Durazo looks back on successful season

By Laurence Heinen Times Contributor

Edgar Durazo capped off a successful rodeo season in style in early November.

The popular Mexican bull rider, who now lives with his family in the community surrounding Speargrass Golf Course, was a man on a mission during the Canadian Finals Rodeo at Red Deer’s Westerner Park from Nov. 1-5.

Heading into the season-ending championship show, the 32-year-old thrill seeker was sitting fifth in the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association bull riding standings behind Coy Robbins, Jacob Gardiner, Jordan Hansen and Jared Parsonage.

“That’s the stage that I want to be on,” said Durazo in regards to qualifying for the CFR. “Every time that I get there, it’s such a blessing.”

The two-time and defending Strathmore Stampede champion also won the CFR bull riding title in 2019, but finished second in the aggregate standings at the year-end show behind Hansen.

“Back then, if I didn’t ride six bulls, I wouldn’t have won,” said Durazo, who waged a fierce battle with Hansen as both men rode all six of the bulls they got on. “You have to be six out of six and this time five out of six to win. You have to be up there to win the championship.”

Although he lost the aggregate title to Hansen four years ago, Durazo finished with almost $7,300 more in earnings than his competitor to take home his first Canadian title.

This year, Durazo went jump-for-jump with five of the six bovine athletes he matched up against to win the aggregate title, while also climbing to the top of the standings with a total of $82,467.36 in earnings.

That put him $11,660.25 ahead of Parsonage in the year-end standings to give him his second Canadian crown.

“It’s a pretty good season,” said the humble cowboy, who estimates he made closer to $120,000 with ground-money earnings, which don’t count in the CPRA standings. “When you pass the $100,000 mark, that’s a great year. You spend $20,000 in entrance fees and travel and stuff like that and you’ve got $100,000 profit, so that’s a good year and that’s just in Canada.”

Durazo also had additional earnings from competing at shows in California in April (including winning the Springville Rodeo) as well as at the Cloverdale Rodeo in B.C. in May.

While he doesn’t plan on heading south of the border in 2024, Durazo is looking forward to competing once again at the Cloverdale Rodeo and at the Calgary Stampede before he’ll get set to defend his Strathmore Stampede title in early August.

“I love that rodeo,” he said, noting that it’s just a quick 15-minute drive from his house to the Strathmore Rodeo Grounds. “We’re going to have a good rodeo season up here. We’re going hard and going to everything.”

Durazo’s spectacular season was even more impressive when you consider that he didn’t start competing until April due to a serious injury he sustained in late 2022.

“I broke my foot in October, so I couldn’t go to the CFR,” he explained. “That bumped me down, so that’s why I didn’t qualify for Calgary last year.”

One year earlier in September of 2021, Durazo sustained five broken ribs and a bruised lung after being thrown off and stepped on by a bull at the Cody Snyder Bullbustin’ event at Grey Eagle Resort and Casino.

Despite that fact, he returned to compete at the 2021 CFR two months later where he successfully rode two of six bulls, while setting an arena record of 92.25 points atop Vold Rodeo’s Up Shift.

Although he finished third in the 2021 standings behind Parsonage and Lonnie West, Durazo gained confidence that he could battle back from a serious injury which helped him once again this season.

“When you ride bulls, you know that you can get injured pretty easily,” Durazo said. “It’s something that’s part of it, so you have to learn how to deal with it and find the best help to get out of it quicker and safer. 

“The Pro Rodeo Sport Medicine Team plays such a huge role in what we do. We see them at every rodeo so they know what’s going on and what we do, so it helps a lot.”

After breaking his foot, Durazo took advice given to him by Canadian Pro Rodeo Sport Medicine executive director Brandon Thome, who suggested that he hire a personal trainer. Thome, who also works at Acumen Health as an athletic therapist, arranged a meeting with Chris Sharkey, who Durazo started to work with on his road to recovery.

“He’s based in Edmonton, but he comes here,” Durazo said. “Now I’ve got my routine through an app on my phone, so I do everything at home. Once in a while, I go in and train with them (at Acumen Health’s Calgary location). I signed with them and they’re my sponsors. They’re great.”

Durazo also commended his wife Karla, who’s pregnant and expecting the couple’s third child in April, for all her help behind the scenes.

“She’s a super woman,” he said of his wife, who helps look after the couple’s two-year-old son Edgar and one-year-old daughter Sophia, all while being her husband’s nutritionist as well. “Healthwise, all my meals that she prepares, everything has to be balanced. She’s the best. Behind the scenes, she’s my biggest support.”

Edgar Durazo’s 2023 CFR results

Round 1 – 1st, 89 points on Duane Kesler Rodeo’s Alberta Prime Devils Advocate

Round 2 – 3rd, 85.75 points on Vold Rodeo’s Who’s Sippin

Round 3 – 4th, 87 points on Calgary Stampede Rodeo Company’s Dance Monkey

Round 4 – 2nd, with 87.5 points on Big Stone Rodeo’s Far To Filthy

Round 5 – bucked off Duffy Rodeo’s Bonito

Round 6 – 1st, 88 points on Vold Rodeo’s Rust Bucket

Aggregate rank – 1st

Season earnings – $36,146.69

CFR round earnings – $32,316.75

CFR aggregate earnings – $14,003.92

Total earnings – $82,467.36