Barrhead, AB: This post comes from the 2011 WRA Challenge Finals Annoucer Dustin Edwards. Announcing for his first time ever at the Wild Rose Finals Dustin will be keeping us all in the loop this week! Check back every day for the previous evenings results!
Here’s Dustin with the call:
The top cowboys and cowgirls have rolled back into Barrhead, AB for the Wildrose Rodeo Association’s Challenge Finals 2011. The action got underway Thursday night at the Agrena, and will wrap up Sunday afternoon when we crown the 2011 WRA Champions. Thursday night set the tone for the next four performances, and it was exciting. The contestants were pumped, the crowd was full of energy, and the stock was unbelievable.
It was the sweet pen of bronc’s and bulls, and they were as sweet as ever. In the Bareback riding it was 6x WRA Champ Rob Johnson who put his spurs to work on the Triple Diamond Horse “Jenny in a Jar” for 74.5 Pts to pick up the 60 Championship points.
Calf roping was quick as ever, and with a long list of former WRA Champions it was good watching. However, it was Steve Horricks who had the fastest hands in town and tied his calf in 8.9 to take top spot.
Jr.Bull riding brings in the Top 6 from the season, and it was Billy West of Cadogan, AB with a 74.5 pt ride to take home his 60 points.
The young ropers of the Breakaway roping were quick on this night, and the quickest of them all was Mayerthorpe’s Koby Ziemmer with a 3.2.
Our top 6 Jr. Steer Riders had the rank pen it seemed. And the hometown cowboy Kagen Schmidt prevailed with a 76.5 pt ride to earn top spot.
The steer wrestling has probably got one of the best rosters we have seen in years. It was fast and it was tough, and Casey Lawes, who lost the 2010 Championship in a run off, came out with 60 championship points with a 3.9.
Novice horse riding had 3 qualified rides, and it was last weekend LRA Champion Kody Lamb with a 70 pt ride to lead the pack after night one.
The fastest women in town were at it Thursday night. In the Ladies Barrels Brandy McPhee was the fastest at 14.399 while the Jr. winner was this years season leader Val Frey with a 14.328. Young and having fun, it was Reese Pollitt of Bentley fastest in the Pee Wee Barrels with a 14.640.
Saddle Bronc riding is going to be good watching this week. And it was the many time champion Mark O’ Dempsey of Mayerthorpe and his 76.5 Pt ride on Doubletree’s “Stix” who was the best of the night.
Team roping had some lightning runs, but the duo of Jimmy Gunsch and Roger Mckinney took the 60 pts with a time of 5.6.
The bullriding capped off the night’s events, and it was some good watching. When the dust settled we had 2 cowboys take the victory lap. Jake Stemo and Todd Chotowetz, who will be the two battling it out all week long, were both 78 pts to take home 55 Championship points.
Night #2 of the WRA Finals starts Tonight at 7:00pm and continues with 3 more performances this weekend.
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