BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
There was $1.85 million on the line at The Calgary Stampede this year, making it the second highest paying rodeo of the summer. And the action did not disappoint on Championship Sunday.
Kade Sonnier started the Four-Man Showdown Rounds off with a bang by riding C5’s Virgil for 92 points to win by two over Tim O’Connell, who was 90. The win in Calgary earned Sonnier $25,000 toward the PRCA World Standings (half of the champion’s $50,000 counts) and moved him from No. 10 to No. 3 in the world.
Steer wrestler Scott Guenthner is retired from full time competition, but won two rounds in his pool and then had the fastest time of the whole rodeo with 3.2-second run in the Showdown. He had made about $10,000 this year rodeoing in Canada, but has now the four-time NFR qualifier has shot into the Top 20 in the PRCA World Standings.
"(This ranks) at the top right now,” he said. “I made the NFR, but this is the best.”
Speaking of, the 31-year-old Canadian shot down any speculation he’d start ProRodeoing full time again.
“I’m semi retired because of these two,” Guenthner said while holding his two sons after the win. “So I’ll probably stay semi retired and stay up here (In Canada).”
In saddle bronc riding, Dawson Hay followed up his older brother Logan’s 2022 victory by keeping it in the family with two electrifying 90+ point rides Sunday afternoon. He sealed the deal with 92 points on The Calgary Stampede’s Xplosive Skies. Hay’s dad Rod won The Stampede four times between 1994 and 2005.
“It’s amazing (to continue the family legacy), watching my dad win the $50,000, it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen,” Hay said. “Then my uncle (Denny), then my brother last year, it hasn’t really sunk in yet. I just want to give all of this glory to God.”
Tie-down roper Beau Cooper’s 7 flat run in the Showdown was the fastest of his life and it won the 21-year-old Alberta native The Stampede.
“This is all God’s plan, you just can’t get in the way of it, it’s crazy, I don’t know even know what to say,” Cooper said.
Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi has competed at 19 Calgary Stampedes and finally earned the coveted bronze after a 17.113-second run in the Showdown. The 16-time NFR qualifier also checked Reno off of her rodeo bucket list earlier this summer.
In bull riding, two-time Canadian Champion Jared Parsonage finally got his coveted Calgary Stampede title and did so by covering 5-of-5 bulls. He was the only one to ride in the Showdown, covering Vold Rodeo’s Wild Time for 89 points.
With wins from Guenthner, Hay, Cooper and Parsonage, it’s the first time four Canadians have won The Calgary Stampede since 2005.
BAREBACK RIDING
Semifinals: 1. Kade Sonnier, 88.50 points on Calgary Stampede’s Born Fearless; 2. Tim O’Connell, 88.00; 3. (tie) Tanner Aus and Caleb Bennett, 87.00 each; 5. Jacob Lees, 86.50, $3,000; 6. Cooper Cooke, 86.00, $2,500; 7. Cole Franks, 85.50, $2,000; 8. Clayton Biglow, 85.00, $1,000; 9. Clint Laye, 84.50, $1,000; 10. Kaycee Feild, 84.00, $1,000; 11. Kody Lamb, 83.50; 12, Richmond Champion, 74.00, $1,000.
Finals: 1. Kade Sonnier, 92.00 points on Bar C5’s Virgil, $50,000; 2. Tim O’Connell, 90.00, $20,000; 3. Tanner Aus, 81.00, $10,000; 4. Caleb Bennett, NS, $7,500.
STEER WRESTLING
Semifinals: 1. (tie) Scott Guenthner, Cody Devers and Jesse Brown, 3.8 seconds; 4. Will Lummus, 3.9; 5. Dalton Massey, 4.2, $3,000; 6. J.D. Struxness, 4.4, $2,500; 7. Stephen Culling, 4.6, $2,000; 8. Ty Erickson, 9.7, $1,000; 9. Dirk Tavenner, 13.8, $1,000; 10. (tie) Hunter Cure, Tristan Martin and Stockton Graves, NT, $1,000 each.
Finals: Scott Guenthner, 3.2 seconds, $50,000; 2. Jesse Brown, 3.6, $20,000; 3. Will Lummus, 3.9, $10,000; 4. Cody Devers, 13.9, $7,500.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
Semifinals: 1. Dawson Hay, 91.00 points on Calgary Stampede’s Come Along; 2. Damian Brennan, 90.00; 3. Ben Andersen, 89.50; 4. Stetson Wright, 88.00; 5. (tie) Lucas Macza and Zeke Thurston, 86.50, $2,750 each; 7. Logan Cook, Ross Griffin and Quinten Taylor, 86.00; $1,333 each; 10. Leon Fountain, 85.50, $1,000; 11. Layton Green, 84.00, $1,000; 12. Lefty Holman, NS, $1,000.
Finals: 1. Dawson Hay, 92.00 points on Calgary Stampede’s Xplosive Skies, $50,000; 2. Ben T. Andersen, 90.00, $20,000; 3. Damian Brennan, 87.50, $10,000; 4. Stetson Wright, 84.00, $7,500.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
Semifinals: 1. Blane Cox, 7.6 seconds; 2. Kyle Lucas, 7.7; 3. (tie) Beau Cooper and Riley Mason Webb, 8.0 each; 5. Shane Hanchey, 8.2, $3,000; 6. Marcos Costa, 8.3, $2,500; 7. Westyn Hughes, 8.8, $2,000; 8. Ty Harris, 10.1, $1,000; 9. (tie) Cash Enderli, Bruston Minton, Caleb Smidt and Haven Meged, NT, $1,000.
Finals: 1. Beau Cooper, 7.0 seconds, $50,000; 2. Kyle Lucas, 8.4, $20,000; 3. Blane Cox, 9.2, $10,000; 4. Riley Mason Webb, NT, $7,500.
BARREL RACING
Semifinals: 1. Lisa Lockhart, 17.320 seconds; 2. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 17.390; 3. Taycie Matthews, 17.580; 4. Emily Beisel, 17.610; 5. Molly Otto, 17.840, $3,000; 6. Kassie Mowry, 17.860; $2,500; 7. Brittany Sporer, 17.910, $2,000; 8. Sissy Winn, 18.030, $1,000; 9. Hailey Kinsel, 22.350, $1,000; 10. Jordon Briggs, 22.360, $1,000; 11. Leslie Smalygo, 22.560, $1,000; 12. Jackie Ganter, 23.360, $1,000.
Finals: 1. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 17.113 seconds, $50,000; 2. Lisa Lockhart, 17.385, $20,000; 3. Emily Beisel, 17.406, $10,000; 4. Taycie Matthews, 17.476, $7,500.
BULL RIDING
Semifinals: 1. Stetson Wright, 90.00 points on Outlaw Buckers, Afraid to Nod; 2. Jared Parsonage, 88.00; 3. Creek Young, 87.50, 4. Trey Kimzey, 86.50; 5. (tie) Sage Kimzey and Jordan Hansen, 85.50, $2,750 each; 7. Josh Frost, 85.00, $2,000; 8. Daylon Swearingen, 79.00, $1,000; 9. (tie) Cody Teel, Ky Hamilton, Jestyn Woodward and JC. Mortensen, NS, $1,000.
Finals: 1. Jared Parsonage, 89.00 points on Vold Rodeo’s Wild Time, $50,000; 2. (tie) Stetson Wright, Creek Young and Trey Kimzey, NS, $12,500 each.
