Grady Young picked a great time to record his first 90-point ride. Read More
Grady Young fights through the pain of a previous buck-off to reach the 90-point mark for the first time in his career and takes top bull-riding honours at the Calgary Stampede on Monday.
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Grady Young fights through the pain of a previous buck-off to reach the 90-point mark for the first time in his career and takes top bull-riding honours at the Calgary Stampede on Monday.
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Grady Young picked a great time to record his first 90-point ride.
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And it almost didn’t happen.
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The 19-year-old bull rider from Leader, Sask., was rewarded for his spectacular trip atop Splash Tide on the first day of Pool B action at the Calgary Stampede rodeo on Monday.
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“Amazing,” said Young of his 91-point accomplishment that earned him a payday of $7,200. “I couldn’t ask for a better start. I’ve never been 90 before and to do it at one of the biggest rodeos of the year, I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
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In obvious pain when talking to reporters, Young explained that he was bucked off another bull at the Raymond Stampede a week earlier
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“I’m pretty sore right now and I wasn’t sure how it was going to go,” he said. “I almost even turned out of here because I was not feeling good at all. I said I might as well just bear down and get it done.”
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If it wasn’t for the work of a member of the Canadian Pro Rodeo Sport Medicine Team, Young might not even have had his wild ride on Splash Tide
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“Sports med gave me a massage and it helped me out so much,” said Young, noting that all the muscles from his shoulder up to his neck have been sore for the past week. “I can’t thank them enough for being here and helping us out.”
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Young was also grateful that members of his family — including his dad Blade, who competed in Calgary as a bull rider in the past — were in the GMC Stadium stands to watch his performance.
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“He’s been here a few times and I think he was pretty close to winning it a couple times, but he’s never got it done, so I might as well carry on the name and get it done for him,” Young said. “My whole family’s here to support me and I can’t thank them enough.”
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Texas cowboy Trey Benton III had Monday’s second-best ride of 86.5 points atop Wild Time to win $5,700, while South Dakota’s Mason Moody scored 85.5 points on a re-ride atop Whistleblower to earn $4,700 for finishing third.
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Jake Gardner, of Fort St. John, B.C., had a spooky-good ride aboard Haunted Hotel, which earned him 84 points from the judges and a cheque for $3,450.
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BRENNAN OUTBATTLES GOOD BUDDY THURSTON
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Damien Brennan was aware that Zeke Thurston had ridden Exciting Bubbles for 90.5 points before him on Monday.
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But that didn’t phase the Australian saddle bronc rider, who went out a short time later and scored 91 points atop Mary Jane.
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“I honestly just block all that out,” said Brennan, who won $7,000, while Thurston, of Big Valley, Alta., had to settle for a payday of $5,500. “I don’t even worry about it. I just focus on what I’ve got to do and the rest is up to the judges.”
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That being said, Brennan was pleased as punch to outdo Thurston, who captured three straight Calgary Stampede titles from 2015-17 before finishing second behind Kade Bruno last year.
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“Zeke’s one of my really good bodies,” Brennan said. “We get along really good. And he’s an absolute freak. You don’t win four world titles and all the stuff he’s won for not being the best in the world, so it’s just fun to be out here competing against him and trying to take his Canadian money. It’s a bit of fun.”
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And the Aussie cowboy has been having all sorts of fun of late.
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“In the last four weeks, I’ve won nearly $60,000,” said Brennan, who was crowned the top saddle bronc rider at the Ponoka Stampede on Canada Day. “Hopefully, we just keep adding to it here, so yeah, it’s been awesome.”
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PAIR OF FIRSTS FOR IDAHO COMPETITORS
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A pair of competitors from nearby Idaho kicked off Monday’s rodeo by winning their respective events.
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After Cooper Cooke scored 88 points atop Calgary Stampede’s Zastron Acres to win the bareback riding event, barrel racer Megan Mcleod-Sprague had the fastest time of 17.11 seconds in her specialty.
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It was the first-ever go-round win for both Cooke and Mcleod-Sprague, who each won $7,000 for their efforts.
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“I’ve been here for three years, came close to winning the bronze, but never quite got there, so this year must be my year,” said Cooke, who had previously scored 85 points on Zastron Acres at the Houston Rodeo. “Honestly, I couldn’t ask for a better first horse here. I mean, this is the horse’s home country. They always buck better where they were born. You know when you have a Calgary horse in Calgary, it’s going to be pretty good.”
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Mcleod-Sprague last competed in Calgary in 2023.
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“This is my first-go round win, so I’m pretty excited about that,” said Mcleod-Sprague, who praised his horse Jagger for his performance. “He always gets stronger the more runs he’s got, so I was actually really pleased for him to come out of the gate that strong.”
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Even the pyrotechnics that are often featured during the afternoon show didn’t faze him.
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“I was kind of laughing with one of the other barrel racers when we were out here,” Mcleod-Sprague said. “He thinks they do the fireworks for him. He’s not scared of them at all.”
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AROUND THE CHUTES
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Texan Cody Devers stopped the clock in 3.8 seconds to win the steer wrestling competition. Louisiana’s Rowdy Parrot may have had the best name of the day, but he had to settle for second spot behind Devers with a clocking of 4.0. Mississippi’s Will Lummus, the 2022 Calgary Stampede champ, finished third (4.1) … New Mexico’s Maddy Deerman’s time of 2.7 seconds won Monday’s breakaway roping competition. Americans Hali Williams, of Texas, and Joey Williams, of Montana, finished in second and third with times of 3.1 and 3.2, respectively. Kendal Pierson, of Wardlow, Alta., stopped the clock in 5.2 to finish a respectable fourth.
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CALGARY STAMPEDE RODEO
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BAREBACK
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POOL B
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Monday — Day 1
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| Competitor | Stock | Score | Payout | |||
| 207 | Cooke, Cooper | Victor, ID | C Z-63 | Zastron Acres | 88.00 | $7,000.00 |
| 228 | Thompson, Dean | Altamont, UT | M 361 | OLS Tubs Country Girl | 86.50 | $5,000.00 |
| 201 | Allen, Sage | Blackfoot, ID | M 61 | Buffalo Gypsy | 86.50 | $5,000.00 |
| 221 | Petersen, Sam | Helena, MT | C W-74 | Weary Joke | 86.00 | $3,250.00 |
| 223 | Reiner, Cole | Buffalo, WY | C X-40 | Xceptional Margarita | 84.00 | $2,000.00 |
| 225 | Steiner, Rocker | Weatherford, TX | M 91 | Holiday Rambler | 83.00 | $500.00 |
| 232 | Sonnier, Kade | Carencro | M 73 | Midnight Special | 83.00 | $500.00 |
| 213 | Lamb, Kody | Sherwood Park, AB | C T-32 | Turbo Rocket | 78.50 | $0.00 |
| 216 | Lees, Jacob | Caldwell, ID | C A-66 | Alert Warrior | 76.00 | $0.00 |
| 220 | Pelke, Nick | Mondovi, WI | C B-16 | Bomb Cherry | 69.00 | $0.00 |
| 220 | Pelke, Nick | Mondovi, WI | C X-2 | Xrated Dancer | RR | $0.00 |
| 213 | Lamb, Kody | Sherwood Park, AB | M C61 | High Pockets | RR | $0.00 |
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BARREL RACING
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POOL B
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Monday — Day 1
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| Competitor | Score | Payout | ||
| 617 | Mcleod-Sprague, Megan | Marsing, ID | 17.110 | $7,000.00 |
| 611 | Gibson-Stillwell, Hayle | Redcrest, CA | 17.230 | $5,500.00 |
| 621 | Otero, Carlee | Perrin, TX | 17.300 | $4,500.00 |
| 616 | Manning, Taylor | Ponoka, AB | 17.310 | $3,250.00 |
| 612 | Johnson, Wenda | Pawhuska, OK | 17.340 | $2,000.00 |
| 630 | Whiteside, Bradi | Longview, AB | 17.490 | $1,000.00 |
| 605 | Castleberry, Ashley | Montgomery, TX | 17.630 | $0.00 |
| 607 | Duke, LaTricia | Zephyr, TX | 17.650 | $0.00 |
| 603 | Brodoway, Lynette | Brooks, AB | 17.950 | $0.00 |
| 615 | Lockhart, Lisa | Oelrichs, SD | 22.340 | $0.00 |
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NOVICE SADDLE BRONC
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Monday — Day 1
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| Competitor | Stock | Score | |||
| 816 | Madsen, Trygg | Morgan, UT | C G-10 | Get Over | 77.00 |
| 812 | Flaherty, Samuel | Condor, AB | C G-14 | Greeting Foolish | 71.00 |
| 817 | Tallmadge, Quinn | Meadow Lake, Sk | C G-99 | Gripping Badlands | 62.00 |
| 811 | Cust, Jordan | Sturgeon County, Ab | C G-79 | Grilled Brownie | 52.00 |
| 813 | Greenslade, Clay | Strathmore, AB | C H-57 | Hickory Western | DG |
| 815 | Larson, Cohen | Macrorie, SK | C H-71 | Have a Champagne | BO |
| 814 | Hale, Brody | Dorothy, AB | C H-84 | Hold on Betty | BO |
| 818 | Williams, Jett | Clarinda, IA | C G-43 | Gooses Alibi | RR |
| 818 | Williams, Jett | Clarinda, IA | C E-15 | Enlisted Frisk | BO |
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TIE-DOWN ROPING
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POOL B
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Monday — Day 1
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| Competitor | Score | Payout | ||
| 415 | Harris, Ty | San Angelo, TX | 6.7 | $7,000.00 |
| 418 | Hooper, Cash | Pampa, TX | 7.6 | $5,500.00 |
| 429 | Webb, Riley | Denton, TX | 7.8 | $4,500.00 |
| 414 | Harris, Joel | San Angelo, TX | 8.4 | $3,250.00 |
| 420 | Jongbloed, Zach | Iowa, LA | 8.8 | $2,000.00 |
| 411 | Hall, Seth | Albuquerque, NM | 17.8 | $1,000.00 |
| 413 | Hancock, Dylan | San Angelo, TX | NT | $0.00 |
| 402 | Clemons, Cole | Okeechobee, FL | NT | $0.00 |
| 412 | Hanchey, Shane | Carmine, TX | NT | $0.00 |
| 417 | Hiatt, Quade | Canyon, TX | NT | $0.00 |
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STEER WRESTLING
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POOL B
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Monday — Day 1
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| Competitor | Score | Payout | ||
| 507 | Devers, Cody | Perryton, TX | 3.8 | $7,000.00 |
| 524 | Parrott, Rowdy | Mamou, LA | 4.0 | $5,500.00 |
| 518 | Lummus, Will | Byhalia, MS | 4.1 | $4,500.00 |
| 526 | Robb, Cash | Altamont, UT | 4.2 | $3,250.00 |
| 520 | McGinn, Mike | Haines, OR | 4.5 | $2,000.00 |
| 516 | Laye, Brendan | Consort, AB | 4.9 | $1,000.00 |
| 503 | Bauerle, Tyler | Jourdanton, TX | 10.9 | $0.00 |
| 510 | Erickson, Ty | Helena, MT | 13.4 | $0.00 |
| 509 | Eldridge, Dakota | Elko, NV | NT | $0.00 |
| 515 | Jorgensen, Stetson | Blackfoot, ID | NT | $0.00 |
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SADDLE BRONC
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POOL B
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Monday — Day 1
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| Competitor | Stock | Score | Payout | |||
| 103 | Brennan, Damian | Injune, AUS | M 420 | Mary Jane | 91.00 | $7,000.00 |
| 128 | Thurston, Zeke | Big Valley, AB | C E-7 | Exciting Bubbles | 90.50 | $5,500.00 |
| 129 | Wanchuk, Kolby | Sherwood Park, AB | C Z-24 | Zorta Proud | 87.00 | $4,500.00 |
| 120 | Newman, Sage | Melstone, MT | M 111 | Yellow Jacket | 82.00 | $2,083.33 |
| 108 | Dallas, Zachary | Albuquerque, NM | M -12 | Weekend Renegade | 82.00 | $2,083.33 |
| 109 | Diaz, Isaac | Desdemona, TX | M 013 | Copy Cat | 82.00 | $2,083.33 |
| 102 | Boore, Allen | Axtell, UT | M 63 | Grit Your Teeth | 79.00 | $0.00 |
| 123 | Radel, Darcy | Injune, AUS | C F-56 | Freaky Umber | 77.50 | $0.00 |
| 118 | Kruse, Jesse | Bridger, MT | C F-58 | Flash Watts | 73.00 | $0.00 |
| 130 | Wells, Brody | Powell, WY | C B-26 | Business Girl | BO | $0.00 |
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BREAKAWAY ROPING
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POOL B
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Monday — Day 1
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| Competitor | Score | Payout | ||
| 710 | Deerman, Maddy | Hope, NM | 2.7 | $7,000.00 |
| 728 | Williams, Hali | Comanche, TX | 3.1 | $5,500.00 |
| 729 | Williams, Joey | Volborg, MT | 3.2 | $4,500.00 |
| 726 | Pierson, Kendal | Wardlow, AB | 5.2 | $3,250.00 |
| 717 | Gray, TiAda | May, TX | 12.2 | $2,000.00 |
| 718 | Hollabaugh, Jordan Jo | Pueblo, CO | 12.4 | $1,000.00 |
| 716 | Good, Bradi | Abilene, TX | 12.7 | $0.00 |
| 712 | Edens-Mitchell, Jordi | Gatesville, TX | NT | $0.00 |
| 707 | Conner, Josie | Iowa, LA | NT | $0.00 |
| 721 | Miller, Aspen | Santa Fe, TX | NT | $0.00 |
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BULL RIDING
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POOL B
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Monday — Day 1
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| Competitor | Stock | Score | Payout | |||
| 329 | Young, Grady | Leader, SK | V 308 | Splash Tide | 91.00 | $7,200.00 |
| 302 | Benton III, Trey | Richards, TX | V 846 | Wild Time | 86.50 | $5,700.00 |
| 317 | Moody, Mason | Letcher, SD | C 812 | Whistleblower | 85.50 | $4,700.00 |
| 307 | Gardner, Jacob | Fort St John, BC | V 845 | Haunted Hotel | 84.00 | $3,450.00 |
| 320 | Potter, Maverick | Waxahachie, TX | C 977 | Foo Fighter | 83.00 | $2,200.00 |
| 322 | Sellars, Clayton | Wildwood, FL | V 930 | Deep Creek | BO | $0.00 |
| 319 | Petri, Jesse | Dublin, TX | V 018 | Destination Unknown | BO | $0.00 |
| 324 | Trosclair, Jace | Chauvin, LA | V 056 | Crazy Little Thing | BO | $0.00 |
| 308 | Hansen, Jordan | Amisk, AB | V 918 | Trust Issues | BO | $0.00 |
| 317 | Moody, Mason | Letcher, SD | V 967 | Bow Before Me | RR | $0.00 |
| 301 | Barrows, William | Foremost, AB | C 609 | Tactical Error | BO | $0.00 |
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