Scott Shiffner is the winningest bull rider in Canadian bull riding history. Among his championships is the $50,000 prize at the Calgary Stampede in the year 2000. But when asked what his most memorable Stampede moment is, he replies without hesitation, "winning the Calgary Stampede Steer Riding title when I was 14 years old."
Novice Events
Every Stampede rodeo performance begins and ends with kids' events (with the exception of Showdown Sunday). First up are the Novice Saddle Bronc and Bareback riders. These are the young guys, twenty years of age and under, building their skills toward the day when they'll have the opportunity to ride for that coveted $100,000 payoff.
But don't think for a minute that the young cowboys are riding only for pride. Both the Novice event champions, in addition to the prize money they win, will take home a beautiful hand-crafted Stampede bronze. Last year's Novice Saddle Bronc Riding Champion, Delano Kjos, said, "My win at the Stampede was easily the highlight of what was a tough year." Delano had suffered a broken vertebrae in his back just two months before the 2007 Stampede. But he was able overcome the injury and put it all together to claim the bronze during that all important ten days in July.
Boys Steer Riding
Today, the first 2008 Calgary Stampede Champion was crowned. It happened in the Boys Steer Riding Event. By the way, that name is a misnomer-there are no steers in the Stampede's "steer riding." A steer is a male bovine that has…uh… lost his maleness. In fact, the boys (and the one girl who was entered) rode heifers (young cows).
The champion was one of the younger competitors. Steer riders can be as old as fourteen but champion Lonnie West is just twelve. Older brother Billy was also a Stampede competitor, but bucked off and was eliminated earlier in the competition. But get this, the heifer that Lonnie rode in the finals today is the same animal that bucked off brother Billy one year ago. The two boys' father, Kevin, is a former $50,000 Calgary Stampede Champion Bull Rider. Like father, like sons.
Wild Pony Race
The final event of every afternoon rodeo might be the crowd favourite. The Wild Pony Race features teams of three kids (between eight and twelve years old) who try to control and ride a wild pony. And when I say 'wild', that is an accurate description. These ponies want nothing to do with their would-be riders.
The way this works… after the teams are introduced, the first team lines up outside a chute gate. They hold onto a lead shank that's attached to their pony's halter. The gate opens and the fun begins. It's a race against the clock and the other teams, with the timer starting the instant the gate is opened. The job is completed when one of the three team members is able to mount and ride the pony for a minimum of two jumps.
Today's event featured an all-girl team (they won two days ago), another team with two boys and a girl and a third team of little guys (eight and nine years old). To say the crowd loves this event is very much an understatement. The roar the kids get, whether successful or not, is as loud as any cheer throughout the rodeo.
One of the cool things for the kids is the opportunity to rub shoulders and share a cowboy lounge with their heroes, drinking the Gatorade and sprawling on the same couches as world champion rodeo cowboys.
The Stampede takes seriously its youth rodeo programs, and it's clear that those programs have a long-term positive effect. Scott Shiffner and fellow bull rider, Denton Edge are just two of this year's Stampede contestants who got their start as 'kids of rodeo'. Don't bet against Lonnie and Billy West following in the footsteps of their dad and their cowboy heroes.
Barb Poulsen is a web/print designer, free-lance writer and barrel racer. Raised in Saskatchewan, she's lived over half her life in rural Alberta. A teacher for many years, she's also enjoyed participation in the western lifestyle - mainly through ranching, rodeo and of course, her horses. Barb lives south of Calgary on a small ranch in the Porcupine hills with her writer/rodeo announcer husband, Dave.
