Ponoka, AB: This marks the tenth year now of the Jace Harty Memorial Bull Riding. The event has been donating money to various charities throughout the years and this one was no exception.
- $2,000 went to the Ronald McDonald House of Central Alberta.
- $2,000 went to the Ponoka Ag Event Center
- $1,156 was donated to the Ponoka Broncs Rodeo Academy though the 50/50 Sales.
- $1,000 was donated to the Ponoka Stampede Rodeo Challenge 2012
- $1,000 was also donated to the Halvar Johnson Center for Brain Injury
2012 also marks ten years since Curtis Anderson suffered his brain injury at the Ponoka Stampede. It was June 26th to be exact. Before the bull riding got underway we caught up with Curtis to ask him how his Courage Canada Trail Ride for Brain Injury Awareness went last month over by Innisfree, AB.
It’s great to seeing Curtis where he is now. Even for myself not knowing Curtis before he got hurt he’s doing very well for himself. Like he says in the video, if you are in need of a speaker he would be glad to come speak for your group or company!
Starting off the bull riding was the steer riding competition featuring three of Canada’s Top Steer Riders. Gunner Fuchs took home the night’s top prize with this Steer Ride.
Next was the Junior Bull Riding but they had a rough night and none of them ended up making the whistle. From there the event moved into the long go of competition.
Relocated Warburg, AB Native Tyler Pankewitz now of Ponoka started things off on the Peters’ Bull Litle Hustle Bug.
Tyler Thomson rode the Outlaw Buckers Bull Witching Hour not long after.
Number one man in the PBR Canada and CPRA Standings, Kyle Lozier kept up his winning ways making this one look easy.
From just down the road in Buck Lake, AB from the Broken Springs Ranch, Ty Patten took on Rafter G’s Uncle Moe.
Also from not too far away, Jesse Torkelson, after his first bull got out before he nodded, got on Vold’s No Brakes as a re-ride.
Reid Lozier had a tough go but the Rafter G Bull Bet on Dueces sure fired. Reid is about to win a pile of money here soon it would be great to see him do great at Ponoka again like he did a couple years ago.
Zane Lambert is originally from Westbourne, MB but now resides in Ponoka. His first bull fouled him so he got on Peters’ Holy Roller as a re ride.
Chad Besplug finished up the Long Go of competition with this solid outing on Herf.
At the end of the Long Go, this is how the standings looked.
- Zane Lambert 84 on ART Holy Roller
- Tyler Thomson 82
- Chad Besplug 82
- Kyle Lozier 81.5
- Tyler Pankewitz 81.5
- Jesse Torkelson 81.5
- Ty Patten 80.5
- Jared Paulson 74
Between the Long Go and the Short Go there’s a little thing that’s real unique to the Jace Harty Memorial Bull Riding. It’s called Mexican Bull Soccer. I don’t really need to say anything about it. You’ll understand once you watch the video.
After an amazing performance of Miranda Lambert’s “Over You” By Taylor-Rae Pozinkoff, the Short Round Action got started.
Ty Patten was about he third man out in the Long Go on Silver City, a young bull Dwayne Schellenberg brought to town.
About mid way through, Jesse Torkelson and the young Vold Bull Captain paired up.
As the Long Go Winner, Zane Lambert now of Ponoka himself had his shot at the new Triangle X Bucking Bull Riddle me That.
- Jesse Torkelson 167/2
- Chad Besplug 157.5/2
- Zane Lambert 84/1
- Tyler Thomson 82/1
- (Tie) Kyle Lozier 81.5/1
- (Tie) Tyler Pankewitz 81.5/1
- Ty Patten 80.5/1
- Jared Paulson 74/1
We caught up with Jesse and his oldest son Jax at the end of the night to ask about the beard that he’d grown leading up to the event.
Jesse pictured below with his son Jax, Nansen Vold to his left, Patrick Lentz to his right, Foss Irwin on the far left from Signs by Foss and Rick Weirzba is on the far right as the President of Ponoka Stampede Assocation.
It was one of those nights where the atmosphere of the event made the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Like Patrick said on Facebook earlier in the day “Once again Jace… Thank you for the sun!!”
See you all next year at the 11th Annual Jacey Harty Memorial. It will be an event Everything Cowboy and I, Ted Stovin won’t miss as long as we are around.
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