MEDICINE HAT, AB – For the most part, Saturday’s scores held up against final day competition at the 2019 Broncs and Honky Tonks Spring Indoor Rodeo at the Cypress Centre.
Just one top score fell on the final day of competition on Sunday, as the unofficial start to the local pro rodeo season came to a close.
A new leader in team roping was crowned, with the team of Alliance’s Logan Spady and Okotoks’ Wyatt Eirikson unseeding Tristin Woolsey and Denver Johnson with a time of 3.6 seconds to win the day money.
It was a tough day for Bow Island native Taylor Wudrich however, as he and Don DePaoli failed to register a time.
Clint Laye’s sky high score of 86.5 points in bareback riding stood up for two nights, fending off Sunday’s top score of 84 points from Gavin Derose.
As for Maple Creek, Saskatchewan’s Wyatt Maines, his first ride of the afternoon took him out of the money with a score of 72.
A time of 3.5 seconds held in steer wrestling with British Columbia’s Clayton Moore taking the Medicine Hat title, while Scott Guenthner and Craig Weisgerber tied at 3.9 seconds on Sunday.
The saddle bronc title was captured by Clay Elliott out of Nanton who posted an 88 on Friday, beating Sunday’s top finisher of Kolby Wanchuk by six and a half points.
Virgil Poffenroth came close to pulling off a win in tie-down roping on Sunday, but his time of 8.3 seconds put him in a tie for second place along with Lee Rombough.
Wimborne’s Blair Smith was the tie-down champion with a blazing 8.2 seconds, while Scandia product Alwin Bouchard took home just under $1,100 with his fourth-place finish.
Ladies barrel racing was dominated by Longview racer Kylie Whiteside and her 12.782 seconds on Saturday night, while Sunday’s crop of racers struggled to crack the money with Tristan Johner the lone rider to enter the top 12 standings.
A special moment from Saturday carried over to the final day of competition in junior steer riding, with Bailey Schellenberg beating out the male dominated field to take home first place with a score of 77 points.
Rounding out the weekend was bull riding, with Meeting Creek’s Garrett Green finishing with the best score of Sunday’s slate of riders with an 86.5.
He finished just shy of first place though, as Jacob Gardner and Wade Marshall both tied with 87 points on Saturday to hold off the competition and win over $1,400 each.
Maple Creek bull rider Jared Parsonage had a solid ride on Sunday with 85 points to finish just off the podium in fourth place, earning a little over $700.
Closing out the competition on ‘Magic Show,’ Parsonage said his animal had been around the block a few times.
“He’s been around for a while, I think this is the fourth time I’ve been on him,” said Parsonage. “You know when you get a chance to get on him, you’re going to be in the money and stand a good chance to win. I did my job, he did his job, and it worked out for a cheque.”
Ranked 55th overall on the PBR tour, the 26-year-old said he’s feeling good going into the rodeo season with a pair of podium finishes on his belt from Dawson Creek and Lethbridge events.
“I’ve been pretty busy with the PBR stuff and then the rodeos are starting up here,” he said. “So, it’s been steady, not super busy. But, I’ve been having some luck as it’s just starting and hopefully we can keep it rolling into the summer.”
As for fellow competitor Wacey Finkbeiner, he wasn’t able to replicate the same magic in his hometown indoor rodeo.
The Medicine Hat product was bucked off of ‘Chicago Gangster’ and said he’s hoping to get back to form as the rodeo season progresses.
“I’ve been having a little bit of a slow spring up here,” said Finkbeiner. “It went pretty well this winter across the line. But, we got lots of big rodeos coming up here and the season is young. So, it will turn around here quick, I’m sure of it.”
Bull riders will be back in Medicine Hat for ‘Thunderbuck in the Badlands’ at the Canalta Centre on June 22, while the annual Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede Rodeo will be held in late July.
