BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
The Calgary Stampede featured an 18-year-old champion, arena records and something that has not happened since 1986 as the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth welcomed back full crowds for the first time since 2019.
In bareback riding, 18-year-old Rocker Steiner rode Yippee Kibbitz for 91.5 points to win the rodeo and move all the way to No. 3 in the PRCA World Standings. Orin Larsen, who advanced through the Wild Card, was second.
In steer wrestling, Will Lummus swept both the Semifinals and the Showdown on Sunday with times of 4.0 and 3.6 seconds. Ty Erickson was second in the Showdown after splitting third in the Semifinals. Lummus and Erickson are now both in the Top 5 with Lummus just $3,600 back of World No. 1 Hunter Cure.
Saddle bronc riding was made a family affair as Logan Hay and Dawson Hay finished 1-2. Logan was 89.5 points and Dawson was 89. Their father Rod Hay has won The Stampede a record four times.
Caleb Smidt won $17,000 in Pool A competition and his dominance continued onto Sunday as he stopped the clock at 7.0 to split second in the Semifinals and 7.5 to win the Showdown. Smidt is the reigning World Champion and is now No. 3 in the PRCA World Standings.
Kassie Mowry won the barrel racing with an impressive 16.97 in the Showdown Round. Earlier in the week, she set a new arena record. Dona Kay Rule was second in her first rodeo back following hip surgery. Mowry and Rule were the only two barrel racers to register sub-17 second times at The Calgary Stampede.
After every cowboy bucked off on the first set of bulls in the Showdown, Shane Proctor and Dakota Buttar made sure that didn’t happen again by both riding for 88.5 points. It was the first time there have been co champions at an event at The Calgary Stampede since 1986.
Bareback Riding
Pool A Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Tim O’Connell, $15,500; 2. Clayton Biglow, $13,000; 3. R.C. Landingham, $11,000; 4. Clint Laye, $9,000.
Pool B Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Rocker Steiner, $16,000; 2. Caleb Bennett, $14,000; 3. Leighton Berry, $12,000; 4. Jacob Raine, $10,500.
Wild Card: 1. Orin Larsen, 87 points on Calgary Stampede’s Disco Party, $4,500; 2. Tanner Aus, 83.5, $3,500; 3. (tie) Kody Lamb and Cole Franks, 82,5, $1,500 each; 5. Ty Taypotat, 70; 6. Trenton Montero, 68.
Semifinals: 1. Tim O’Connell, 88.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Tootsie Roll; 2 Orin Larsen, 88, 3. (tie) R.C. Landingham, Caleb Bennett and Rocker Steiner, 87.5; 6. Clint Laye, 86.5; 7. Tanner Aus, 83, $3,000; 8. Clayton Biglow, 82.5, $3,000; Jacob Raine, NS, $3,000.
Showdown: 1. Rocker Steiner, 91.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Yipee Kibitz, $50,000; 2. Orin Larsen, 89.5, $12,500; 3. Tim O’Connell, 89, $7,500; 4. Caleb Bennett, 86.5, $5,000.
ROCKER STEINER’S WINNING RIDE
Steer Wrestling
Pool A Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Ty Erickson, $14,000; 2. (tie) Will Lummus and Cody Cassidy, $10,500; 4. Stetson Jorgensen, $10,000.
Pool B Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Tanner Brunner, $14,500; 2. J.D. Struxness, $12,000; 3. Jesse Brown, $11,000; 4. Riley Duvall, $8,000.
Wild Card: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 4.0 seconds, $4,500; 2. Justin Miller, 4.2, $3,500; 3. Dirk Tavenner, 4.6, $2,000; 4. Hunter Cure, 5.0, $1,000.
Semifinals: 1. Will Lummus, 4.0 seconds; 2. Riley Duvall, 4.2; 3. (tie) Ty Erickson and Stetson Jorgensen, 4.5 each; 5. Dakota Eldridge, 4.8, $3,000; 6. Tanner Brunner, 5.0, $3,000; 7. J.D. Struxness, 13.9, $3,000; 8. Justin Miller, Cody Cassidy and Jesse Brown, NT, $3,000 each.
Showdown: 1. Will Lummus, 3.6 seconds, $50,000; 2. Ty Erickson, 4.0, $12,500; 3. Riley Duvall, 4.5, $7,500; 4. Stetson Jorgensen, 6.4, $5,000.
WILL LUMMUS’ WINNING RUN
Saddle Bronc Riding
Pool A Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Zeke Thurston, $16,500; 2. Sage Newman, $9,000; 3. Chase Brooks, $8,500; 4. (tie) Ross Griffin and Kole Ashbacher, $7,500.
Pool B Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Ben Anderson, $13,500; 2. Damian Brennan, $13,000; 3. Brody Cress, $12,000; 4. Logan Hay, $9,000.
Wild Card: 1. Lefty Holman, 88.5 points on Big Stone Rodeo’s Rubels, $4,500; 2. Dawson Hay, 88, $3,500; 3. Kole Ashbacher, 85, $,2000; 4. Cash Wilson, 83.5, $1,000; 5. Dawson Dahm, 82; 6. Layton Green, 81.
Semifinals: 1. Lefty Holman, 88.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Tokyo Bubbles; 2. Dawson Hay, 86; 3. Ben Andersen, 85.5; 4. Logan Hay, 85; 5. Zeke Thurston, 84.5, $3,000; 6. Chase Brooks, 83, $3,000; 7. Brody Cress, 80, $3,000; 8. Damian Brennan, 70.5, $3,000; 9. Sage Newman, NS, $3,000; 10. Ross Griffin, NS, $3,000.
Showdown: 1. Logan Hay, 89.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Baby Kibitz, $50,000; 2. Dawson Hay, 89, $12,500; 3. Lefty Holman, 88, $7,500; 4. Ben Andersen, 86.5, $5,000.
LOGAN HAY’S WINNING RIDE
Tie-Down Roping
Pool A Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Caleb Smidt, $17,000; 2. (tie) Zach Jongbloed and Logan Bird, $10,000; 4. Tyler Milligan, $9,000.
Pool B Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Tuf Cooper, $14,500; 2. Cory Solomon, $10,500; 3. Ty Harris, $10,000; 4. Quade Hiatt, $9,000.
Wild Card: 1. John Douch, 7.4 seconds, $4,500; 2. Haven Meged, 7.5, $3,500; 3. Marty Yates, 7.6, $2,000; 4. Shad Mayfield 9.4, $1,000; 5. Clayton Smith, 9.7; 6. Michael Otero, 10.7.
Semifinals: 1. Haven Meged, 6.7 seconds; 2. Zach Jongbloed and Caleb Smidt, 7.0 each; 4. Cory Solomon, 7.2; 5. John Douch, 7.1, $3,000; 6. Tuf Cooper, 7.3, $3,000; 7. Tyler Milligan, 9.8, $3,000; 8. Logan Bird, 11.1, $3,000; 9. Ty Harris and Quade Hiatt, NT, $3,000 each.
Showdown: 1. Caleb Smidt, 7.5 seconds, $50,000; 2. Haven Meged, 22.5, $12,500; 3. Cory Solomon and Zach Jongbloed, NT, $6,250 each.
CALEB SMIDT’S WINNING RUN
Barrel Racing
Pool A Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Stevi Hillman, $17,500; 2. Dona Kay Rule, $13,500; 3. Emily Beisel, $11,500; 4. Shelby Spielman, $11,000.
Pool B Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Wenda Johnson, $19,000; 2. Kassie Mowry, $14,500; 3. Ivy Saebens, $11,000; 4. Sissy Winn, $9,000.
Wild Card: 1. Jill Wilson, 17.17 seconds, $4,500; 2. Justine Elliott, 17.26, $3,500; 3. Shelly Holman, 17.31, $2,000; 4. Cheyenne Wimberley, 17.55, $1,000; 5. Bertina Olafson, 17.65; 6. Lexie Goss, 17.66.
Semifinals: 1. (tie) Kassie Mowry and Dona Kay Rule, 16.95 second each; 3. Ivy Saebens, 17.12; 4. Emily Beisel, 17.15; 5. Jill Wilson, 17.21, $3,000; 6. Wenda Johnson, 17.22, $3,000; 7. Sissy Winn, 17.27, $3,000; 8. Stevi Hillman, 17.39, $3,000; 9. Shelby Spielman, 17.41, $3,000; 10. Justine Elliott, 22.72, $3,000.
Showdown: 1. Kassie Mowry, 16.977 seconds, $50,000; 2. Dona Kay Rule, 17.114, $12,500; 3. Ivy Saebens, 17.243, $7,500; 4. Emily Beisel, 22.203, $5,000.
KASSIE MOWRY’S WINNING RUN
Bull Riding
Pool A Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Clayton Sellars, $10,000; 2. Reid Oftedahl, $17,000; 3. Cody Coverchuk, $9,000; 4. Jared Parsonage, $7,000.
Pool B Semifinal qualifiers: 1. Creek Young, $11,000; 2. Dakota Buttar, $9,000; 3. Maverick Potter, $7,000; 4. Jacob Gardner, $5,500.
Wild Card: 1. Alan DeSouza, 86 points on Wayne Vold Rodeo’s By The Batch, $4,833; 2. Shane Proctor, 83, $3,833; 3. Josh Frost, 80, $2,333; no other qualified rides.
Semifinals: 1. Shane Proctor, 90 points on Outlawbuckers Rodeo’s Afraid To Nod; 2. Dakota Buttar, 85.5; 3. Jared Parsonage, 84.5; 4. Alan DeSouza, 79.5; 5. Reid Otfedahl, 75.5, $3,000; 6. Clayton Sellars, Cody Coverchuk, Maverick Potter, Creek Young and Trey Kimzey, NS, $3,000 each.
Showdown: 1. (tie) Dakota Buttar, on Wayne Vold Rodeo’s Lil Hootch and Shane Proctor, on Outlawbuckers Rodeo’s 2 Guns, 88.5 points, $31,250 each. 3. Alan DeSouza, 82.5, $7,500; 4. Jared Parsonage, NS, $5,000. *(all totals include ground money).
DAKOTA BUTTAR’S WINNING RIDE
SHANE PROCTOR’S WINNING RIDE