A local saddle bronc rider, junior steer rider and steer wrestler were among the champions crowned this past weekend at Quesnel’s Alex Fraser Park when the B.C. Rodeo Association Finals rode into town.
BCRA representatives said the finals were extremely successful and, despite rain on Saturday, all 101 contestants from around the province were competing hard for the sudden death win of a championship buckle.
The 2015 Championship winners and average winners are as follows:
The top saddle bronc rider of the championship buckle was Cliff Schuk of Tatla Lake, bringing home $1,031.25 with round and average.
Kaila Mussell of Chilliwack took second for $937.50 and Christoph Muigg of Hazelton was third with $843.75. Mussell, however, was the saddle bronc season leader for the saddle.
Kamloops’ Ty Hamill was the season leader to win the saddle, but the championship finals buckle went to Quesnel’s Lane Cork, who had 150 points in the average at the end of the day.
Cork won $562.50 with a first-round score of 80 and had a second-round score of 82 to win $687.50. He went on to win the third round with a score of 77 to win $1,250.
Quesnel’s Matt O’Flynn won the first round with an 83 to win $687.50 and was second in the average for $375.50.
In tie-down roping Steve Pozzobon of Cawston proved to be the fast hand winning the first round with a 9.8-second time and the second round with a 10.5-second score. He then shared a two and three spot in the third go round with Alkali Lake’s Willee Twan with a score of 11.1 seconds. Pozzobon picked up the gold buckle with 145 points. The season leader saddle winner for the year was Steve Lloyd of Quesnel.
Steer wrestling proved to be difficult with the weather on Saturday, but 150 Mile House’s Wade McNolty made the best of it with all 160 points in the average to win the championship buckle. He won round one with a 4.9-second time, won round two with a 6.4-second time and took round three with a 6.6-second run.
McNolty was also the season leader in steer wrestling.
The top breakaway roper for 2015 was Rika Wieth of Cache Creek, who was a consistent roper all year and took the BCRA season leader saddle and the finals championship buckle, winning it all with a 160 point average.
Charlie Soffel of Vanderhoof was second, while Williams Lake’s Denise Swampy was third with 50 points to win $625.
Ladies barrel racing proved to be extremely competitive as competitors vied for the championship buckle.
Joleen Seitz of Savona was the season leader heading into the finals and won the first round in 16.058 seconds, was second in the second go in 16.364 seconds, following Lone Butte’s Claire Myers, who was first in the second go with a fast time of 15.957 seconds.
The third go changed drastically with an extremely fast run from Williams Lake’s Rayel Ilnicki at 16.197 seconds. The average was won by Myers and Seitz both having a tied average score of 100 points causing a run-off for average winner. Myers was just a little faster to win the championship buckle.
The team roping season leader saddle winners were Ryan MacNaughton of Quesnel and Dustin Shields of Vanderhoof. The championship finals header and heeler of team roping were Russell Glassford of Quesnel and Steve Lloyd of Quesnel.
In junior steer riding it was 150 Mile House’s Blaine Manuel bringing home the season leader saddle, while junior steer riding finals champion was Elijah Gordon of Quesnel.
Junior barrel racer Taylor Cherry of Quesnel was the season leader saddle winner, while Savona’s Tosha Seitz won the championship buckle.
Of the youngest racers — the pee wee barrel racers — Riley Beier of Vanderhoof won the season leader saddle, with Cache Creek’s Taylan James picking up the BCRA finals championship.
Lastly, in junior breakaway roping, Dyson Leneve of Quesnel roped to the season leader saddle and dominated the junior breakaway roping event to claim the BCRA championship.
During the first go Tatla Lake’s Sydney Schuk was second with a time of 9.1 seconds. 150 Mile House’s Brock Evertt was second during the second go with a time of 9.8 seconds, while Williams Lake’s Brianna Billy was third on go three in 6.2 seconds.