Zeke Thurston was on top of his game at Cold Lake, Alberta for the second edition of the Lakeland Xtreme Broncs and Bulls.
Before a large and appreciative Energy Centre crowd, the reigning (and six time) Canadian Champion and four-time World Champion forty per-cented the field with two outstanding Thurston-esque performances that bordered on perfection.
The Big Valley superstar rode Big Stone Rodeo’s 7X Got Your Goat for 87.5 in the long go, then selected C5 Rodeo’s outstanding 5206 Shattered Lunatic and the two put together a 90 point championship round effort. The twin wins and his average total of 177.5 points amounted to a lucrative $7910 payday that instantly vaulted the 31-year-old, second-generation talent into the top five in the Canadian standings.
Season leader Layton Green continued his hot start to the 2026 season, finishing in second spot with 176 points on two for $5881 that solidified the 2017 Canadian titleist’s hold on top spot in the standings. The Millarville cowboy has already moved over the $16,000 plateau.
Thurston had high praise for the bay gelding with CFR and NFR credentials that carried him to the 90 pointer. “I’d only been on that horse one time before but I knew that it’s one we all want to get on and that I’d have a good chance. And that was him out there tonight, just bucking really hard but no surprises, just an outstanding horse. He had one little stutter-step about halfway through the ride so I had to do a little stutter-step myself to get by that. But it felt good.”
The nine-time CFR qualifier also had praise for the event. “This was a really good bronc riding in an excellent building. I’ll be back.”
Third place in Cold Lake went to Okotoks bronc rider, Sawyer Eirikson, whose two-head total was 174 points which earned him $4107.
While veterans like Thurston and Green grabbed the lion’s share of the spotlight, several younger bronc riders rode their way to the pay window as well. Tops among the youth group was James Perrin whose 169 points on two head earned the Maple Creek athlete fifth place in the average and a tidy $3362.
For complete unofficial results head over to rodeocanada.com
The Victoria Day long weekend will see CPRA athletes head to British Columbia for the historic 106th Falkland Stampede. Check out the May 16-18th event draw here.