Veterans Shine at Drayton Valley Pro Rodeo

A number of veteran competitors rose to the occasion at the Drayton Valley Pro Rodeo this past weekend. Among them was bareback rider Michael Solberg who rode Duffy Rodeo’s 22 Chin Lee to 87 points for the win and $1395.

“He’s an older horse and has been a saddle bronc,” Solberg noted. “And a bunch of those guys don’t like him. I was almost going to turn him out but I thought, I’m here anyway so I might as well try it. He was really strong on the first jump and then he just got under himself and was awesome.”

Solberg, who will turn 40 just after the 2024 CFR, went on to talk about his plans for the season. “My goal is definitely to win Canada and I really want to get to Edmonton one more time, especially with five performances and one less eliminator pen. If I’m able to do that, this will probably be my last year riding in Canada. After that, I’ll concentrate on a Circuit Finals down here (in the U.S). Solberg divides his time between his home (and family) just outside of Louisville, Kentucky and his place in Sunnynook, AB.

“I’m feeling really good right now. I’ve been working with (fellow competitor and personal trainer) Caleb Bennett (Champion Living Fitness). With the young guys who are out there right now–they have such fast feet and are absolutely fearless–it’s a hell of a lot more work to keep up with them,” he chuckled.

Another experienced athlete who stood out at Drayton Valley was Curtis Cassidy who completed his comeback from injury with a typical Curtis Cassidy performance. The 12 time Canadian Champion (2001 TDR Champ, 2x SW Champion and 9x High Point) was a rapid 3.6 in the steer wrestling to earn top honours and a $2416 cheque. The win will move the Donalda, AB cowboy into the top 12 in the Canadian standings.

And in the team roping event, a pair of seasoned hands–2016 World and two time Canadian Champion heeler Jeremy Buhler and 2016 Canadian Champion Dustin Bird on the heading side–smoked a 3.9 second run for $2491.92 each and the win.

For complete unofficial results, see rodeocanada.com

Next up on the CPRA schedule is the historic Falkland Stampede (Falkland, BC) May 18-20 followed by the first SMS Equipment Pro Tour event of the year, the Buffalo Lake Metis Settlement Rodeo (Caslan, AB) May 24-26.

Photo: Michael Solberg on Duffy Rodeo’s 22 Chin Lee. Photo by Dallas Duffy.