Lakeland Rodeo Association’s 2016 Showdown Finals thrilled another capacity crowd at the Clancy Richard Arena on Sunday, as the best of the best took on the time clock and some extremely challenging stock to add the final points to their weekend’s collection in search of a championship.
In the Bareback, Tanner Young of Fairview came into the final performance with a 45-point lead over his nearest competitor, Jessey Lanin of Shannon, Quebec, which made the necessary difference and earn him the championship even after Lanin made the afternoon’s top ride with a 74.25 point score and Young slapped his bronc with his free hand. Season leader Strawbs Jones of Australia had Sunday’s second best ride, with a 71.25. Young earned the lead by placing second on Thursday night and first both Friday night and Saturday afternoon, with scores of 71.25, 76.25 and 72.5.
Coming into the finals in seventh spot proved no problem to Steer Wrestler Lance Fraser of Provost. A time of 4.7 seconds brought him second place in the first performance and 4.3 seconds on Friday gave him a third, while Saturday night’s 4.9 added another second to the total. A 5.0 second tie for second and third with Kale Peterson of Buck Lake on Sunday was all he needed to claim the championship. Jerry Stojan of Sexsmith won Sunday’s day money with a rapid 4.0, while season leader Dustin Nicholson of Stettler had a disappointing weekend, with a second place finish on Saturday afternoon his only claim to Showdown fame.
The season leader in Novice Horse Riding had a much better finals. Hunter Sawley of Fox Creek placed first in three of the first four go-rounds, with scores of 68, 65 and 68.5, adding another winning 68.25 ride on Sunday to clinch the championship.
The Junior Bulls were the big winners in Sunday’s performance, dumping all five riders, but Riley Gagnon of Innisfail, who came into the finals in second place, already had accumulated two firsts, a second and a third to move ahead of season leader Klayton Lakevold of Provost and take home the championship.
Four out of six Junior Steer Riders made the eight-second ride on Sunday, including season leader J. W. Hart of Hanna, who had already added up a pair of firsts and a pair of seconds. Ten points for fourth was all that was needed to complete his championship run.
Then it was the ladies’ turn to shine. In the Ladies’ Barrel Racing, Rachel Jones of Irma worked her way up from fourth on Thursday and third on Friday to a pair of wins on Saturday, one of them stopping the clock at 12.988 seconds in the fastest run of the finals, and added Sunday’s top time of 13.185 to take home the championship, with former local cowgirl Judy Veer of Sundre not far behind in second place. Shannon Blakely of Edmonton was the season leader.
In the Junior Barrels, Paige Manning of Edson added a fourth first-place finish on Sunday to the three she collected on Thursday and at both performances Saturday to win the championship, edging out season leader Justine Elliot of Lacombe with four third place finishes.
Ten-year-old Wacey Nickle of Evansburg may have come into the finals in sixth spot, but she went home the big winner in the Peewee Barrels when she added a second third place finish to a first and a fourth, leaving season leader Ashlee Keith of Barrhead in the dust by a total of 35 championship points.
Bill Melaney of Rocky Mountain House came into the Tie-down Roping in the middle of the pack, but was spurred on by his first night win and a tie for first and second on Friday to add on a fourth place on Saturday afternoon and another of the same on Sunday for the championship win. Season leader Murdock Keith of Clyde took his only ride to the pay window on Thursday, when he placed second.
Sunday afternoon’s buck off didn’t keep Saddle Bronc season leader Chance Barrass of Shining Bank, Alberta from taking home the big win. He’d already earned it with firsts on Thursday and Saturday nights, a second on Friday and a third on Saturday afternoon. Aussie Lane Grayson won Sunday’s go-round with a high-kicking 75.75-point ride.
The Team Roping all came down to a tie and a rope-off between local favourites Cory and Casey Dunlop and Rolly Thompson of Botha and Mark Flynn of Camrose. The Dunlops came out first and had the misfortune to break the barrier, adding 10 seconds to a good time of 5.3 seconds, leaving the field open to Thomson and Flynn, who successfully completed their run with time to spare. Season leaders Cole and David Schmidt of Barrhead had a disappointing finals, with two no-times and a broken barrier on Sunday.
This year, a new group of competitors were added to the LRA’s Bull Riding lineup, with two Brazilians qualifying for the finals. Marcos Gloria found the long trip north very much worth his while, placing fourth for the season and going on to win three go-rounds at the finals, including Sunday’s, when he made a spectacular 84.5 point ride after all the others failed to make the eight seconds. Season leader Coy Robbins of Camrose finished up second overall, with one first and one third place finish for the weekend.
Dylan Knapp, who came into the finals in both Tie-down and Team Roping, won the All-Around.
