Over the weekend, Zeke Thurston captured his fourth Calgary Stampede Championship title and walked away with a $50,000 payday.
The four-time Canadian Finals Rodeo champion had the chance to select the legendary bucking horse Virgil in the final round, a matchup that delivered in a big way. Together, Thurston and Virgil put up an impressive 92.5 point ride to seal the victory in Calgary.
Widely regarded as one of the top bucking horses in the rodeo world, Virgil is a dream draw for many cowboys. For Thurston, this was his second time aboard the iconic bronc, and it was just as memorable as the first.
“He’s powerful. You know, he can be really strong. He has a couple different styles — different trips — when he goes out there,” Thurston explained. “It just kind of depends which one you’re going to get. But it doesn’t matter what trip it is, he bucks hard every single time.”
Since June 30, Thurston has climbed 14 spots in the world standings, now sitting at No. 5 with $136,391 in earnings. With several pivotal months of rodeo still ahead, he’s aiming to stay inside the top 15 and punch his ticket to a 11th appearance at the National Finals Rodeo.