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Canadian Finals Rodeo set for Championship Sunday

Nov 4, 2018 | 9:09 AM

Canada’s rodeo champions will be crowned Sunday afternoon as the 45th Canadian Finals Rodeo, the first in Red Deer, comes to a close.

Two cowboys who will be in the spotlight on Championship Sunday are 2016 World Champions and reigning Canadian Champions Levi Simpson and Jeremy Buhler. The talented duo have placed in every round and tied for first in two of them to put $32,400 in each man’s pocket to date.

Heading into the final performance, Simpson and Buhler are first overall and first in the aggregate with an overall time of 27.2 seconds on five head.

Another roper who is enjoying a productive and profitable week is Carstairs cowboy Kyle Lucas. The five-time CFR qualifier started slowly, finishing out of the money on night number one, but since then has been on his game with a first, a second and a pair of thirds to move him to first in the aggregate. The $25,920 Lucas has earned this week has him $4700 ahead of two time Canadian Champion and 2013 World Champ, Shane Hanchey, of Sulphur, Louisiana.

“I had a few mishaps in the first three rounds on my part,” shared Lucas, “that I feel were kind of rookie mistakes. I was letting the nerves get to me but I was able to set those aside for the next few rounds. I should have been better tonight as well, but I’ll be thankful for third.”

Tight races are the order of the day in the remaining events as well.

In the bareback riding, three-time Canadian Champion Jake Vold remains in the overall lead with Dublin, Texas cowboy Richmond Champion, and Ky Marshall of Bowden tucked just behind him in second and third.

Ponoka’s Wacey Finkbeiner is the only man who’s five for five in the bull riding. The second generation athlete holds a $4700 lead on fellow Ponoka resident, Zane Lambert. However, Finkbeiner leads the aggregate with Lambert sitting in fourth.

Hermiston, Oregon barrel racer Callahan Crossley has put together the most lucrative CFR week to date with $47.250 in earnings.

Scott Guenthner of Provost saw his season lead evaporate during the early rounds of this CFR, but has rebounded with a first and a split of second in the last two rounds to climb back into the driver’s seat heading into Sunday.

And in the saddle bronc riding, 2016 Canadian Champion Clay Elliott of Nanton holds a razor thin lead of $200 over second place man, Zeke Thurston. Third place cowboy Jake Watson is also in the conversation, $15,000 in arrears of Elliott and Thurston.

The Champions in all seven events will be determined Sunday afternoon, November 4 at the Enmax Centrium starting at 1 p.m.

 

(With file from CPRA media release, Barb Poulsen)