First out of the gates at her first Calgary Stampede rodeo.
No problem for Katelyn Scott and her trusty horse Twiz.
Leading off the barrel racing competition on Monday, Scott’s time of 17.12 seconds stood up as the fastest of the day to win her $7,000 in prize money.
“I just had to get ready and being first on the ground, I tried to take advantage of it,” said the 33-year-old cowgirl from Odessa, Tex. “I did appreciate (going first), just because I didn’t have time to really think about it.”
Scott earned the right to compete at the Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth by virtue of her performance at a Calgary Stampede barrel racing qualifier in Salina, Utah.
“When they had it April, I realized it was going to be coming to a big outdoor pen, so I’ve tried to take advantage of getting him in some outdoor pens,” said Scott of Twiz, who excelled in his first trip around the cloverleaf-pattern course at Stampede Park. “He’s never really been to this kind of stage before. He’s never really been rodeoed on. I’m just so excited with how he’s handling it all. Apparently he likes it.”
Loud cheers from the crowd at GMC Stadium helped the duo of Scott and Twiz speed across the finish line.
“Oh my gosh, it’s electric,” Scott said. “I could hear them when I turned the third barrel. Most of the time I try to block them out, but I could hear them and I loved it.”
With two more days of competition left in Pool B, Scott could solidify a spot to compete on Showdown Sunday with another strong performance.
“I try not to even overly think about that,” she said. “I’m just so excited to be here and to have the first run out of the way and that it went so good. I’m trying not to get ahead of myself.”
Scott’s dad Henry Lide was by her side to give her a hug following her winning run. Her mom Debbie Bloxom will make the trip north to cheer her on Wednesday.
She also has her husband Cody Scott and her sister Lorissa Jo Merritt with her in Calgary for support.
“It’s so nice,” she said. “My sister flew in yesterday. I call her my trainer. She helps me work all the horses, tells me what I needed to do. I couldn’t do it without her.”
CHAMPION ONCE AGAIN
Richmond Champion had a hot ride on a hot day.
With the temperatures above 30 C, Champion was awarded a re-ride in the bareback competition after the judges deemed his first bronc, Midnight Special, didn’t perform up to snuff.
Despite sweating profusely, Champion proceeded to score 87 points on Grit Your Teeth.
“It is cooking,” said Champion, who found a shady spot where he could sit down for his post-competition interviews. “I sweat as it is. I’d be sweating if it was 35 out – that’s Fahrenheit for you Canadians.”
Winning $7,000 on his first of three go-rounds will go a long way towards earning him a spot to compete on Showdown Sunday.
“I’ll take it however I can get it,” Champion said. “Just what you need on Day 1. I just wish I had (the 87-point ride) the first time.
“$7,000 a day at this thing is silly – what that can do for you.”
Having won the Stampede bareback competition and the accompanying $100,000 top prize in both 2017 and 2018, Champion would like nothing more than to add his third title – albeit for $50,000 this time around.
“It’s the Calgary Stampede,” he said. “Say no more. Everyone wants to be on this stage and have a bronze at home. To have two of them and to be still competing for that third is awesome. It’s one of the first things I show people when I come to the house.”
AROUND THE CHUTES
American bull riders Trey Kimzey and Jace Trosclair had huge paydays on Monday by virtue of being the only two competitors out of 10 to stay on their bovine counterparts for eight seconds. Kimzey of Strong City, Okla., had an 83-point ride atop Last Rights to win $12,375, while Trosclair, of Chavin, La., pocketed $10,875 for his 81.5-point performance aboard Deep Creek … Alberta’s Kolby Wanchuk tied for the top score in saddle bronc with travelling partner Chase Brooks. Right after Wanchuk, of Sherwood Park, posted a mark of 87.5 on Alberta Moon, Brooks, of Deer Lodge, Mont., earned the same score from the judges for his wild ride on Falkland Playboy. The pair were both awarded $6,250 for their efforts … A pair of Texans sit atop the standings after one day of tie-down roping action in Pool B. Carmine’s Shane Hanchey was first to go on Monday and stopped the clock in 6.7s to win $7,000. Caldwell’s Westyn Hughes then had the second best time of 7.1s to earn $5,500 … Ty Erickson, of Helena, Mont., won $7,000 by virtue of his 4.5s clocking in steer wrestling. He edged out a pair of competitors – Clayton Hass, of Weatherford, Tex., and Dakota Eldridge, of Elko, Nev. – by just 1/10th of a second for his big payday. Weatherford and Eldridge had to settle for winning $5,000 each.