Veterans Shine as Canadian Pro Rodeo Season gets Underway

A couple of familiar names were on their game as the 2022 Canadian Pro Rodeo season got off to a solid start over the weekend.

Clint Laye, the reigning Canadian Bareback Riding Champion, picked up where he left off in 2021, winning both stops as the CPRA kicked off its schedule. The Cadogan, Alta. cowboy rode Calgary Stampede’s Walleye Rocket for 86.5 points at the Dawson Creek Exhibition and Stampede’s Break-Up Spring Rodeo and combined that with an 82.5-point effort on Duane Kesler’s Easy Money at Medicine Hat’s Broncs and Honky Tonks event to complete his stellar weekend, pocketing $3404.

But it was 12 time Canadian Champion Curtis Cassidy who earned top dollars among contestants. The Donalda, Alberta two-event hand split 2/3 in the steer wrestling event at Medicine Hat for $1691 and added a 7/8 split for $388 in tie down roping. Cassidy then crossed the rocks to secure a third place $1718 payday in the bull dogging at Dawson Creek to give him a cash injection of $3753 for his weekend’s work.

For Laye, he couldn’t have scripted a better start to the 2022 campaign. “It was perfect,” he admitted. “I got on good horses all weekend and it felt really great to make a couple of strong rides.”

At Dawson Creek, it was a re-ride horse that provided the four-legged element for Laye. “I’d had Walleye Rocket once a long time ago and he was really nice at Dawson Creek. And I’d been on Easy Money (his Medicine Hat draw) a few times before. He’s been a really good horse for a long time.”

Laye pointed out that his number one priority for 2022 is Canadian rodeo. “I want to concentrate on getting back to the CFR and trying for another Canadian title,” he noted. “I’d like to get to some Montana rodeos as well and, of course, my Calgary Stampede qualification can open up a lot of things for a shot at the WNFR.” (Laye has two NFR qualifications to his credit and won the Calgary Stampede $100,000 title in 2015.)

In the meantime, for the third generation talent, it’s ranching and an active family life with wife Cassidy and their two boys, Cohen, 6, and Cayson, 2, that will keep the 28 year old cowboy busy when he’s not on the rodeo trail.

Next up on the CPRA calendar are two Alberta events: Kananaskis Pro Rodeo in Coleman and the Drayton Valley Pro Rodeo. Both rodeos run April 29 through May 1.

For complete weekend rodeo results, go towww.rodeocanada.com