Multiple Canadian, national and a world champion are set to compete beginning Thursday at this year’s 93rd Annual Williams Lake Stampede.
Rodeo fans can expect some top-notch competition travelling from throughout Canada and the U.S. in the rough stock events, as Roy and Earl Call of C+ Rodeos are busy rounding up their animal athletes for Stampede in preparation for the pro rodeo’s saddle bronc, bareback riding and bull riding events, June 27 to June 30.
Bull Riding
Among the contingent in bull riding, five-time world champion Sage Kimzey of Strong City, Oklahoma, is set to compete on opening night Thursday. He’s drawn C+ Rodeos bull Lunar, and Call said many in the rodeo circle plan to attend the rodeo just to see Kimzey.
“He’s going to be a nice, middle 80s ride on him, and it’s really cool to see this guy here,” Roy said. “He went to school with some Canadians and he’d always heard about the Canadian Finals and rodeos up here and this year he decided it was on his bucket list to win Canada.
“He’s got 19 rodeos on his schedule. He’s done 10 so far, he’s won $22,000 and he is sticky. He’s impossible to get on the ground and you don’t get a chanceto see a guy like that in town.”
Thursday bull riding will also feature Thor Hoefer of Priest River, Idaho, on C+ Rodeos’ King’s Ransom — a National Finals Rodeo bull in the past — Dakota Louis of Browning, Montana and an interesting character to watch: Edgar Durazo of Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico, plus Canadian talent Jordan Hansen of Ponoka.
“Watch for Dakota on a real strong bull of ours, he’s 1,900 pounds — JROC — and he’s spectacular,” Roy said.
“Edgar’s come up here from Mexico and is living with a team roper and decided to do some rodeo’s in Canada. He’s won a bunch of money already and he’s going to make the CFR. Jordan will be the best Canadian. He’s a former NFR qualifier and always top three or four in Canada and probably the stickiest guy in Canada. He’ll be on Niner, our bull, and that might be really good watching.
“The first performance is just really loaded up and it should be really, really good — the best part of the rodeo Thursday, for sure.”
READ MORE: Crowd electric at 92nd annual Williams Lake Stampede
Day two Friday will feature Wacey Finkbeiner of Medicine Hat, Alta. — a 2018 CPR champion. Finkbeiner has drawn C+ Rodeos bull Dynamite Kid.
“This is a red-horned bull but super fast and that should be pretty good watching,” Roy said. “That could be a big 80s score.”
Day three Saturday will showcase Sage Kimzey’s brother, Trey Kimzey.
“He’ll be on a John Duffy bull called Polar Express — that’s a CFR-calibre bull — and that might be excellent,” Roy said.
On day four Sunday Roy said there will be three or four bull riders to watch including Luke Gee of Stanford, Montana on Swervin’ Mervin.
“Luke is a multi-event cowboy,” Roy said. “He rides bulls and ropes calves, and he’s tough to get on the ground and I think he’ll have a good chance to make Canadian finals.”
There’s also Ardie Maier of Timber Lake, South Dakota, on C+ Rodeos’ Lotto, a brown- and white-faced bull Roy said is outstanding.
“That guy’s pretty good, and that bull’s pretty good, so that’s one to watch.”
Jackson Scott of Kamloops rounds out the field Sunday, also on Dynamite Kid.
Bronc Riding
Day one the man to watch will be Hudson Hope’s Jake Watson on John Duffy’s Tool Time.
“Jake’s been to the NFR in the past. He had an off year last year but he’s won everything. He’s top 10 pretty safely in the world rankings and riding pretty good.”
Veteran Sam Kelts of Stavely, Alta. joins Watson and is having a strong season to date.
“He’s top 15 in the world and has a stud of John’s called Jim Lee that could be really good,” Roy said.
Roy said while days two and three of the bronc riding will be less eventful, Sunday’s fourth rodeo makes up for it.
“It’s going to be real good,” he said.
Chet Johnson of Douglas, Wyoming, will be on John Duffy’s Patches.
“They’ve won a lot of money at CFR the last couple years on that horse,” he said.
Tyler Corrington from Hastings, Minnesota will also be in action on Duffy’s Sonora.
Bareback Riding
Rodeo fans will be in for a treat in bareback riding as Roy said the event is chock-full of talent, especially the Stampede’s third and fourth rodeo performances.
On day one young cowboy Connor Hamilton of Calgary will be on C+ Rodeos’ Ginger.
“She’s been to Canadian finals four or five times and they’ve won this rodeo on her before,’ Roy said. “Conor’s had an unbelievably strong spring. He was a rookie last year and a novice the year before and he’s well into the top 50 and won a fortune this year. He’s No. 1 in Canada and riding outstanding.”
Another top-20-in-the-world bareback rider Clint Laye will be in action on day one riding Billy, while Kody Lamb of Sherwood Park, Alta. will take on John Duff’s Tweety Bird.
“Day two there’s about five or six really good guys, but the best is probably Jake Vold,” Roy said.
Vold, from Airdrie, Alta., will be on C+ Rodeos’ Strawberry.
“Jake won Drayton Valley with an 88-point ride on that horse so that should be another one to watch,” he said.
Day four Stampede fans can cheer on Kamloops’ Gavin DeRose, who will be on The Graduate.
“That’s a little sorrel horse that’s been to Canadian finals four or five times, and an outstanding horse that everybody wins on, so Gavin should have a good day,” Roy said.
Caleb Bennett of Tremonton, Utah, will be on C+ Rodeos’ Unmanned — a 10-year-old gelding that Roy said could also be a big ride.
“Caleb’s always in the top of the Canadian standings and is No. 2 in the world right now.”
Dublin Texas’s Richard Champion, who won $1 million at The American in Dallas, Texas in 2014, will be in action on day four Sunday in bareback riding.
“He’s an NFR champion, been to CFR last couple years and will be on a horse of ours called Christian. He’s been to the Canadian finals the last couple years and that should be a really good day.”
Roy, meanwhile, said after what’s been a busy spring so far it’s nice to have a rodeo of the Stampede’s calibre close to home.
“We were in Vanderhoof this past week, we’ve been to Keremeos, Smithers, Grande Prairie, Drayton Valley, and it’s nice to have a big rodeo but not have to drive 12 hours each way,” he said.
“It’s nice to be close to home and it looks like the weather’s going to be just right for us.”
Thursday and Friday’s rodeo start at 6:45 p.m., followed by 1:45 p.m. start times on Saturday and Sunday.
READ MORE: Stampede ending with new Cariboo Heritage Gathering this year
On Monday during the first planned Cariboo Heritage Gathering, events including a ranch rodeo, the mountain race finals, wild cowgirls race finals and bull throwing competition, beginning at noon.
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