CANADIAN FINALS RODEO

Chasing Dreams & Making History

The stars of rodeo shone brightly in a thrilling 48th edition of the Canadian Finals Rodeo.

By Piper Whelan Photos by Wildwood Photography

Rodeo fans will be talking about the record-breaking saddle bronc ride that captured the 2022 Canadian championship for years to come.

They’ll recall how OLS Tubs Get Smart exploded from the chute for the very last time in Canada and the aggressive performance that two-time World Champion Zeke Thurston gave aboard the highly decorated bay gelding.

Thurston’s 93.25-point ride was an undeniable highlight of the 48th Canadian Finals Rodeo in November at Red Deer, Alberta. For the cowboy from Big Valley, AB, earning his third Canadian Saddle Bronc title on the award-winning horse from Macza Pro Rodeo was especially meaningful.

“That little horse has pretty well made my career. I don’t know how much money I’ve won on him, but it’s a lot,” said Thurston, who has drawn Get Smart around a dozen times over the years.

“I almost got half emotional when I was saddling him… That horse has been amazing forever.”

After finishing fifth in the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association’s regular season, Thurston had the kind of CFR that contestants dream of, winning three rounds and the aggregate title. The third performance featured a spectacular round of bronc riding, with Thurston scoring 91.75 on Calgary Stampede’s Tokyo Bubbles. Kole Ashbacher of Arrowood, AB went on to tie that score soon after on Get Smart. This broke the previous CFR record of 91 points, set in 1978 by Mel Coleman. Then, less than 48 hours later, Thurston and Get Smart would break the record again in the final performance.

Get Smart, who has been described by Bronc Riding Nation as “the world’s scariest little bucking horse,” retired after the 2022 National Finals Rodeo. The 20-year-old gelding was named the CPRA’s Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year for 2022, an honour he has received six times, as well as the top saddle bronc horse of this year’s CFR. Get Smart’s final trip on home soil was just one of the moments that won’t soon be forgotten in a week of intense competition among Canada’s finest rodeo athletes.

When veteran bareback rider Ty Taypotat learned he’d matched up with the Calgary Stampede’s Xplosive Skies for the final round, he was admittedly anxious.

“I got pretty darn nervous because that horse got me down at the last rodeo I went to this year at the regular season,” said Taypotat. “But I tried to stay calm and collected, let her all hang out in the last round.”

The Saskatchewan cowboy, who now calls

ABOVE: Zeke Thurston aboard OLS Tubs Get Smart. RIGHT: Ty Taypotat aboard Calgary Stampede’s Xplosive Skies.

Nanton, AB home, kept breathing and made an incredible 90.25-point ride, capturing his first Canadian title on the 2021 World Bareback Horse of the Year. This wrapped up a week of strong performances, which also earned Taypotat the aggregate award.

“I’ve been going at it for quite a while. This is my tenth Canadian Finals, and I’m pretty darn excited to walk away with it, especially against some of the best bareback riders in the world,” he said.

This victory provides the momentum for Taypotat’s next goal: an NFR qualification. “I actually told a few people this year that this is my building year,” he said. He finished 25th in the World bareback standings in 2022, and now he’s ready to amp up his efforts in the States. “A guy just has to draw good, have a season of drawing good buckers…and see what happens.”

Shortly after winning, Taypotat was eager to recognize all the family, friends, and sponsors that made this moment possible, with one very special thank-you that stood out.

“The biggest one of that started us all rodeoing is my Mushum—that’s my grandpa in Cree, Grandpa Louie,” he explained. “He’s the one that got everybody going. Without him being such a great man, we wouldn’t be as good men as we are today.”

Young Contestants Make Their Mark

In the second year of breakaway roping being an official CFR event, the reigning Canadian champion came to the top again. Eighteen-year-old Kendal Pierson of Wardlow, AB entered the week as the season leader. After placing seventh in the first round, Pierson came back to make two lightning-fast runs of 2.0 seconds, earning her a second Canadian Breakaway Roping title.

A past National High School Champion, the young cowgirl expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to rope at this level, her family’s support of her dream, and her horse, Smoke, who carried her to her first Canadian championship.

“He just makes my job easy. I love him, and he’s my one horse,” said Pierson. “He basically feels like home whenever I ride him.”

Though breakaway roping only appeared in three of the six CFR performances, the number of finalists increased from six to 12, a move that Pierson praised. “All of us were so excited because now we get to show off 12 of our girls instead of six, and it’s just another step in the right direction.”

Roping at the CFR is something most of these cowgirls hadn’t thought possible growing up, with Canadian breakaway ropers unable to compete professionally until a few years ago.

“There’s been a lot of girls who have been pioneers to building our sport,” said Pierson. “We just want to keep growing now that we’re here, and we’re going to keep on seeing how far we can go.”

In the barrel racing, another talented 18-year-old rose to the occasion. Taylor Manning finished the regular season third in the Canadian standings, $18,000 behind season leader Bayleigh Choate, but her performance at CFR 48 proves that consistency wins the day. Manning’s fifth trip to the CFR saw the cowgirl from Edson, AB and her horse, Bringin The Bling, make a series of strong runs and place in five of six rounds, including winning the first round. This earned her both the Canadian Barrel Racing title and the aggregate award.

“Coming in, I didn’t really expect how it started, but she worked good from the very first run to the very last run,” said Manning. “We just had to make sure we could get our first barrel, just making sure we had the arc to it.”

Manning, who made her CFR debut at the age of 15, rode with a steadfast poise

beyond her years. She was also one of only two barrel racers to not knock over a barrel throughout the competition.

“I’m really proud of my horse,” she said after her final run of the week. “She’s only five, and I was able to run her all five days.”

The cold weather didn’t stop tie-down roper Ty Harris from having a stellar CFR week. The young cowboy from San Angelo, Texas was thrilled to appear at his second Canadian Finals. Despite a no-time in the second round, Harris placed high in the rest of the performances, including a round win, becoming the new Canadian Tie-Down Roping Champion.

“This is a dream of mine, and I can’t believe it came true against all these great ropers,” said Harris. “I set this goal at the beginning of the year to win a Canadian title, but to do it and to succeed, I can’t even put it into words. I’m so blessed and thankful and really happy to be here.”

Harris is enthusiastic about roping in Canada, and he spent plenty of time north of the 49th parallel in 2022. “I love the rodeos, and I got to become really good friends with a lot of families,” he explained. “A lot brought me into their house and helped me with so many things. I love the camaraderie and the rodeos; the hospitality and the committees are so amazing.”

Harris’s horse, Moe, is owned by his father and was instrumental to his success in Canada this season. “He’s a good, solid horse, and I kept him up here across the border, and he was great this year for me,” said Harris. “I wouldn’t be here without him.”

New and Returning Champs Cap Off Dream Seasons

The cowboy wearing the #1 back number at this year’s CFR came through in the hotly contested bull riding to win his second Canadian title. Jared Parsonage of Maple Creek, SK fought hard to get here, with only $1,300 separating him from the runner-up and aggregate winner, Coy Robbins.

Parsonage admitted he would have liked his week to go a bit better, as he only covered half of his bulls. A particularly tough pen of bulls in the sixth round only resulted in two qualified rides, and Parsonage was not one of them, bucking off of Outlaw Buckers’ -52 Positively Bangin. But the bull rider took this in stride, noting that the challenging nature of the sport is to be expected.

“Those are the best bulls in Canada,” said Parsonage. “You better have your hammer cocked when you get on one of those.”

The reigning Canadian Bull Riding Champion, Parsonage had an incredible year that saw him earn his first NFR qualification.

“I don’t think you’ll ever replace the feeling of getting your first Canadian title, but getting the second one here and the year that proceeded it and everything leading up, it’s a little bit of icing on top,” he said.

“I worked hard and stayed focused and went hands down more than I ever have in my life, so it’s worked out good and I’m proud of it.”

Like Parsonage, brothers Dawson and Dillon Graham were a force to be reckoned with throughout 2022, winning the team roping at several rodeos and coming into the Canadian Finals as the season leaders. Dawson (header) and Dillon (heeler) started strong in the first three performances, winning one round and placing second twice. Though this early momentum didn’t last, it was enough for the duo from Wainwright, AB to win their first Canadian Championship.

“We dropped the ball at the end of the week, but we had a great year and pretty excited the way it ended up,” said Dillon.

The key to this winning dynamic, the brothers explain, is their tight-knit relationship. “We’re best friends. Really, we don’t go a day without each other. We’ve lived together, we travel together, we do it as a team. It’s pretty special,” says Dawson.

Next, the brothers have their sights set on victory across the border. After finishing 30th in the World team roping standings in 2022, they’re ready to take things up a notch and aim for an NFR qualification, and winning the Canadian title only adds to their determination to make this dream happen.

“We know if we do our jobs correct, we can do it,” says Dillon.

In the steer wrestling, Scott Guenthner won his third Canadian championship, putting the flourish on a week that began

Taylor Manning and Bringin The Bling earned both the Canadian Barrel Racing title and the aggregate award.

with his being named the CPRA’s 2022 Cowboy of the Year.

Throughout the week, Guenthner rode his own horse, which he rode at most rodeos this year. For the Saturday night performance, he switched to Curtis Cassidy’s award-winning horse, Tyson, and stuck with this old friend for the final round, which proved to be a good choice, he said. When the dust settled, the cowboy from Provost, AB earned placings in four rounds and finished second in the aggregate, showing the skill that has resulted in three Canadian titles in the span of five years.

“It’s pretty surreal right now,” Guenthner said of this victory.

This year, Guenthner stepped back from rodeoing in the U.S. and stayed in Canada to compete, and his dedication to becoming a champion in his home country paid off yet again.

“It went better than expected. I thought, just make CFR, and I had an outstanding year, probably a dream-come-true year,” he said. “It definitely made the decision of staying home… feel like I made the right choice.”

The inaugural Kenny McLean Award for the contestant with the highest earnings at both ends of the arena went to Jake Gardner of Fort St. John, BC. The two-time Canadian AllAround Champion qualified for CFR 48 in the bull riding, and he competed in steer wrestling throughout the regular CPRA season.

For the first time, two Canadian All-Around Champion titles were awarded. Wyatt Hayes of Granum, AB took home the Men’s All-Around award, qualifying for CFR in both tie-down roping and team roping. The Women’s AllAround title went to Longview, AB, cowgirl Kylie Whiteside, who qualified in barrel racing and breakaway roping.

The Novice Bareback Champion was Blake Link of Maple Creek, SK, and the Novice Saddle Bronc award went to Colten Powell of Innisfail, AB. In the Junior Steer Riding, Nash Loewen of Winfield, AB, took home the top honours.

In addition to OLS Tubs Get Smart being named the top saddle bronc horse of this year’s CFR, Macza Pro Rodeo received another stock award for OLS Tubs Stevie Knicks, the top bareback horse of the Canadian Finals. The stock awards were rounded out with Duane Kesler’s Chester winning the top bull of the CFR. WHR

Kole Ashbacher on Get Smart.