Bruce Stampede

Bruce Stampede

Emily Mailhot Reporter – Vegreville News Advertiser

The 106th annual Bruce Stampede started off strong this past weekend with good weather and attendance, holding out until Saturday evening.

“The band and volunteers did a good job of moving the evening events indoors out of the rain, but we’ve got a lot of mud to deal with today,” said Rodeo Association president Robbie Chomik. “The cowboys just keep going, even though it quite literally rained on our parade.”

Chomik added that the events were the same as every year, including the rodeo, slack rodeo, family events, pancake breakfast, dinner and entertainment, and parade.

The main rodeo events were triplesanctioned by the CPRA, PRA, and WPCRA (for the women’s barrel racing). All points count towards the standings in each respective sanction.

In bareback riding: Linden Woods of High River, AB took the cake with 79 points on Franklin Rodeo’s 84 China Grove, with winnings of $1027.70. He was followed by Michael Solberg with 73.5, Strawbs Jones with 71.5, Cole Goodine with 66, and Dylan Bilton with 65. The ground split was $35.44 each In steer wrestling, there was a tie for first between Brock Butterfield of Ponoka, AB and Layne Delemont of Chauvin, AB at 4.2 seconds, $1475.33 each. Followed by Cody Cassidy, Scott Guenthner, Bridger Chambers, and another tie for 6th between Jason Thomas, Juan Alcazar, and Chad Anderson.

Saddle bronc winner was Chet Johnson of Douglas, WY with 86 points on Franklin Rodeo’s 20 Dark Secret, $1294.85. Second was taken by Jake Finlay with 84.5, and third by Cort Scheer with 82.

In team roping Levi Simpson (Ponoka, AB)/Cole Davison (Vulcan, AB) won with 5.6 seconds, for a prize of $1172.18 each. Second and third place were taken by Wyatt Hayes/Todd Gallais with 6.6, and a tie between teams Kasper Roy/Kal Fuller and Dawson

Graham/Dillon Graham, with 6.7 seconds Tie-down roping winner was Blane Cox (Cameron, TX) with 7.8 seconds, $1707.98.

In ladies barrel racing, first went to Stacey Ruzicka of Bluffton, AB, with a time of 17.633 seconds, $1495.30. Angela Ganter, Jimmie Smith, Jenna O’Reilly, Bertina Olafson, Shelby Spielman, Jennifer Sharp, Shayna Weir, Callahan Crossley, and Cranna Roberts followed.

Steer riding winners were Kegan Kmita (Weyburn, SK) with 78.5 points, $564.54; 2. Beau Gardner, 77, $423.41; 3. Gordon Erickson, 74, $282.27 and; 4. Braxton Rowe, 73, $141.13.

The day was finished off with the exciting bull riding competition, won by Thor Hoefer of Spirit Lake, ID, who took 86 points on Franklin Rodeo’s 9 Dust In The Wind, for $1218.52.