Gleichen rodeo welcomes new contestants

By Tyler Lowey, Times Reporter

For the first time in the Gleichen Rodeo’s 18 years of existence, they opened their doors to the Canadian Cowboys Association, which welcomed in some fresh blood and some high scores.
The two-day rodeo featured contestants from the Chinook Rodeo Association, the Foothills Cowboys Association, the Lakeland Rodeo Association and the Wildrose Rodeo Association, with competitors coming from Alberta, Saskatchewan and even Australia.
Steer riders opened the event, as they needed to get their runs in early so they could go to other rodeos on the weekend. Tristen Manning was the first rider to go, and his score of 77 points on Aug. 11 held up all weekend.
Unfortunately, no local products or nearby riders from Arrowwood captured any titles last weekend.
The closest local winner was Gleichen’s Rylee Wilson, who finished second in the barrels with a run of 15.738 seconds and won $849. She was only bested by Debbie Knudsen, who edged her out with a ride of 15.670 seconds to win $977.04. Dana Smith won $840 placing third with 15.840.
Raegan Lichtenberger pulled off the fastest time in the junior barrels with a 16.261 and took home $216. Emily Lehr finished second in 16.297 to claim $162 and Amy Shuckburgh took third in 16.672 seconds and won $108.
Other day 1 winners included Lance Gordon from Crossfield, who roped his calf in 8.6 seconds.
Behind Gordon was Scott Sigfusson, who finished his two wraps and hitch in 9.15 seconds to take home $535.68. Mark Neitz placed third in 10.32 seconds and won $424.08.
Stefan Tonita of Saskatchewan tied Auzyn Coor with 74 points in the junior bull riding. Tonita took home $276, while Corr nabbed $207.
Cardston’s Jeff Heggie clipped Travis Nicholson’s time of 4.43 in the slack by three one-hundredths of a second to capture the $709.92. Nicholson ended up second with $587.52. Sigfusson took third with a time of 10.32 seconds to earn $424.08.
In team roping, the first team to go held out with a 6.89-second run by Jordan Pancoast and Travis Schneider. They won $1,628.64. Bobby Louis and Daniel Kaiser placed second in 7.13 seconds to win the $1,374.8.
In the bareback, Tristan Braden rode Indian Dancer to a 77-point score to win $443.70. Nathan Garlick worked over Zippy Smoke for 74 points and $367.20, while Allen Fletcher got the best of Tink for 70 points and $290.70.
On the second day, all Blake Link needed to do was cover his horse in the novice bareback to walk away with some points in the standings, which he did to the tune of 66 points.
Sam Thurston, the younger brother of three-time Calgary Stampede champion saddle bronc rider Zeke Thurston, won the Gleichen event with a ride of 77 points on Special Smoke.
A tie took place behind the legend’s brother, as Logan Young tamed Buffalo Bean and Colt Smith handled Smoke Signal to each finish with 69 points.
Quinten Taylor of Parkland, Alta., took the bull riding title with a 79-point run on High Tower.
Out of 11 entrants in the bull riding, Clayton Russnak was the only rider to win money, when he stayed on Oreo Blizzard for eight seconds and a score of 66 to earn $496.80.
The weekend wrapped up with Avery Koole, Manney McArthur and Maysa Schiffner winning the wild pony race, while Noah Boissevain captured the mini bareback ride Aug. 11, with Sawyer Yule taking the title the following afternoon.