Ky Hamilton tonight, and will look to pick up where it left off after bucking off both riders at the Canadian Finals en route to the CFR Bull of the Finals award. The red bull will jump out and get cranking to the left, which would be hard for most right handed riders, but Ky Hamilton isn’t like most. He will look to put up the same kind of big score as Grady Young’s 91 that won a round at this summer’s Calgary Stampede.
NFR Canadian Connections – Round 6
… with Clay Creasy
Timed Events:
These are the sweet heart again, be ready for some fast times!
It made sense for Scott to hammer the start last night, and it will continue to make sense, especially when the good pen of steers will make for a tough round.
Kolton Schmidt, his partner Jonathan Torres, and Rhen Richard’s golden eyed horse James Bond made the fastest run of the NFR last night with the 3.7 second run, and Schmidt has no reason to change what has been working.
The Graham brothers (and the rest of Canadian rodeo fans) likely didn’t agree with the crossfire call last night, but that will just mean they have to keep going as fast as they can while skirting the law.
Kyle Lucas finally made the statement we knew he would last night with a 7.9 second run, and switching to his horse Bunny looks like the key to showing off his Canadian title winning form.
Julie Plourde – from Quebec, have failed to acknowledge TT until now! Having come in for injured barrel racer Anita Ellis, Plourde and her sorrel horse Rocky have gotten faster on each of their first four rounds while staying below 14 seconds in the past three, despite ending up outside the go round money they currently sit 4th in the aggregate.
Bareback Riding:
Our lone Canadian horse, Legend’s 1815 Ramblin Man, stood alone at the top of round 1 after Cooper Cooke’s 88.5 win. The first time NFR horse will pair up with fellow finals rookie Jacek Frost, who will hope to match the 90 point score former qualifier Donny Profit achieved at St. George, UT this summer!
Saddle Bronc Riding:
Ben Andersen and Q Taylor have a pair of veteran Cervi horses that they will be excited about, with Andersen drawing former Horse of the Year V60 Womanizer while Taylor has V40 Vitalix Ricky Bobby, the horse that Stetson Wright cinched his 2021 saddle bronc world title after spurring to 93 points.
Dawson Hay draws Powder River’s 811 Big Handful, and as scary as that name sounds, you can bet Hay’s only worry is about trying to be 90 like Ryder Wright accomplished at Vernal Utah in June.
Zeke Thurston has Penthouse Rodeo’s E6 Bad Habits, but with his ability to avoid any noticeably bad habits in his riding, the champ will focus on besting the horse’s high score of 87.5 this summer.
Much the same as round 1, A Wright gets to draw Wayne Vold’s young gray superstar 910 Renegade. After Stetson took the round win, younger brother Statler hopes to do the same.
Their older brother Ryder has Big Stone’s small but mighty 26 Gone Fishing, and after Kade Bruno’s opening night 88 point ride for third place, he will look to get back on track in his title defense after missing his horse out in round 5.
The Calgary Stampede sees E-54 come in for her first trip in round 6 with Sage Newman. She announced herself to the bronc riding world in 2023 after being selected for the NFR despite staying in Canada as a young horse, where a pair of 87 scores earned at least a share of two go round wins.
No Canadian bulls out tonight, but still worth watching as good of bull riding as I’ve seen in years!
* ROUND 6 DAYSHEET
Canadian WNFR Matchups and Notes – Round 5
… with Clay Creasy
Timed Event: We will see the strong pen of tie down calves again, while the medium pens of steer wrestling and team roping steers from round 2 appear again.
Scott Guenthner will look to pivot towards a more aggressive strategy in the go rounds after taking a no time in round 4.
The Graham brothers, who always rope aggressively anyways, will be shooting for go rounds from here on out after a second no time in round 4, so we will likely see some more fireworks tonight!
Kolton Schmidt has been spinning some great steers for his partner Jonathan Torres aboard his palomino horse. They will look to keep their foot on the gas pedal as well.
Kyle Lucas switched to his gray horse Bunny in round 4, and will look to put it all together to take home his first cheque of the finals.
With the Harris brothers still aboard Peso, they will look to gain some positive momentum as well.
Brushton Minton and Lincoln made another solid run, and while it is early and things change quickly, look to be a force in the aggregate race.
Rough Stock: Round 5 and 10 will always be the ‘TV’ pen of animals in the rough stock pen, where the best of the best get to show off on one night alongside the top riders.
Bareback Riding:
The three horses that appeared in the Calgary Stampede $50,000 showdown all appear for Tyler Kraft and his crew tonight.
2025 CPRA Horse of the year D-508 Disco Party faces off with Jacek Frost, and Frost will be pleased to have the mare that helped Cooper Cooke take the big cheque home with his giant 94 point score in July.
Multi time award winner A-91 Agent Lynx will set Cajun Waylon Bourgeois up for a great chance at another go round win. Weston Timberman had finished just behind Cooke with 92 points at the Stampede, and Bourgeois will not be disappointed with this draw.
B-73 Blasting Sand will show Bradlee Miller a lot more unpredictability in her bucking pattern, but will still allow him to push up against that 90 point threshold like many of the other horses in this pen.
Ward Macza’s Bareback Horse of CFR 51 118 OLS Tubs Stevie Knicks will be a great opportunity for Jayco Roper to get to the pay window for the first time this week.
Saddle Bronc Riding:
Ben Andersen draws Carr Pro Rodeo’s 010 Larry Culpepper, and this giant red roan horse that has helped many cowboys win rounds at the NFR in the past, something Andersen would love to do!
Q Taylor faces off with J Bar J’s N15- Straight Moonshine, which has seen multiple cowboys ride for over 90 points this season. Q picked up his first placing last night and will be ready to keep rolling.
Dawson Hay finds himself aboard a third Calgary horse for the week, this time aboard Saddle Bronc Horse of CFR 51 C-35 Crocket as she makes her NFR debut. The portly bay horse can pack a lot of moves into the ride, making her a challenge in this pen, but Hay will be ready for anything.
Zeke Thurston faces off with Sankey’s 108 The Black Tie, which will put the champ on a horse with a stellar list of awards and accolades.
Speaking of accolades, the 2025 World Saddle Bronc horse F13 Virgil prepares for his second last career appearance, and while Brody Cress has faced several challenging draws this week, he is notorious for riding the rank ones!
Ward Macza’s 6 Squash Blossom Steely Dan faces off against Kade Bruno, and can reach out to Dawson Hay’s brother Logan for some notes, after the elder Hay brother made a pair of stellar rides over two consecutive weekends, drawing the gray mare at the Governor’s Cup and the Canadian Finals.
The Stampede brings another horse in D-19 Dandy Delight that loves to buck, but sometimes brings some direction changes that can either make a cowboy miss a spur stroke, or hit the dirt. After Stetson Wright’s victory lap last night, we’ve seen no amount of moves seem to get him out of his saddle!
81 Lindsey’s Thunder Rolz, a horse owned by Diamond G but raised by the Cooper Clan, gives Stetson’s younger brother Statler a great chance in this round, with Damian Brennan taking home a sizeable win at Spanish Fork after his 91 point ride on the horse.
Bull Riding:
Legend Rodeo has 017 HALO’s Iron Hide paired up with bull riding and all-around world title contender Wacey Schalla. With the only ride on the bull coming with Ky Hamilton for a 90.5 point score at Oakley, UT this summer, this bull earned his HALO from an auction to fundraise for the southern Alberta air ambulance program.
* ROUND 5 DAYSHEET
Canadian WNFR Matchups and Notes – Round 4
… with Clay Creasy
In the timed events, we will see the same pens that were out during opening night. In the team roping and steer wrestling, those were the strongest sets of steers, while the tie down roping calves will be the medium speed and sized group.
Steer Wrestling:
For Scott Guenthner, he’s been to the NFR enough times to know that early on, as much as the aggregate can’t be your main focus, you also want to ensure you don’t make a costly mistake that jeopardizes your chance at picking up two cheques after the 10th round. Even with the strong pen out again tonight, if he sets up his run like he did at the CFR, it won’t matter what steer he draws.
Team Roping:
Our three Canadian qualifiers have almost behaved like one team, seeing both of their pairings miss on opening night, followed by splits of large cheques on some great runs the next two rounds. Last night’s three blistering 3.8 second runs made for a victory lap that had enough horses to be mistaken for the grand entry, and Kolton Schmidt, Dillon and Dawson Graham will want to keep up the good work.
Tie Down Roping:
For first time NFR qualifier Kyle Lucas, he will look to put those first three rounds as far behind him as possible, while focusing on roping like he did to get here. While Joel Harris ended up just outside the pay window for the first time this week aboard Peso, his brother Ty flipped the script to place 3rd. Peso’s three amigos will look to all make money in round 4, while Brushton Minton and Tyler Popescul’s horse Lincoln will look to get back into the go-round money as well.
Bareback Riding:
Although we don’t see any Canadian names listed as contractors in round 4, Sammy Andrew’s 39 Fresno was born and raised at the John and Dustin Duffy’s, having been selected for one CFR before heading south. Cole Franks will look to the snappy sorrel to help him reach the pay window for the first time this week.
Saddle Bronc Riding: This pen of horses will be great to watch, but hard to ride, as the saddle bronc riders always save the big ‘E’ eliminators for rounds 4 and 9.
After making a great ride only to receive a no score for failing to mark his horse out, Q Taylor finds himself pairing up with Championship Pro Rodeo’s J43 Optiwize’s Tickled Pink. With Ryder Wright winning round 4 while Lefty Holman won the round 9 of the 2024 NFR on the big brown horse with a lot of size and drop, Q has a great chance to get his rodeo back on track.
Ben Andersen had another night on the outside of the money, but will be ready to giddy up on Wayne Vold’s sorrel mare 52 Elvira. After bucking off past NFR qualifier Chase Brooks at Puyallup in September, he aware that she is no day off, but Zeke Thurston spurred her for an 87.25 ride in the third round of CFR 51, placing behind Andersen’s go round winning 88 point score.
Dawson Hay made use of his round 3 reride to claim second place while taking home over $28,000, which will help pay for some diapers for him and his wife’s newborn. He will look to maintain his consistently aggressive riding aboard Pickett Rodeo’s 655- Bill Fick Peak Momentum, a horse with only two big scores along with five buckoffs during the 2025 calendar year.
Zeke Thurston will look to put last night’s result behind him, and knows how to make the appropriate adjustments before he nods his head to start the play off right against Beutler and Son’s 42 Gucci Equine’s Green Bay. After acquiring the horse from Dakota rodeo ahead of the 2025 season, and Thurston will have watched permit cowboy Mitch Story’s outstanding 92 point win on Green Bay at the Greeley Stampede over Cowboy Christmas.
Big Stone’s 734 Key-Lix Second Thoughts might not appear to fit this pen of rank horses based on a honest looking set of tracks around to the the left side of the arena, but Weston Patterson will want to think twice before underestimating this veteran horse.
Calgary Stampede brings another pair of broncs in C-9 Cloudy Skies and F-38 Freedom Express. Brody Wells will be aware of the reputation that Cloudy Skies has built along with a buckoff rate closer to a bull, especially after the horse ended two event superstar Stetson Wright’s 2025 regular season prematurely after stepping on him at Puyallup.
Stetson has shown no lingering effects from those injuries during the first three rounds and will be pleased with seeing Freedom Express as his draw in this pen. As the big chesnut horse has continued to grow, and grow, so has the number of moves that have been added to an 8 second trip, but Dawson Hay’s 89.5 finals winning ride on the final day in Puyallup shows how much you can do with her.
A pair of horses raised by the Cooper Clan of Senlac, Sk now belong to the Beutler family, while firmly belonging in this pen of rank stock. 701 Greeley Hat Work’s Hired Gun, formerly known as The General, has a really unpredictable pattern for Lefty Holman to follow along with. -301 Greeley Hat Work’s Hammer Stone will look to play a role in the success of 2024 World Champion Ryder Wright’s title defence.
Bull Riding: A pair of Canadian bulls match up with a pair of Australian riders tonight.
C5 Rodeo’s H58 Bench Warrant will match up with 2023 World Champion Ky Hamilton, who will look to come back with a vengeance after bucking off for the first time during the NFR last night. With Jordan Hansen winning the first round of CFR 51 with an 86.5 point score aboard the gray horned bull, he will be happy with his draw.
Big Stone’s 804 Ace hasn’t been ridden on American soil during the 2025 PRCA season, and with rookie Qynn Andersen picking up his first score and pay cheque in round 3, he will look to keep his momentum going, while shutting down his draw’s buckoff streak.
* ROUND 4 DAYSHEET
Canadian Rough Stock Matchups – Round 3
… with Clay Creasy
This will be the third and final pen of timed event cattle for the steer wrestling, team roping, and tie down roping, and as much as the NFR qualifiers would have done what they could to get the scoop on each animal when they were broke in, you never know what they’ll do under the lights of Vegas! After tonight, the pens cycle back through in order, with the first pen coming back a fourth time for the round 10.
Seeing our team ropers rebound in round 2 while the veteran Guenthner has made two solid runs in the steer wrestling has been positive, and although Joel Harris and Peso have made some money over two rounds, his other pilots Kyle Lucas and Joel’s brother Ty will look to get on the board on night 3.
BAREBACK RIDING: This pen of horses will have some extra ‘spiciness’ to them, but these bareback riders are here to prove why they earned their back numbers this year.
Dean Thompson has placed in back-to-back rounds aboard Canadian horses, and he will look to make it three in a row on Duane Kesler’s strong 7 year old red roan 81 Felton Angus Hot Shot. Hot Shot was raised by the Robbie family, and after halting Sam Petersen’s CFR title push with a buckoff in round 3, you can bet that Thompson will have done his homework to be ready for tonight’s matchup.
Petersen finds himself aboard C5 Rodeo’s 712 Winning Rose, a horse that cowboys have had success with in Canada, and Jacob Lees’ 88 point ride at the Calgary Stampede will set the benchmark he hopes to reach.
After placing in round 1, Bradlee Miller found himself near the bottom of the round 2 results, and will look to rebound in a big way in round 3. His draw stands as tall as they come, as Calgary Stampede’s bay gelding B-65 Born Fearless towers over the herd. Miller has shown no fear in his second NFR appearance, and will be prepared for a great ride.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING: After some challenging matchups in round 2, the bronc riders are back to another pen of really good to ride horses, where they may not have to battle as hard to get to the whistle.
Zeke Thurston will always end up in the thick of any world title race, and this year has been no exception with two strong rides, including a tremendous 89 point ride last night. For round 3, he pairs up with Generations Pro Rodeo horse 513 Shamus, who becomes the third gray Wyzyzkoski sibling to appear in as many rounds at this year’s NFR. Unlike the others, Shamus likes to pump his head throughout the ride, but Zeke handles his rein as well as anyone, like he demonstrated last night.
Dawson Hay has been riding well but hasn’t had his draws perform up to their usual standards. Look for that to change in round 3 with Harper & Morgan’s -528 Peacemaker, a horse that Statler Wright had great luck with at the Governor’s Cup to close out the PRCA regular season.
Ben Andersen has been outside the money over two rounds, and finds a matchup with a slightly different background. Frontier Rodeo’s horse 7 Mighty Tricking has unseated several riders this year, but he hopes to get a similar trip that Statler Wright had at the Cody Stampede over Cowboy Christmas to place with an 86.5.
Like Hay and Andersen, Q Taylor has also been shut out after two rounds, but has as good of a chance to place, and even win the round, as anyone. Burch’s snappy bay 800 I’m A Dandy has had countless riders earn 23-24 point spur rides this season, and
will allow Q to really show off that freewheeling style that got him to Vegas.
Calgary Stampede’s dependable bay gelding T-77 Tokyo Bubbles, who took home the 2024 CPRA Saddle Bronc of the Year award, matches up with NFR rookie Weston Patterson, who will look to shake off a tough round 2 draw and get his timing right tonight.
BULL RIDING: It may be hard for the riders to top last night’s outstanding rides, but with the way things are shaping up, it doesn’t matter how tough the bulls are, everybody is showing up to ride!
With over $50,000 won over the first two rounds, TJ Gray brings his unique over-hand riding style to the gunfight with Legend Rodeo’s 470 Huckleberry. With only two rides aboard the bull during the 2025 PRCA schedule, including Dustin Boquet’s monstrous 92.5 score at Oakley City, Gray will have to keep rising to the occasion to get him covered.
* ROUND 3 DAYSHEET
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Canadian Rough Stock Matchups – Round 2
… with Clay Creasy
BAREBACK: We will see some big scores again tonight, and we see some horses that were born in Canada, with a pair that now live south of the 49th.
Wayne Vold’s long time superstar 73 True Grit, matching up with 2024 World Champion Dean Thompson, will be a great pairing. Clint Laye had another rematch aboard the bay mare during round 2 of CFR 51 for 85.5.
864 Raylynn For the Win, out of the productive gray stallion Code Blue from the Wyzyzkoski family and a sister of Vold’s 910 Renegade, she is now owned by Diamond G Rodeo. Waylon Bourgeois can be a bunch of points if he does his job as Jess Pope was 87 this summer on her, but she has also forced 3 cowboys to double grab and bucked Rocker Steiner off at San Antonio.
77 Exactly Midnite, raised by the Miller Rodeo Family of Athabasca, AB and purchased by Carr Pro Rodeo with bloodlines tracing back to another NFR horse they sold named Midnite Delight. Garrett Shadbolt rode him for 89 points in San Antonio this past winter, and Sam Peterson will look to add another high score.
SADDLE BRONC: After a really nice pen of horses on night 1 of the NFR, we get into some horses with a bit more difficulty to them, but we will see some great rides out of this talented field of cowboys.
Q Taylor draws J Bar J’s 8755 Kevlar Jacket, a descendent of the infamous stallion Night Jacket that Layton Green rode for 88.5 at Miles City, MT this spring. Look for Q to make a statement tonight!
Ben Andersen has 445 Damaged Goods of Championship Pro Rodeo, a horse that has been bucked in both bronc riding events but has shown much better in the saddle bronc riding. Q Taylor helped punch his ticket to his first NFR after his 88.75 point ride won the semi finals of the Governor’s Cup on his way to his second place finish at the event. Brody Wells also won the Xtreme Broncs Finale with a 92 point ride, so Andersen knows he’s got a good one!
Zeke Thurston finds himself aboard Kirsten Vold’s 704 Breezy Fling, a horse that will change hands with the rest of the outfit passed down from her and Wayne’s father Harry after the conclusion of this year’s NFR. Nicholas Patterson rode Breezy Fling in the final of the NFR Open this July, and any horse looks like the right horse for the Zeke Thurston.
Dawson Hay looks to have better luck on night 2 with Carr Pro Rodeo’s H10 Pretty Woman, a horse purchased from Hi-Lo Pro Rodeo two years ago. Damian Brennan has had a pair of good matchups with Pretty Woman in 2025, while Brody Wells won last year’s Round 2 with a big time 90 point score. Hay will look to make the same kind of impact as he works to stay in the world title race.
Calgary Stampede has a pair of multiple NFR selected horses out tonight as well.
Y-38 Yesterday’s Delivery has left her own mark as one of the many superstar offspring of Calgary’s famed mare Zippy Delivery, including with Dawson Hay for 90 points in the Calgary Stampede Finals this summer. She launches out of the chute like a rocket, so Sage Newman will know to be ready for it if he’s going to get her marked out, or make the 8 second whistle.
A-6 Annual News matched up with a lot of Canada’s great bronc riders south of the border throughout the 2025 season, but Brody Wells had the best score of the year aboard the horse with his 90 point score at the lucrative Farm-City Pro Rodeo in Hermiston, OR in August.
BULL RIDING: Given the notoriety of the lone Canadian bull in tonight’s go round, you can bet there will be plenty of challenges facing the bull riders in Round 2.
Duane Kesler’s two time and reigning CPRA Bull of the Year 731 Alberta Prime Devil’s Advocate has a big set of horns, while bucking with a lot of action, usually a direction change or two, and whether he rides him or not, he’ll look to chase Jesse Petri right out of the arena.
During the 2023 NFR, he was conquered in both rounds he appeared, most notably as the only bull ridden in round 7 by eventual World Champion Ky Hamilton for almost $100,000 in earnings. For Petri, a ride tonight would probably come with some ground money as well.
* ROUND 2 DAYSHEET
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Lead Up to Opening Night – with Clay Creasy
- Zeke Thurston and Tanner Byrne accepted the Xtreme Broncs Division 2 Committee of the Year for the 2025 Zeke Thurston Invitational event held in Stettler, AB. Congratulations!
- While receiving the award for the PRCA Saddle Bronc of the Year for C5 Rodeo’s F13 Virgil, owner Vern McDonald announced this would be Virgil’s final rodeo, with the big gray being retired after the conclusion of the NFR. It has been a truly remarkable career for the legendary horse.
- Saddle Bronc Rider Q Taylor, Tie Down Roper Kyle Lucas, and Team Roping brother Dawson (Header) and Dillon Graham (Heeler) all make their NFR debut’s tonight.
- Making their returns to the NFR are Header Kolton Schmidt (3rd appearance, Saddle Bronc Riders Ben Andersen (4th), Dawson Hay (6th), and Zeke Thurston (11th), as well as steer wrestler Scott Guenthner (6th)
- Calgary Stampede manager and pickup man Tyler Kraft will be in the arena picking up again, while bringing his two time Pickup Horse of the Year winner “Baby” along with the rest of the team.
- Guenthner will ride Tanner Milan’s champion horse Eddie again this year.
- Kyle Lucas, as well as Ty and Joel Harris, will be riding Logan Bird’s great horse Peso in the Tie Down Roping. By the end of last year’s NFR, both Harris brothers had won go rounds on him.
- Another Canadian Tie Down Roping horse will be used by Brushton Minton, who chose to ride Tyler Popescul’s horse Lincoln.
Canadian Rough Stock Matchups
Round 1:
Bareback: This is a pen of horses that will challenge the riders almost as much as the eliminator pen.
- Jayco Roper draws Macza Pro Rodeo’s 64 OLS Tubs Side Show, with Kody Lamb scoring 85.75 points to place in round 5 of CFR 51.
- Cooper Cooke gets Legend Rodeo’s 1815 Ramblin Man. This electric bay horse will leave a mark in his NFR debut.
- 2024 World Champion Dean Thompson has C5 Rodeo’s 739 Pretty Woman, a horse that helped Kody Lamb to 86 points to win round 2 at CFR 51.
Saddle Bronc: This is a really nice pen of horses that the riders will show the ability that got them here.
- Q Taylor has Cervi Brother’s Z62 Guns Blazing. Some 88 point scores on this horse earlier this summer make for a great opening draw for the NFR Rookie
- Stetson Wright drew Wayne Vold Rodeo’s 910 Renegade, a snappy gray horse that will surely fit the all around hand
- Ben Andersen gets Andrews Rodeo’s 09 Lil Brother, another horse that has seen several scores of 88 or above in 2025.
- Zeke Thurston climbs aboard Frontier Rodeo’s 803 Frontier Medicine, a horse that both Stetson and Ryder Wright have been 87.5 on this season.
- Kade Bruno matches up with the fiery little Big Stone Rodeo horse 26 Gone Fishing, who Ben Andersen rode for 88 points to win the 3rd go round at CFR 51.
- In a great Canadian pairing, Dawson Hay drew Calgary Stampede’s F-53 Flying Carma, which Q Taylor rode to a 90 point go round winning score in round two of the CFR.
Bull Riding: This pen of bulls will have some good timing, but won’t make it easy for the top bull riders to reach the whistle.
- True to form, Macza Pro Rodeo’s 909 Koulee’s Pet will be a tough matchup for Mason Moody, with riders earning only two scores aboard him during the PRCA season with a lot of buck offs.
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NFR Canadian News and Notes
Lead Up to Opening Night
- Zeke Thurston and Tanner Byrne accepted the Xtreme Broncs Division 2 Committee of the Year for the 2025 Zeke Thurston Invitational event held in Stettler, AB. Congratulations!
- While receiving the award for the PRCA Saddle Bronc of the Year for C5 Rodeo’s F13 Virgil, owner Vern McDonald announced this would be Virgil’s final rodeo, with him being retired after the conclusion of the NFR.
- Saddle Bronc Rider Q Taylor, Tie Down Roper Kyle Lucas, and Team Roping brother Dawson (Header) and Dillon Graham (Heeler) all make their NFR debut’s tonight.
- Making their returns to the NFR are Header Kolton Schmidt (3rd appearance, Saddle Bronc Riders Ben Andersen (4th), Dawson Hay (6th), and Zeke Thurston (11th), as well as steer wrestler Scott Guenthner (6th)
- Calgary Stampede manager and pickup man Tyler Kraft will be in the arena picking up again, while bringing his two time Pickup Horse of the Year winner “Baby” along with the rest of the team.
- Guenthner will ride Tanner Milan’s champion horse Eddie, and Tie Down Roper Brushton Minton will be riding Tyler Popescul’s horse Lincoln
- Check on Horses for Kyle, the Graham’s, Kolton, and if anyone is riding Peso (can be done later).
Canadian Rough Stock Matchups
Round 1:
Bareback: This is a pen of horses that will challenge the riders almost as much as the eliminator pen.
- Jayco Roper draws Macza Pro Rodeo’s 64 OLS Tubs Side Show, with Kody Lamb scoring 85.75 points to place in round 5 of CFR 51.
- Cooper Cooke gets Legend Rodeo’s 1815 Ramblin Man. This electric bay horse will leave a mark in his NFR debut.
- 2024 World Champion Dean Thompson has C5 Rodeo’s 739 Pretty Woman, a horse that helped Kody Lamb to 86 points to win round 2 at CFR 51.
Saddle Bronc: This is a really nice pen of horses that the riders will show the ability that got them here.
- Q Taylor has Cervi Brother’s Z62 Guns Blazing. Some 88 point scores on this horse earlier this summer make for a great opening draw for the NFR Rookie
- Stetson Wright drew Wayne Vold Rodeo’s 910 Renegade, a snappy gray horse that will surely fit the all around hand
- Ben Andersen gets Andrews Rodeo’s 09 Lil Brother, another horse that has seen several scores of 88 or above in 2025z
- Zeke Thurston climbs aboard Frontier Rodeo’s 803 Frontier Medicine, a horse that both Stetson and Ryder Wright have been 87.5 on this season.
- In a great Canadian pairing, Dawson Hay drew Calgary Stampede’s F-53 Flying Carma, which Q Taylor rode to a 90.5 score during CFR 51.
Bull Riding: This pen of bulls will make it hard on any rider to reach the whistle.