Strathmore barrel racer Jayden Wilson heads back to Canadian Finals Rodeo

By Melissa Crispin-Piche Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

For Strathmore-area barrel racer Jayden Wilson, competing at the Canadian Finals Rodeo is no longer a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but that hasn’t made earning a spot at the national event any less exciting.

“This will be my third Canadian finals,” said Wilson, 28, who grew up in the Strathmore area and will head to Rogers Place in Edmonton for four days and five performances.

The Canadian Finals Rodeo brings together the Top 12 money earners from the season in each event, meaning competitors can spend much of the year travelling from one rodeo to another in hopes of earning their place.

Wilson estimated she competed at 42 rodeos this season.

“I try to go to as many as I can,” she said. “Every rodeo pays differently. Some are bigger than others. Strathmore is one of the biggest, so you definitely always want to go to that one.”

At the end of the season, qualification comes down to money earned.

“It’s whoever wins the most money at the end of the year,” she said.

Wilson won’t be the only Wheatland County competitor making the trip to Edmonton. Rockyford bull rider Griffin Koester has also qualified for the Canadian Finals Rodeo, entering the event fourth in the national standings with $32,370 in season earnings.

Wilson and Koester will be among the competitors gathering at Rogers Place from Oct. 7 to 10 for the Canadian Finals Rodeo.

The field isn’t divided by age, either. Wilson said this year’s barrel racing qualifiers range from young competitors in their late teens or early 20s to a competitor in her 70s.

Wilson is no stranger to the pressure of competing on rodeo’s national stage. Last year, she entered the Canadian Finals sitting first in the national standings and left as the Canadian champion.

“I went into the final sitting number one in Canada, and then we had a good final, placed in a few rounds, and I won the average, and I won Canada,” she said.

Even a year later, the accomplishment hasn’t completely sunk in.

“I feel like it still is pretty surreal,” Wilson said. “Not expected, for sure.”

She will return to Edmonton aboard Whiskey, her nine-year-old horse and regular barrel racing partner. Rather than making major changes ahead of the finals, Wilson said her focus is on maintaining the routine that carried the pair through the season.

“In the end, I’m trying not to really change anything from how I prepare for any other – like, the rest of the year,” she said. “Luckily, our finals are so soon after our season ends, my horse is still fit and running.”

For Wilson, reaching this level of rodeo has been a lifelong ambition rooted in a family tradition. 

“My dad rodeoed, and he rode saddle bronc horses. He made the Canadian finals a few times,” she said. “My mom grew up showing horses, but then she was a barrel racer. My sister also barrel races … it’s just kind of a whole family thing for us.”

Her mother was also one of Wilson’s earliest teachers.

“She taught us a lot,” Wilson said, adding that as she and her sister progressed, they began learning from other barrel racers as well.

Wilson said the Canadian Finals represented the pinnacle of the sport to her while growing up.

“I think every barrel racer up here, you always hope to be able to go to the Canadian finals,” she said. “For us, that’s as big as it gets.”

Now, after accomplishing that goal and becoming a Canadian champion, Wilson hopes younger competitors won’t limit what they believe is possible.

“I always wanted to be a barrel racer and saying I’d go and win Canada wasn’t something I ever thought I’d be able to say,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to dream very big. It’s amazing what you can accomplish with the right horse and the right support.”

She also encouraged young competitors to seek guidance from the people around them.

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help,” Wilson said. “People are very nice and very willing to help if you just aren’t afraid to reach out.”

The Canadian Finals won’t quite mark the end of Wilson’s year. She is also set to compete at the Maple Leaf Circuit Finals in Regina at the end of November.

But first comes Edmonton and another opportunity for Wilson and Whiskey to compete for a Canadian championship.