June 18, 2024
Yeah, that was a thumbs up.
No fist pump. No loud “Yes!!” No thrown hat. Just an almost invisible thumbs up. That was the understated reaction from reigning Canadian Breakaway Champion, Shaya Biever as she set a Canadian record with a brilliant 1.6 second run to win the Daines Ranch Rodeo in Innisfail, AB and eclipse the former mark – 1.78 seconds established by Kendal Pierson in 2021, also at Innisfail (times were recorded to hundredths of a second that year).
Reflecting on the run that netted her $1861.20, the 24 year-old Claresholm, AB cowgirl said, “The only things that were going through my head were, Wow that’s a long way for me and Wow that was fast. Most of the really fast runs I’ve made I’ve drawn a really good calf, one of the ‘doozies’ people might say, and your shot is right there out in front but that one (the Innisfail calf) was really strong in the pen and he came out and I saw my shot but it was lot further away than I’m used to.”
The shot, as long as it was, was perfect; her horse Bullet, executed the perfect stop and the veteran cowgirl knew she’d been fast. “I was thinking I was probably under two seconds. It was a that feels good moment.”
It was seconds later as she slowly rode to the other end of the arena that she heard she had just roped in 1.6 seconds. “I kind of knew that it was a Canadian Professional Rodeo record but to be honest I was still wrapped up in the moment that I had actually thrown that fast.”
That was when Shaya Biever gave the little thumbs up victory celebration. The gesture was like the run itself. If you blinked you likely missed it. Coupled with a 5-6 split for $915.33 at the Stavely Pro Rodeo, Biever will vault from 22nd in the early season standings into the top 12 conversation.
With the season in both Canada and the US now in full swing, the likable southern Alberta hand sees her Innisfail success as a definite confidence boost. “Wintertime is when everybody goes to work on everything they think they need to fix for the next season. I stayed rodeoing through most of the winter which was a bit of a different aspect for me. I wanted to solidify all the work I had done and went back to my original game plan and stuck to what I know how to do. This run will give me that confidence boost to be able to finish off the rest of the season doing everything the way I know how to do it.”
So now Shaya Biever has a Canadian title and a Canadian record. That almost warrants two thumbs up!
Logan Hay is no stranger to big-time success. His wins have included the Calgary Stampede and the Hardgrass Bronc Match where he set a new world record score with his 95.5 ride in the final on the great Stampede bronc, X-9 Xplosive Skies.
The third-generation cowboy added another notch to his belt this weekend with a victory at the Wildwood Bronc Bustin, an event that has, over the years, become a major date for bronc riders from both sides of the 49th parallel. The oldest of three talented bronc riding brothers, Hay topped the field in the long go with a 90 point effort on the Calgary Stampede’s F-79 Frosted Brownie for $4264.40, then added the Champion’s $5000.00 payoff with a sensational 92.5 ride on another Stampede bucker, this one E-54 Exotic Warrior.
“To do this here means a lot. I went to school from kindergarten to grade nine right here and my dad (eight time Canadian Champion, Rod Hay) won this event so it’s pretty special.”
Logan was last to go in the championship round and there were several 89 scores already on the board as he climbed down into his saddle on Exotic Warrior. He’d had the horse before at the Calgary Stampede and was pumped to draw her in the short round. And while the horse is a little unpredictable, Hay was able to weather the storm and navigate eight seconds on the seven year-old mare for the impressive winning mark.
But Hay wasn’t done. He added an 85-point 3-4 split at Innisfail (the Daines Ranch Rodeo) for $1596.87 and an earlier 86 point effort in the long round of the Gunner’s Bronc Match in Gleichen for $1665.91. The four cheques padded the 27-year-old’s season earnings by a total of $12,527.18 and will shoot him from 12th in the Canadian standings all the way to second spot behind season leader Lucas Macza. Hay will move a couple of spots in the world standings as well (he entered the weekend in 8th spot.) That is especially significant as the bronc rider missed the WNFR a year ago due to injury.
Next up on the CPRA’s summer schedule are stops at the Wainwright Stampede and Sundre Pro Rodeo June 21-23 (both SMS Equipment Pro Tour events) along with High River’s Guy Weadick Rodeo June 21-22 and Bassano Pro Rodeo June 22-23.