Timely Win for Ty Milller
It was the perfect time for Ty Miller to record his first win of the year.
The Wainwright steer wrestler bulldogged his steer in 4.4 seconds at the Dallas Sunstrum Memorial Pro Rodeo in Brooks, Alberta for a much-needed $1210 injection to his 2019 earnings total. Miller was sitting 14th in the Canadian standings prior to his Saturday night run but the win gives him $15,005 for the season with just one regular rodeo left on the roster—next week’s Hanna Pro Rodeo.
When Alliance, Alberta’s Evan Spady, who had been occupying 13th place on the season leaderboard dogged his steer in 4.8 seconds, just moments after Miller’s run, the stage was set for a four way showdown in Hanna. Spady’s pressure-packed run resulted in a 2/3 split for $974 giving him $15,211 going into the final week of the season. Spady’s Brooks performance also moved him into the top 10 in the race for a Maple Leaf Circuit spot.
With Montana cowboy, Bridger Chambers in 11th place at $15,267, Ponoka’s Brock Butterfield, who had been sitting in the 12th and final CFR qualifying berth at $13,325 taking a no time, it means that less than $900 separates the four men. Chambers, Spady, Miller and Butterfield will go head to head in Hanna – with two trips to Red Deer, site of CFR ’46 on the line.
“I didn’t back off and I did everything I could do,” Miller acknowledged after his Brooks effort. “I just wanted to give myself a chance in Hanna and I was able to do that.”
The veteran hand who made his last CFR appearance in 2010, had drawn the same steer he’d had in Armstrong (Labour Day weekend) for a fifth place finish in the Finning Pro Tour finale. “I felt I could have made a lot better run on him at Armstrong, so I was glad to have him here.
“There was pressure for sure but I think I’ve figured a few things out along the way.” Miller credited his success earlier this year at the Hoover Hays Memorial jackpot steer wrestling with preparing him for his late-season heroics. “I’d been in position to win that event three years ago and I messed up but this year, it was exactly the same deal and I was able to win it. That really helped me be ready for tonight. And one of my best friends in the world, Rowdy Hays, called me after Armstrong and said, ‘Be prepared for it to come down to Hanna’, and it looks like he was right.”
What added to the drama of the night was that Miller, who had the whole family on hand at the Silver Sage arena, traveled with Butterfield most of the year and was riding Brock’s horse for the winning run.
“That’s steer wrestling,” the veteran noted. “All of us are friends but all of us want to win.”
Another race that will likely be decided in Hanna is the tie-down roping as the 11th place man, Cody MacCartney (4th – $908), 12th place man, Riley Warren (3rd – $1102) and 14th placed Texan Ty Harris (7th – $324) all cashed cheques at Brooks.
Others who helped their CFR cause on the weekend were barrel racer Rylee Trenholm, the British Columbia barrel racer who cashed a 4th place $806 cheque to consolidate her hold on 12th place and team ropers, Tee McLeod and Trey Gallais. Their split of 4th place was good for $454 and enabled heeler McLeod to move up two spots to 12th place and bumped header Gallais up to 13th, just $109.00 back of 12th place man, Kal Fuller. McLeod also joined his partner in the top 10 of the Maple Leaf Circuit standings. And Taylor Manning’s barrel racing win moved the Edson, AB cowgirl from 11th to 8th in the Maple Leaf standings as well.
For complete Dallas Sunstrum Memorial results see rodeocanada.com
The all-important final stop of the 2019 regular season will take place next weekend with the Hanna Pro Rodeo, September 27-29.
About the Canadian Professional Rodeo AssociationThe Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) with headquarters in Airdrie, Alberta is the sanctioning body for professional rodeo in Canada. The CPRA approves 55 events annually with a total payout exceeding $5.7 million. The organization holds their premiere event – the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) – at Westerner Park in Red Deer, AB, October 29 – November 3, 2019 and will oversee the Finning Pro Tour Finals September 1 in Armstrong, BC and their inaugural Maple Leaf Circuit Finals November 27-30, 2019 at the Canadian Western Agribition in Regina, SK. Follow the CPRA on Twitter and Instagram @prorodeocanada, ‘Like’ Canadian Professional Rodeo Association on Facebook or online at RodeoCanada.com.
