Drama Highlights Hanna Season Wrap-Up
Courtesy of the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association
Want some late season heroics in your season finale? How’s this...
San Angelo, Texas tie-down roper, Ty Harris, needed a big performance at the Hanna Indoor Pro Rodeo, last stop of the regular CPRA regular season, to qualify for his first Canadian Finals Rodeo. The college student turned in the fastest time of his career (and the fastest time of this year’s CPRA season), a 6.7 second run, for the win ($1275.58) and his first CFR berth.
Barrel racer Shelby Spielman needed a win and was riding her backup horse, Walter, as her 2018 CFR mare, Hot Donna, was recovering from some health challenges. Spielman and Walter put together a 12.433 second run, which netted the Dalhart, Texas cowgirl the win and $917.91 to edge BC barrel racer Rylee Trenholm (unofficially) by $1.27 for the final CFR berth.
Wainwright, Alberta’s Ty Miller topped the steer wrestling field with a 3.7 second run for $1281.22. The win - Miller’s second in seven days - jumped the veteran into the top 12 in Canada for his first CFR appearance since 2010.
Team roping (heeler) Tristin Woolsey from Nanton, AB, could finish no worse than second to make the post season. He and partner, Denver Johnson, put together a 4.0 second winning run for $1049.51, which enabled Woolsey to move up four spots in the standings to earn a second consecutive CFR qualification.
Bashaw, AB bareback rider Jacob Stemo needed the win in Hanna to move to 13th place in the Canadian standings and put himself in a position to go to the CFR - depending on the injury status of two competitors ahead of him in the standings. Stemo got the win with an 83.5 ride on Sawyer Pro Rodeo’s Turn Back Time for $1015.20, but must now wait until CFR entry day to see if he’ll be competing in Red Deer.
Harris, the 2018 College National Finals Champion, credited Logan Bird’s two time Tie-Down Horse of the Year, TJ, with enabling his late season success. “He’s great. TJ makes it so easy and you know he’s going to do the same thing every single run,” Harris enthused. “Now it’s time for me to practice and get ready to rope against those guys up in Canada.”
Fellow Texan, Shelby Spielman, was excited and surprised at her brilliant finish to the season. “I never expected that to happen. But I think I rode him (Walter) better than I ever have.” The 22 year Texas Tech student had a strange way of celebrating her return to the CFR. After taking three hours to get from Taber to Warner (55 kms), in a record September snowstorm, Spielman pulled her rig into the Warner Post Office parking lot to spend the night. She is planning to run Walter for at least the first couple of performances at CFR ‘46. “Hot Donna is pretty much ready to go but she’s really good in those big outdoor pens so we’ll see how this works out.”
For complete unofficial Hanna results, see rodeocanada.com
Next stop on the Pro Rodeo Canada trail is CFR ‘46 Oct 29-Nov 3 at Westerner Park in Red Deer, AB
