Team ropers Dawson and Dillon Graham clocked a smoking 3.9 second run on the opening night of CFR 46. (Photo by Billie-Jean Duff - CPRA)

By rdnewsNOW staff

Yahoo!

Opening night thrills as CFR46 gets underway

Oct 30, 2019 | 5:57 AM

RED DEER- To some the number 7 is lucky, last night three sevens was even better.

With steer #777 as their team roping stock draw, Wainwright ropers, Dawson (header) and Dillon Graham made the most of performance number one at their first ever Canadian Finals Rodeo.

The youngest set of four brother combinations competing in the team roping event and the 2019 season leaders clocked a smoking 3.9 second run to win the round and pocket $10,500 each.

“We were just hoping to get one caught,” 20-year-old Dawson explained, “but we had some good luck. Our game plan coming in was just to make a good solid run, but as the team roping went on and there was four flat, 4.3, 4.2, we knew we had to go out there and be as fast as we could.”

Other cowboys who picked up first place cheques on opening night included Big Valley bronc rider Zeke Thurston. The 2016 world champion – one of only four men to hang on for the full eight seconds Tuesday – scored 87 points aboard Calgary Stampede’s Y-24 Yoyo Marbles.

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For Thurston, there’s really only one missing piece on an otherwise sterling resume – Canadian championship. Last night the season leader took a big step toward rectifying that.

“I was excited to get on him,” Thurston said. “I’d seen him and kinda wondered why he bucks so many guys off. I figured that out tonight. He’s a big strong horse and he had me hustling for a while but it worked out.”

Calgary bareback rider Spur Lacass rode Vold Rodeo’s 838 Mucho Dinero to 87.25 points.

Season leader Edgar Durazo of Mexico topped the bull riding with 87.25 points on Vold’s 42 Baja Midnight.

Consort’s Brendan Laye had a 3.4 second run to win the steer wrestling while CFR tie-down first timer, Haven Maged of Montana took top money with an 8.2 second run.

Season leading barrel racer Justine Elliott from Lacombe made the most of going first on Tuesday as the 15-year-old phenom sprinted to a 14.510 second run aboard her mare Blondy (the 2019 Barrel Horse With the Most Heart).

Justine Elliot had the fastest barrel racing time on night one of CFR46 (Photo: Covy Moore)

Drayton Valley novice bareback rider Jake Plotts won his event with a 73 point ride.

Condor novice bronc rider Hayden Cole marked 75.5 to earn top spot and Weyburn, Saskatchewan steer rider, Kegan Kmita, scored 76 to win his first CFR cheque.

CFR performance number two (of six rounds) kicks off at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Westerner Park Centrium.

(With file from story by Barb Poulsen – CPRA)