THUMBS UP FOR STAMPEDE CHAMPION KELLY SUTHERLAND

There will never be another GMC Rangeland Derby like it.

For the first time since 1925, a night of racing had to be cancelled because a rain-strapped track was deemed unsafe on Day 5, forcing a complete overnight overhaul of the five-furlong oval.

Neal Walgenbach was one of three drivers to announce he would retire at the end of the sport’s richest and longest run, and promptly snared the Richard Cosgrave Memorial Award and $50,000 GMC Sierra pickup truck on Day 8 as aggregate champion.

Then Walgenbach collected a record-breaking $387,842 in a Sunday morning auction of his tack, wagon and horses.

A couple of hours later, fourth-generation driver Jason Glass stepped up on the grandstand stage and took a bow as just the seventh chuckwagon driver to receive the prestigious Guy Weadick Award.

All of which merely set the stage for perhaps the most significant moment in the sport — a record-setting 11th victory by an emotional Kelly Sutherland.

The 58-year-old grandfather from Grande Prairie finally got the job done in his record 19th trip to the championship dash when he drew the preferred No. 1 barrel in a pre-race ceremony and sent his Lucid/Lux chuckwagon team wire-to-wire in a day-leading time of 1:14.98.

The victory not only put $100,000 into Sutherland’s bank account and another truck in his driveway, but also separated him from the late Dick Cosgrave as the only men to win 10 Rangelands.

But there was something missing for the man they call The King or The Feather. Kelly’s wife Deb was unable to join her husband of 40 years on stage for the first time.

“I just wish Debbie was here, but she’s in hospital back in Grande Prairie,” he said. “I just love her so much . . . I’ll see her tomorrow when I get back home and we’ll get on down the trail.

“I talked to her every day. She’s been here for every championship, every downfall, every time I’ve hit a barrel when I should have won it. She’s laughed and cried with me.”

The race was picture perfect. All four wagons cracked their barrels in unison, hit the track together and then tried to find a spot where they could challenge Sutherland coming home.

Walgenbach was able to pull early from the No. 3 barrel, go to the rail and follow his long-time pal and rival to the wire to finish second. Glass faded to third after a three-wide run while Kirk Sutherland finished fourth after a two-wide run from the No. 2 barrel.

“I gave them (horses) a little break down the backstretch because I don’t think they run as tough as them other guys, but soon as I turned for home, I turned them loose. I felt a surge and knew they wouldn’t catch me,’’ said Kelly Sutherland.

“I just prayed to God there’d be no penalties.”

Sharing in the victory besides several members of Sutherland’s immediate family, including son and fellow competitor Mark and daughter Mandy, were outriders Chance Flad, Chanse Vigen, Reo King and Doug Irvine.

Kelly Sutherland has been barnstorming the World Pro circuit since he gathered up the reins in the fall of 1968 and made his debut a year later in the Rangeland. He knocked off his first Calgary victory in 1974 and added three more via the aggregate time format before launching the first of six championship dash triumphs in 1986.

Along the way he also picked up more than 60 other show championships, but his prime target has always been Calgary and the riches and fame it brings with victory. The unprecedented 11th win ended a seven-year drought after he won five in six years between 1997 and 2002.

THIS AND THAT: Canadian Pro reinsman Devin Mitsuing, one of 1992 aggregate winner Ray Mitsuing’s sons, wrapped up the Orville Strandquist Award as top rookie. Mitsuing took a $2,300 lead into the night over Brian Mayan and was able to hold on for the honour that is decided on prize money won through the 10 days . . . Veteran World Pro competitor Reg Johnstone gave himself a birthday present by buying Walgenbach’s wagon for $17,000 at the morning auction. Reg celebrated his 62nd birthday Sunday . . . Glass pocketed another $5,000 for the Rangeland safe drive award, being the fastest of five wagons that were still running penalty-free going into the final night.

- by JOHN DOWN, Calgary Herald

The Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association will challenge for the GMC Rangeland Derby championship tonight for the first time in 12 years.

Neal Walgenbach, who ran for a number of years with the rival World Pro group in Alberta before moving to the Saskatchewan circuit two years ago, added a second chapter to his fairy tale by claiming the No. 4 spot for the four-wagon championship dash.

It’ll be the first time the Canadian Pros will have a voice in the big race since 1998 when Wayne Knight hauled their colours.

A night after celebrating his first aggregate award in what will be his last show before he sells out this morning and retires Monday, Walgenbach reluctantly gave up the rail from the No. 1 barrel to 10-time champion Kelly Sutherland in the second of two semifinal heats, but followed closely enough to advance with the fourth-fastest time.

Those two drivers will be joined by Kelly’s younger brother Kirk Sutherland and three-time World Pro champion Jason Glass in the run for the $100,000 winner’s cheque.

Eliminated were six-time Canadian Pro champion Brian Laboucane, three-time champion Buddy Bensmiller, 2009 finalist Mark Sutherland and Canadian Pro season leader Gary Gorst.

“It’s been a good week,” smiled Walgenbach, who’ll throw the reins at his thoroughbreds for the fourth time in the richest of all chuckwagon races. “I think this is the best wheel team I’ve ever owned, so now I’m just going to go out and give it my best and hope to finish ahead of everybody.”

It was Kirk Sutherland, however, who led the charge into the finale when he beat Glass to the rail from the No. 2 barrel in Heat 8 and stopped the clock in a day-leading time of 1:14.68 for the five furlongs.

Kelly Sutherland had the second-fastest time in winning with a wire-to-wire run of 1:15.37, Glass was third in 1:15.38 and Walgenbach fourth in 1:16.09.

As it worked out, the four also were the fastest through eight days.

It’ll be the third trip to the final together for the Sutherland brothers, but neither has emerged triumphant. Kirk, a 53-year-old businessman from Grande Prairie, also made it to the final in 1987 and 2008.

“I’m glad it’s 10. I hope he gets 11, but just not this year,” said Kirk, in reference to his brother’s bid for the victory that will separate him from Dick Cosgrave as the Rangeland’s all-time champion.

Kelly Sutherland has been driving in the Rangeland Derby since 1969 and reeled off his first of a record tying 10 championships and 10 aggregate titles in 1974. But the 58-year-old grandfather hasn’t carted home the big cheque since 2002.

Another of those aces who learned the ropes in Grande Prairie, Sutherland will line up in the championship dash for a record 19th time. He’s won the sudden-death dash six times, with the other four titles coming via the old aggregate method prior to 1979.

So he knows exactly what it’s all about.

“It’s a crapshoot,” he said. “When I’m in the dash, I try to go for broke. Everybody wants the inside No. 1 or No. 2 barrels, but you can’t win if you don’t get there. The horses are running good, so we’ll see what happens.”

While the top eight all got to pick their heats and barrels for the semifinals by order of aggregate finish, there’ll be no such privilege tonight. Kirk Sutherland simply will get first dip in a blind draw of the barrels and then they’ll go in order.

Glass is a fourth-generation driver whose great granddad Tom Lauder, grandfather Ronnie Glass and father Tom Glass all won the Rangeland three times each. The 39-year-old, who finished less than a second behind Walgenbach in the aggregate, will be pulling in for the championship dash for a sixth time.

Up until last year, the fastest four wagons after nine nights of running advanced to the championship, but the Stampede changed the format of the 36-wagon show last year when it shortened the aggregate run by one day to eight days and set up two semifinal dashes among the top eight wagons on Day 9.

THIS AND THAT: Dustin Gorst took a bow as the Stampede’s top outrider and earned $3,000. Runners-up Chanse Vigen and Reo King, won $2,000 and $1,000, respectively. . . Devin Mitsuing will take a $2,300 lead over Brian Mayan into the final run for the top Orville Strandquist rookie award, which is based on money won through 10 days . . . A $5,000 cash bonus also awaits the clean drive award winner, the fastest wagon with least amount of penalties through 10 nights and Glass had the upper hand on that one.

- by John Down, Calgary Herald

Neal Walgenbach and three Sutherlands are in the Rangeland semifnals.

The Redheaded Stranger has a new set of wheels.

Neal Walgenbach topped the aggregate standings after eight nights of qualifying and took home a new GMC truck.

He mentioned earlier in the week he’d have a family fued on his hands — between his wife and kids — if he was fortunate enough to win the truck.

“I imagine they’re arm-twisting back at the barns right now,” Walgenbach said when asked who would come out on top between wife Lorna, son Hally and daughter Melitta.

“I guess I’ll find out who comes out on top when we get back there.”

Walgenbach, who will retire after Sunday night’s races, edged Jason Glass by .77 of a second to win the Richard Cosgrave Memorial Award.

Outriders Brian Mayan, Eddie Melville, Jamie Laboucane and Dale Gray chased the veteran all week and were hit with just one penalty second.

“It feels great,” Walgenbach said. “To win the Richard Cosgrave award just tops it off.”

Walgenbach and Glass will be joined in Saturday’s semifinals by Kelly, Kirk and Mark Sutherland, Buddy Bensmiller, Brian Laboucane and Gary Gorst.

As the top gun, Walgenbach got his choice of which barrel and heat he wanted to race in.

He wasn’t about to spill the beans completely, but admitted he’ll be wearing a white shirt (Barrel 1) Saturday night.

“All those guys run tough, so you’ve got to be clean,” Walgenbach said of the semis.

“And they make you run, too.”

AROUND THE BARRELS

Brian Laboucane (The Mavericks) is the hottest driver on the Stampede grounds these days.

His 1:14.26 Friday night was the fastest time of the entire derby.

Laboucane posted two day-money runs, and a second-place run, to move from 23rd in the standings to sixth.

Wayne Knight (Express Employment Professionals) was second-quickest last night with a 1:14.90 followed by Jason Glass (Shaw GMC Chevrolet Buick) at 1:15.10.

TOUGH-LUCK COWBOYS

Troy Dorchester (The Roadhouse Nightclub & Continental Imaging) was the guy left on the outside looking in, missing out on the semifinals by .98 of a second.

Disaster also struck for Rick Fraser (Chickwagon Foundation/Heninger Toyota), who came into the night in sixth spot. After knocking over a barrel, he dropped to 13th.

Dusty LaValley is into the Stampede final on Sunday.

Dusty LaValley has a good-luck charm that goes by the name of Austin Outlaw.

No, it’s not his horse.

That’s the name of his baby boy born on May 19.

Since taking a couple weeks off to help his partner Stephanie Nicholson after she gave birth, LaValley, of Bezanson, Alta., has been tearing up the bareback rodeo circuit.

“I’ve been rodeoing hard ever since and just everywhere I’ve been it’s been awesome,” said LaValley. “I’m having a great time.”

LaValley won the third round at the Calgary Stampede with an 86-point ride on Reckless Margie, bringing him to a three-day total of $12,500.

LaValley won rodeos in Ponoka and Reno and earned $30,000 in the two weeks leading up to the Stampede. He’s the top ranked bareback rider on the Canadian Wrangler Pro circuit and sits 12th in the world.

“Every rodeo I’ve been to, just about, it’s been top-three finishes (since Austin Outlaw was born). I can’t believe the way it’s going,” said LaValley. “If I have another slump I might have to have another baby. I might end up with 10 kids by the time I’m retired.”

On Thursday, LaValley drew Reckless Margie, an identical twin sister of Rapper Margie ridden by Davey Shields Jr. of De Winton, Alta. Shields tied Heath Ford of Elkhart, Texas (on Jay Bar Nine) for second at 83.5 points. They each won $4,000.

LaValley, a two-time Canadian champion and 2004 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rookie of the year, is guaranteed a berth in the Sunday showdown.

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/rodeo-chucks/Baby+good+luck+Dusty+LaValley/3285051/story.html#ixzz0tunJ4z2u

KELLY SUTHERLAND IS ONE OF THREE FAMILY MEMBERS INCONTENTION

They’ll crown the GMC Rangeland Derby aggregate champion tonight and there’s a good chance it could be a driver who answers to the name Sutherland.

Ten-time champion Kelly Sutherland, his younger brother Kirk and Kelly’s son Mark were still in the chase for the Richard Cosgrave Memorial Award and GMC pickup truck valued at $50,000 through seven nights of the 10-day run.

Which meant all three were still in the top eight after Thursday’s action saw the trio take care of business in a big way. Kelly won his heat by a half-length over Kirk in a time of 1:15.60 to inch into fifth place, just .37 back of fourth-placed Kirk, who also jumped up a spot. Mark also nailed No. 1 in his race to remain eighth.

Still leading the parade, however, is Neal Walgenbach with an aggregate time of 7:43.80 and the Stettler cowboy held it despite incurring a one-second penalty for a late outrider. Less than a second back is three-time champion Buddy Bensmiller at 7:44.72 and camped third for a second straight night is Jason Glass at 7:44.83.

Walgenbach goes to the No. 3 barrel tonight while Bensmiller moves to No. 4 and Glass to the No. 1.

While Kelly is the man who has generated most of the Sutherland success since he took up the reins in 1969 and made his Calgary debut that same year, 53-year-old Kirk has been known to knock at the door of the sport’s richest prize.

Since he started driving in 1976, he has won six shows on the World Pro circuit and several with the Western Chuckwagon Association. More importantly, the resident of Grande Prairie joined Kelly in the 1987 Calgary championship dash to form the first and only brother pairing to ever square off for the prestigious title. They did it again in 2008.

Neither won either of those dashes.

Now, they’ve been hooked again in heat eight of this final four-day run to tonight’s aggregate with Mark, a finalist last year, doing his thing one heat earlier.

“I don’t know if you’d call it a rivalry,” says the man track announcer Les McIntyre has dubbed Captain Kirk, “but any time I’m hooked with Kelly, I know I’m going to be in the money.”

Kirk won his first show in 1976 and his last show in 2006 after taking six years off from the sport between 1996 and 2002. He scored a big win by taking home the $50,000 cheque at the Edmonton Chuckwagon Derby in 2006 and has only added to his horsepower in a bulging stable ever since.

“Drove five outfits all spring, cut those down to four for the start of the tour, put three together for Ponoka and have pretty much settled on two for this show,” says the father of four, including kick boxing champion Misty.

“The one outfit has a young lead team and both have new wheelers. Just some young blood injected into the old ones.”

Kelly and Kirk used to have most of the fun together, but now that Mark is proving he can play with the big boys, the good-natured ribbing reaches a lot deeper. Especially when the three all had a chance to win Drumheller last year and were hooked in the same race.

“I got a penalty and Kelly won it,” sighs Kirk.

Of course, it wouldn’t be out of the question for the three to advance to Saturday’s semifinals that are set aside for fastest eight wagons after tonight. While that in itself would be something, it would also give them a chance to fill three of the four spots in Sunday’s $150,000 championship dash.

Now that would be historic, as two brothers and a nephew have never filled that race.

“Yeah, that’d be something,” agrees Kirk, “but that’s a long ways off and we’ve still got some running to do. But I guess it’s within reach if we all run our races.”

THIS AND THAT: It’s safe to say there’ll be a new winner this year now that defending champion Chad Harden has fallen far off the pace, five penalty seconds his biggest downfall . . . Former finalist Rick Fraser, the No. 6 man overall, had the fastest run of the night at 1:15.08 . . . A reminder Walgenbach’s auction of his horses, wagon and equipment will be held Sunday at 11 a.m. in front of his stable on the east side of H barn . . . Nine wagons started Day 7 with clean penalty slates. The fastest of those nine will be declared the clean drive award champion and scoop an extra $5,000.

- by John Down, Calgary Herald

Kelly Sutherland (centre) poses with his outriders - photo by Billy Melville

Grande Prairie’s Kelly Sutherland has won his seventh Ponoka Stampede chuckwagon championship in a World Professional Chuckwagon Assocation event in the cenetral Alberta city.

He did it Sunday night driving the Red Deer Motors wagon in the $50,000 Sudden Death Championship final against three former Ponoka champions – Obrey Motowylo, Grant Profit and Jerry Bremner.

Sutherland came off the No. 1 barrel and had a penalty-free time of 1:16.20. Profit was second, Motowylo third and Bremner fourth.

Sutherland’s 1:16.20 held up as the day’s fastest time followed by Chad Harden, Luke Tournier, Mark Sutherland and Kirk Sutherland.

Another Grande Prairie competitor, Chanse Vigen, shared in the victory as one of the four winning team outriders. Chance Flad, Reo King and Todd Goodley also shared in the record-tying championship.

Sutherland also ended up with the best aggregate time of 7:42.15 over the six days, followed by Profit, Motowylo, Bremner and Mark Sutherland.

The seventh Ponoka win ties Sutherland with his mentor and now-deceased Grande Prairie driver Ralph Vigen.

The WPCA Dodge Pro Tour will now take a break for the Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby from July 9-18.

DAILY HERALD-TRIBUNE

There was a local winner of the Western Chuckwagon Association $5,000 Dash for Cash Sunday night, although that was not determined until well after the grandstand lights had dimmed.

For Sexsmith’s Nathan Sales, it was worth the wait.

Sales, driving under the Dragon Racing tarp, was sure he had edged former World Professional Chuckwagon Association driver Tyler Helmig (Monavie tarp) at the wire in the feature WCA heat. But when the announcement came over the loudspeaker, Sales was assessed 15 seconds in penalties – penalties committed by defending Stompede champion Chanse Vigen (Jack Lefley & Sons).

The announcer declared Helmig as Stompede champion and the Leduc driver accepted the cheque in the middle of the ring.

Shortly after 11 p.m., the decision was officially overturned.

NATHAN SALES

“The wait was worth it,” said Sales, who officially beat Helmig by 1/100th of a second (1:19.97 to 1:19.98), for the $2,500 winner’s cheques. “It was good. Very, very satisfying.

“It was a very long time to wait. But I watched the film and I saw that I came in ahead of Tyler, so…. There are quite a few (whoops) coming from the camp now.”

As much as the wait was worth it for Sales, he was disappointed that he could not share the win in front of the sold-out grandstand.

“It was kind of anti-climactic,” he said. “I didn’t get to go (celebrate) in front of my home town. But it’s a pretty big deal to run against Tyler Helmig. He’s a former world champion. Boy, he come on with a head of steam. It was neat to run against him – it really was.”

Helmig could not be reached for comment after the ruling, but Sales said there were no hard feelings.

“He wasn’t upset about it – he just wanted to make sure everything was right,” said Sales, who has only been racing for three years. “First Stompede win. It feels really good to get a win right out of the gate like this.”

Lance Kimble (All Star Masonry) of Wembley was also in the Dash for Cash.

The WCA will resume June 10-13 in Dawson Creek.

RAE CROUTEAU JR. FLANKED BY OUTRIDERS KEN FLANAGAN (LEFT) AND RYAN MCNEILL

By TERRY FARRELL

Daily Herald-Tribune

Rae Croteau, Jr. said after his opening-night win last Wednesday that all he had to do from that point on was keep it clean.

He had no way of knowing how prophetic those words were.

Racing under the Tomco Group of Companies tarp, Croteau ended a near-perfect week at the Grande Prairie Stompede with a win Sunday in the biggest heat of the Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association’s Stompede

He beat Reg Johnstone (Happy Trails RV), Cliff Cunningham (Basnett Truck Service) and hometown favourite Kirk Sutherland (Emco Corporation) in the feature heat.

Croteau was the only one to run a clean heat in the final race of the night.

“It wasn’t the prettiest barrel turn ever but we made it around the top and come out clean and other guys had a bit of problems, so it worked out well for us,” said the 2010 Stompede champion.

“My major focus this year is just to be consistent. I’ve got the horse power … You don’t have to go out and win every heat, but if you’re clean and other guys have troubles around you, you’re going to be on top at the end of the day, regardless.”

As well as it worked out for Croteau, it was quite the opposite for Sutherland.

While he was the only other Dash rig not to knock over a barrel, his problems were much more severe.

One of his horses broke a leg during the barrel turns. It made it to the south end of the track, but once all the other wagons had passed, collapsed and had to be put down.

“It’s tough – we don’t like to lose our horses, we work with them and everything and it’s sad,” said Sutherland. ”They want to win as much as we do, but it happens and you’ve got to carry on.

“I’ve had him about three or four years. He was a good solid old horse and he put in everything we wanted (of him) every trip.”

Sutherland said conditions were not a factor.

“The track, the infield, everything was good – it’s nothing to blame, it just happens. That’s how it goes,” he said.

As for Croteau, he had another spell of prophecy Sunday morning.

“This outfit had rested for two days and I just woke up today and I said ‘I think we’ve got a pretty good chance.’ I was pretty much positive we were going to do it,” he said. ”I didn’t want to be too cocky or arrogant or nothing, but I just had that feeling.”

It’s a feeling with which he is becoming familiar. At a relatively tender age of 28, this was Croteau’s ninth career WPCA victory. The $15,000 winner’s portion of the Dash is the largest single payday of his young WPCA career.

Although Croteau was the only one to cross the finish line clean, he liked the fact that he also crossed first. It was close. He was timed at 1:20.40, 0.12 seconds ahead of Johnstone and 0.17 up on Cunningham.

“We did get them at the wire by a nose – even though I am the only guy to run through penalty free, I’m pretty happy that I won the race also, and didn’t win just because I was penalty-free,” he said.

Johnstone had a five-second penalty for knocking over a barrel, while Cunningham was assessed 10 seconds for knocking over two barrels.

“I’m just really happy to have a great start to the spring,” said Croteau. ”I’ve really got to thank my two generations, grandfather and father for teaching me everything. Also Tomco Group, they were behind me right from the start of this spring. It’s a great feeling to have a group of guys who are excited for the meet and that you can come through for them like this and get their name out and be the champions.”

DUSTY LAVALLEY WON BAREBACK WITH RECORD-TYING 88 - Terry Farrell photo

By TERRY FARRELL

Daily Herald-Tribune

It’s a good thing Dusty LaValley won the bareback competition at this year’s Grande Prairie Stompede, because he’s going to need the extra cash.

His living expenses just took a major spike upward.

LaValley tied the arena record on Saturday, riding Royal Trapper to an 88.

As good as that ride was, LaValley said it was nothing compared to the thrill he experienced one week earlier, when he helped with the delivery of his son, Austin Outlaw.

“It was sure an eye-opener,” he said, of the childbirth experience he shared with his girlfriend, Stephanie Nicholson. “Holy smokes, what women go through, it’s just tremendous.”

As was LaValley’s performance at his home rodeo, which came as a bit of a surprise to him.

“That horse is an older horse, been around for a while and he’s not very… not that great, usually,” said LaValley.

“Boy, he just had a really good day today. It felt like a little bit of work for me. He isn’t one of those horses that’s just easy to ride. But it feels really good.

“I’ve had about a two-month break so it’s nice to jump out there and have a good score.”

Not just good. Tie for the best ever, at Evergreen Park.

It was a theme that played itself over again and again at the Stompede grounds this year.

Stompede records were either set or tied in five of the six individual rodeo events over the course of the past five days.

Unfortunately for the large grandstand crowd at the final performance, Sunday was the only day that did not feature at least one arena record.

It was also the only day that did not produce a champion.

The records started falling in Wednesday’s slack, when Rana Koopmans became the first barrel racer to ever post a time lower than 15 seconds at Evergreen Park. Her time of 14.99 was never threatened.

Thursday was the first full day of rodeoing, and it took all of three cowboys before another arena record was established.

Luke Butterfield rode Blue Eyed Trapper to an 89 as the third man out of the chute in the saddle bronc – the day’s first event.

“No one ever comes to post arena records, but that is by far the highest score I have ever had so I was pretty happy,” said Butterfield, who was in Bonnyville for its pro rodeo when contacted about his win on Sunday.

“I was in Maple Creek and then came here (Bonnyville), but didn’t do nothing at either. In Bonnyville it was raining like a son of a gun, so I didn’t do real well. There was even snow here during (Saturday’s) show, but that’s rodeo, I guess.”

One cheque out of three shows is not perfect, but it’s one cheque more than a lot of his peers received.

“Yeah, yeah … and it’s a big one, too,” he said. “I’ll be back to Grande Prairie, for sure.

“It’s close to home (Ponoka) and it’s a great rodeo.”

Jake Hannum of Ogden, Utah, tied an arena record on Thursday, by roping a steer in 7.0 seconds. It was his first-ever appearance at the Stompede.

Friday was Ty Miller’s second-ever Stompede appearance, and he did one better than in 2009.

Last year the 22-year-old Wainwright cowboy won more than $2,600 by finishing second in steer wrestling.

He was 0.1 second behind Lee Graves, who had set the arena record with a 4.0.

One year later, Miller has gotten faster: One-tenth of a second faster.

He tied Graves’s 2009 arena record this year and took home the top money and belt buckle.

“I like Grande Prairie – it treats me good,” said the second-year pro, who had never won a rodeo before this week.

“This is the first time that I have done much in the bull-dogging this year, was today, so hopefully it’s the start of something.”

Miller left Grande Prairie immediately following his performance, to head to Sask-atchewan for the Maple Creek rodeo. He finished in a tie for third there, giving him two paycheques on the week.

“It was a real good week, for sure,” he said on Sunday. “If I keep pickin’ away like this, hopefully I can make the top 12 and get to the (Canadian Finals Rodeo). It’s a long season yet though, so I’m not getting too excited just yet. A long way to go.”

Ty Pozzobon of Merritt, B.C., won the bull riding with his score of 87 on Saturday. While Pozzobon did not post an arena record, it was the second straight year that the winning ride was posted on Archie, an Outlaw Buckers Rodeo Corp. bull reputed as a “spinner.”

The 22-year-old from Wildwood, Alberta works for an oilfield construction company and is certified in equine massage and hopes to own her own business and use her knowledge to raise and promote quality registered quarter horses.

Runner-up and Stompede Princess for the coming year is Bobbie Binks of Grande Prairie.

She is a 21-year old who believes that volunteering is the key to healthy community relations and is an active member of a local 4-H club.

Also in this year’s competition were Lisa Doucette of Grande Prairie; Katrina Viguie of Grovedale; and Amy Foisy of Wildwood.