C.P.R.A.
Ben Robinson pulling his slack and stepping off his rope horse before the loop tightened at the 2019 Hand Hills Stampede. The rodeo, which would have been celebrating its 104th anniversary, was postponed until 2021 due to the pandemic.
ROAD TO THE CFR
LUCAS, ROBINSON & HAY FAR-FLUNG RODEOS By TIM ELLIS
T
HE ROAD TO THE CFR IN 2020 WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PAVED WITH YOUNG, EMERGING TALENT
HUNGRY TO SHOW OFF THE BRIGHT FUTURE OF RODEO IN CANADA.
PHOTO BY BILLIE-JEAN DUFF
INSTEAD, THE CANCELLATION OF THE CPRA SEASON DUE TO COVID RESTRICTIONS HAD THOSE TALENTED COWBOYS FOLLOWING A MUCH DIFFERENT PATH SOUTH OF THE 49TH PARALLEL. cowboycountrymagazine.com
“As long as they kept having rodeos down there, it was an opportunity to get the truck payments covered,” offers five-time CFR qualifier, Kyle Lucas, who was among several Canadians to take advantage of being able to compete in the U.S. “I sure hope we can come back strong in Canada next year and get some good rodeos going again in the spring.” By mid-August, the 26-year-old Lucas had shot up to 30th in the PRCA world tiedown roping standings. While that wasn’t an unfamiliar position for the Carstairs, Alta., cowboy, it was perhaps a better accomplishment given event entries were nearly double from past years. “For the most part, it was just like anything else,” suggests the 2018 Canadian Pro Rodeo reserve champion. “You dang sure had to draw a good calf, make a good run and stay out of your head and your own way. That’s been my problem, beating myself instead of just doing what I practise day in and day out.” With Lucas in the truck was Ben Robinson. “I was planning on competing in Canada obviously,” says Robinson, whose best attempt at qualifying for the Canadian Finals Rodeo was in 2017 when he finished 14th in the CPRA tie-down roping
standings. “For sure, it was disappointing. I would have liked to have been around home more.” What wasn’t disappointing was the 25-year-old’s performance south of the border. He enjoyed his biggest weekend ever on the PRCA trail with a $6,500 hit in early August while jumping inside the top 45 of the world standings. “I just tried to keep my head up and kept running at them.” A trio of young saddle bronc riders, all coming off standout performances at their first CFR appearances last fall, also headed south. “It was a crazy year,” chuckles Logan Hay, whose highlight of the season was an 88.5point ride on C5 Rodeo’s #80 Rockstar to win a rodeo in Baker, Mont. “There was lots of driving because there were only a handful of rodeos each weekend.” The 23-year-old Hay was joined in the truck by 20-year-old Ben Andersen and 24-year-old Kole Ashbacher. “There would be a hundred entries, but most committees only took 30 or 40 guys,” begins the Wildwood, Alta., cowboy. “So, you’d have the top 30 bronc riders in the world at a $1,500-added rodeo. You had to be 84 or 85 just to place when most times an 80 would win that rodeo.” “I had my truck and camper, and we went wherever. We went to lots of good rodeos we’d never gone to before and might not get the chance to go to again, so it was cool that way.” c
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