With roughly 30 years providing rough stock for the Williams Lake Stampede, C+ Rodeos’ Roy Call knows a thing or two about what to look out for this weekend.
“Earl, my brother, and I we have been far and away the longest guys that have done rodeos in B.C.,” Roy told the Tribune. “There’s never been anyone who’s done it longer than us. We started in 1984 when we first started doing rodeos.”
And with five action-packed performances beginning this Thursday, this year’s 91st Williams Lake Stampede will not disappoint, Call said.
“We’ve got a pretty damn good entry again this year,” he said.
On day one Thursday in saddle bronc riding, Call said this will be one of the marquee events.
“Zeke Thurston will be here. He’s a world champion from Big Valley, Alta. and he has a good little horse John Duffy owns called Bay Street. Zeke’s had a great year and this horse is really user friendly.”
Day one will also include the likes of top National Finals Rodeo cowboy Heith DeMoss of Heflin, Louisiana.
“The guys that are here, particularly the first two days, will be worth the price of admission,” he said.
Saddle bronc riding will also see Sterling Crawley of Stephenville, Texas paired up with a horse named Stix.
“She’s a little blue roan mare and they’ve won a fortune on her,” Roy said.
In the Stampede’s second saddle bronc performance Cody DeMoss, Heith’s older brother, will also be in action.
“Cody’s a former world champ and he’ll be on a horse called Con Man and he’ll make him look pretty damn good,” Roy said.
Chet Johnson of Douglas Wyoming, on a John Duffy horse called Midget, is also something to watch out for.
“This little horse really bucks,” he said. “It’s been to the National Finals Rodeo.”
In the fourth performance Saturday Dusty Hausauer from Dickinson, North Dakota, will draw Stix — another ride Call said should be a crowd pleaser.
As for bareback riding, Roy said day one’s performance will be completely outstanding.
Orin Larsen will headline, hailing from Inglis, Manitoba, on a horse called Bootlace.
“She’s a young little mare and bucks super hard,” he said. “She’s a horse that bucks a lot of guys off. Orin is top five in the world and has been to the National Rodeo Finals multiple times, so that’s going to be a good one to watch.”
Then there’s Clayton Biglow of Clements, California, who drew Billy — a C+ Rodeos horse.
“He’s been to Canadian Finals three or four times and that will be a good ride.”
Former Canadian champion Jake Vold, of Airdrie, Alta., will also be competing in the first performance on C+ Rodeos’ horse Sixth Sense.
“That little horse was the BCRA horse of the year. Rode for 85 points last time I bucked him too weeks ago,” Roy said.
Performance two will see Steven Peebles of Redmond, Oregon take on Blue Jeans.
“They won Stampede on her a couple times and she’s had most of the spring off but she’s ready to go again,” Roy said. “She’s fresh and back off a maternity break so that might be really, really good.”
Friday’s third performance will see Ky Marshall of Bowden, Alta. — top five in Canada — square off with Smokin’ Gun, who Roy said is a solid gelding who has been rode for 85 points or better a half a dozen times.
Also during that rodeo, Kamloops’ Gavin DeRose will draw Blue Bananas — another John Duffy horse which Call said has been spectacular this spring.
“He has family here in town, and he’s had a really good start to the season,” Roy said. “I think he’s probably inside the Canadian finals.”
Kyle Bowers of Drayton Valley, Alta., who grew up in Prince George, will take on a horse called Ginger, a brown mare who’s been to Canadian finals four times and been rode for 88 points.
“This horse will be right up his alley,” Roy said.
One of the rodeo’s highlights, the bull riding event, will feature some local riders.
Roy, however, said Thursday’s first performance will be the one to watch.
“It’ll be a really good one,” he said. “We’ve got Sage Kimzey of Strong City, Oklahoma — a former world champion and he is incredibly sticky. He’s one of the few guys who stays on, stays on, stays on.”
Kimzey — who is making his first trip to the Williams Lake Stampede — will be on Starvin’ Marvin, which Roy said is one of C+ Rodeos’ best bulls.
“He’s a four-year-old brindle with a white face and horns and this little bastard really bucks,” Roy said. “We have our hopes going to Canadian Finals Rodeo with him. That particular match on Thursday,
“I’d pay just to watch that one.”
Friday’s first bull riding performance will see Jordan Hansen — likely the best in Canada currently and in the top 20 in the world, plus last year’s Canadian champion — take on Ill Will.
“This kid stays on, too,” Roy said. “He could be really famous. He’s just 22 years old or something and Ill Will is a user friendly bull who gets rode for 83 or 84 all the time. He should ride him like a day off but it’s going to be a big score. He’s probably the best kid in Canada right now.”
The well-known Scott Schiffner and long-time bull rider of Strathmore, Alta., will also be in action on Holy Roller.
“Scott is probably the best bull rider Canada’s put out in 20 years and stays on quite a few,” Roy said. “High Roller is a monster, though. Just at five years old this bull bucks super hard and hasn’t been ridden yet. They’ll get him eventually but it hasn’t happened.”
Acme Alta.’s Sabian Dueck will spotlight Friday’s third Stampede performance on Minion.
“He’s a yellow bull here we’ve raised, has a white face and big high horns you could pretty much kick field goals through. That might be our second best bull.”
Local competitors include Trevor Lulua of Hanceville, who drew Kings Ransom, Matt O’Flynn of Quesnel on Minion and Ryan Jasper on Shenanigans.
“This little grey bull is super fast and really bucks,” Roy said.
“Ryan’s just coming back from shoulder surgery and pretty had the whole season off last year, so he should be good.”
Stampede performances begin Thursday at 6:45 p.m., followed by two more on Friday (12:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m.), then Saturday at 1:45 p.m. The fifth and final rodeo performance goes Sunday at 12:45 p.m.