Sunday was all about hope at the Ponoka Stampede.
For some, that hope was for a good enough performance to earn a spot in Monday’s finals. For others, it was hope that they could keep their finals qualifying spot they’d already earned.
In the bareback, all the hope went to those that had already claimed a spot as no one else earned a score to knock some one out of the top 12. It was the same in the bull riding, where only five rides were made all week and those five will compete Monday afternoon for the four showdown spots that evening.
That wasn’t the case in the saddle bronc, as Sam Kelts of Stavely and Preston Burr from Stratford, Texas both scored rides of 81.75 to take two spots in the top 12 away.
There were also a pair of spots lost in the steer wrestling with Travis Reay of Mayerthorpe at 13.1 and Dustin Walker of Vanscoy, Sk, at 13.5 claiming a top 12 position on Sunday.
The trend continued in the tie down roping, with two more top 12 spots being replaced, as Stettler’s Riley Warren with a 19.3 and Jesse Finnerty from Duchess at 20.2 booked their tickets for the finals.
Just one pairing in the team roping Sunday were good enough to make the top 12, as Chase Simpson from Claresholm and Medicine Hat’s Braidy Davies put up a 16.2.
Lastly, the ladies barrel racing saw on change among the top 12 Sunday with Lynette Brodoway of Brooks nailing down a spot by the slimmest of margins — five one-thousandths of a second — with a time of 17.894.
The Finals
So that means the roster for Monday’s afternoon finals is set.
Bareback — Justin McDaniel, Ky Marshall, Kelly Timberman, Clint Laye, Seth Hardwick, Wyatt Denny, Orin Larsen, Caleb Bennett, JR Vezain, Ty Breuer, Jake Vold, Richmond Champion.
Tie down roping — Jesse Finnerty, Ben Robinson, Logan Bird, Russell Cardoza, Randall Carlisle, Riley Warren, Dean Edge, Cory Solomon, Stetson Vest, Jason Schaffer, Clint Nyegaard, Tyson Durfey.
Steer wrestling — Layne Delemont, Morgan Grant, Kyle Irwin, Jason Thomas, Dustin Walker, Travis Reay, Todd Woodward, Blake Gagnon, Landon Beardsworth, Harley Cole, Tanner Milan, Hunter Cure.
Team roping — Chase Simpson/Braidy Davies, Spencer Rutherford/Denver Johnson, Kelly Buhler/Trent Petersen, Brett Buss/Tyrel Flewelling, Tuftin McLeod/Tyce McLeod, Troy Fischer/Wyatt Erickson, Brett McCarroll/Justin McCarroll, Dustin Bird/Russell Cardoza, Justin Davis/Nick Sartain, Riley Roy/Brady Chappel, Rhen Richard/Rich Skelton, Levi Simpson/Jeremy Buhler.
Saddle Bronc — Preston Burr, Sam Kelts, Travis Nelson, Jacobs Crawley, Clay Elliott, Zeke Thurston, Sterling Crawley, Tyler Corrington, Troy Crowser, Dusty Hausauer, Taos Muncy, Layton Green.
Barrel racing — Lynette Broadoway, Christine Laughlin, Melissa Thiessen, Taylor Manning, Taylor Jacob, Jaime Hinton, Carmon Pozzobon, Cathy Grant, Tillar Murray, Kirsty White, Callahan Crossley, Sherry Cervi.
Bull riding — Wacey Finkbeiner, Marcos Gloria, Joe Frost, Jordan Hanson, Garrett Smith.
Chuckwagons
The $50,000 Dash For Cash in the World Professional Chuckwagon Association will come down to four drivers Monday night — Gary Gorst, Kurt Bensmiller, Layne MacGillivray and Evan Salmond.
Three of those came from one of the semi final heats on Sunday, which shouldn’t be a shock as any heat Gorst has been in this week have been fast as he set the best time of the Stampede on opening night.
Meanwhile, the former world champion Bensmiller won his semi final handily.
