Coming home champions

Times Reporter

 

The Canadian Senior Pro Rodeo Association (CSPRA) held their finals in Claresholm from Oct. 13 to 16. There were two Strathmore residents who won 2011 Canadian Champion awards. Jim Stevens won the title in the 40 to 50 years old category for steer wrestling. 

“I was pretty excited about it,” said Stevens. 

“It’s just a lot of fun to go and hang out. Like, the young kids I went with are all old now so we’re all going together again. It’s kind of fun, and it’s nice and relaxed, but the competition is still there. It’s not easy anymore.”

Stevens has been involved with rodeo since he was 10 years old, and said it was when he was about 15 that he started steer wrestling. Stevens is hoping to keep with rodeo for years to come. 

“I hope to go quite a while, another 10 years. Some of the other gentlemen, they were going when they were 40 and I was 20, they’re still going right now,” said Stevens.

“They’re 60 and I’m still going with them. People that I rodeo’d with 20 years ago, we’re still rodeoing together, it is kind of neat to see the sport still lives on that way.”

Dennis Dimion won the Canadian Champion award for tie down roping. Dimion said he has been competing for 25 years, focusing mainly on tie down roping, though he does occasionally team rope, or do ribbon roping. 

“It’s something that you do. You rope and you compete and you just try to win a championship, that’s why you do it right. It means a lot I guess,” said Dimion.

“It’s a hobby, it’s what we do. Most of the guys there have rode all their life, it’s a hobby, just something we do, something we enjoy and don’t want to quit.”

The season is over for now for the two men, and will start up again in April.