Winners Kollin VonAhn, J.C. Yeahquo enjoy ‘big day’ to capture bronze statues in rodeo event
Calgary Smith didn’t get the result he dreamed about at the rodeo that bears his name.
The Rocky Mountain Cup team roping competition at the Calgary Stampede started well enough for Smith and his partner Brady Tryan on Wednesday night at the Nutrien Western Event Centre.
After Tryan did his job as header by roping their steer’s horns, Smith held up his end of the bargain as heeler by quickly roping the animal’s legs to stop the clock in 4.6 seconds.
“You just want to take advantage of the steers you draw and hope it plays out,” said Smith, who wasn’t able to get the job done in the second round as the duo took a no-time and failed to advance to the short round of eight.
Nonetheless, Smith, of Adams, Ore., and Tryan, of Huntley, Mont., still earned $740 each for finishing sixth out of 30 in the opening go-round.
It wasn’t their ultimate goal, but it’s something to build upon for the pair, which turned heads at the 2023 Canadian Finals Rodeo in Red Deer last November when they broke five records, including winning four consecutive rounds as well as hauling in a whopping $62,837 in earnings during the show on their way to securing the year-end title.
“It’s just something to cross off the bucket list because it’s our first time here at Stampede,” said Smith, who has set a lofty goal of qualifying for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in December.
The duo of 2015 world champion heeler Kollin VonAhn and header J.C. Yeahquo had runs of 4.1 and 4.3 seconds to finish atop the aggregate standings heading into the round of eight.
They then stopped the clock at 5.2 to finish second behind Kaden Profili and Brenten Hall (4.4) in the round of four before laying down another impressive 4.1-run to win the showdown round and a cheque for $12,500 each.
“If you go to thinking about it too much, you allow mistakes, so I didn’t think about it,” said Yeahquo, from Mandaree, N.D, of his showdown-round strategy. “I just let the reactions happen. We had a good steer, and we were able to use him.”
In addition to their champion’s share, the pair also won $2,867 apiece in the first two go-rounds.
“This is huge,” said VonAhn, who hails from Blanchard, Okla. “It definitely helps a guy take a deep breath this time of year. We drove from Casper (Wyo.) up here last night. It’s a lot of work, but the reason you do it is for a chance at this. For us to come out on top — shoot, it didn’t have to be that good and we’d have been tickled. This was a big day for us.”
The pair were also presented with bronze statues of a cowboy holding both his hat and lasso in the air.
“I’ve rodeoed a long time, and … you know … we’ll spend the money,” VonAhn said. “It’ll be gone, but the bronzes and the cool stuff and the memories — that’s what sticks around forever.”
Kelsi Domer won the breakaway roping competition at this year’s Stampede. The Texan pockets $12,500 after posting a speedy 2.0-second time in Tuesday night’s final, which saw Bradi Whiteside — a 46-year-old from Longview, Alta. — finish runner-up in 2.2s for $7,500.
SISTER ACT
Stampede rodeo goers saw the fastest trip around the cloverleaf Thursday on the first day of Pool C barrel racing.
The 16.94-second trip set down by Hailey Kinsel was also the first sub-17s performance of the week.
The Texan chalked the swift standard up to her horse, Sister.
“She’s the best, man — she was amazing,” said the 29-year-old Kinsel. “Our first run here in Calgary this year. I could tell she was happy to get back into this building. She’s been excited all day. I was just happy we could channel that excitement into a great run.”
The 2019 Stampede queen of barrel racing earns $7,000 for the first-place run. Next was Oklahoma’s Leslie Smalygo in 17.08s, also a sparkling trip.
But Sister was really smokin’.
“She just woke up on the good side of the bed,” said Kinsel, of Cotulla, Texas. “At practice early (Thursday), she was just moving fast and trying to be all exciting, and I was just trying to walk the pattern. She was excitable all day.
“The biggest thing for me is just keeping my horse healthy and happy. If she is, I know she likes this place and will perform well.”
AROUND THE CHUTES
The Hay brothers — Logan and Dawson — from Wildwood, Alta., cashed in Thursday with respective 89.5- and 86.5-point rides on Exciting Bubbles and Trump Card in saddle bronc. Texan rider Wyatt Casper did sneak in between the Albertans with his 89 ride aboard Betrayed Cankaid, but top-man Logan Hay took first for $7,000 and younger sibling Dawson — the defending Stampede champ, grabbed third for $4,500 … Cory Solomon is at it again in Calgary. The three-time Stampede champ of tie-down roping lasso’d the fastest time of Day 7 to top the charts and pocket $7,000. He was bang on eight seconds, while 18-year-old Pecos Tatum, of La Plata, N.M., was next with his 8.7s trip … Matching 4.1s runs put North Dakota’s Bridger Anderson and Hawaii’s Trsyn Kalawaia on top of Thursday’s steer-wrestling show. They each haul in $6,250 for their efforts. Harley Cole, of Okotoks, Alta., was third in 4.7s for $4,500 to open Pool C action … And Saskatchewan’s Davis Young opened the three-day junior steer riding event with a 74.5 ride to give him top spot and $4,000.