Young cowboy ‘just shaking’ after CNCFR

 

Consort’s Guenthner thrilled to compete in steer wrestling, tie-down roping and breakaway roping

BY NATHAN LIEWICKI

Scott Guenthner has always had rodeo in his veins. Since he was old enough to ride a horse, the 19-year-old has been an active participant in all things rodeo.

“My dad was a Canadian Finals (Rodeo) steer wrestling champion and $50,000 Calgary Stampede champion,” Guenthner said.

The Consort native, who is currently studying livestock production at Lakeland College was one of almost 70 rodeo junkies who competed in the Canadian National College Finals Rodeo at the Edmonton Expo Centre Thursday to Saturday.

Guenther competed in steer wrestling, tie-down roping and breakaway roping. He was also named the college cowboy of the year thanks to an amazing season in intercollegiate rodeo.

Although he didn’t win any of this year’s CNCFR events, Guenthner said it was an exciting experience and his heart didn’t cease throbbing.

“You try to calm your nerves and just sit there (in the saddle),” Guenthner said. “I tried to mellow out, but really my nerves were gone. I was just shaking.”

He added that making it to the CNCFR is a result of hard work paying off and he hopes to one day turn professional.

Wetaskiwin’s Stephanie Denham, 21, also hopes to make the jump to the professional ranks in a couple of years, but right now she wants to enjoy competing at the college level.

Denham, who is also studying at Lakeland, won the barrel racing event thanks to a final time of 14.625. She even beat out Bailee Stanton, who finished first in the overall year-long all-around girls standings.

Denham was overjoyed to win the event.

“It feels really good. It means a lot and I’m really happy with my horse,” Denham said.

“Barrels and team roping are probably my best events, but I like them both.”

Other winners included Mexico’s Armando Davilla Rodriguez, who won the bull riding event, Pete Lowry and Jamie Roworth, who won the team roping event, and Shanisse Medd, who won the goat tying event.

The most exciting event of the night however, was the saddlebronc. NAIT student Clint Cox won the final event, but after all the numbers were checked he and Innisfail’s Reed Sparks finished tied for the season long race for the title.

As a result, Sparks and Cox had a ride-off. In the first ride-off both competitors were bucked off their respective horses before eight seconds had elapsed, so that duel was wiped and the two went at it again.

Cox ended up doing better than Sparks in their second ride-off to capture the season-long title.

Like Guenthner, Matt Richardson also competed in steer wrestling, but he won the event. The Olds resident said it’s just a flash when you’re on a horse.

“The thing with any of these events in rodeo is it only lasts for a few seconds, especially bulldogging, five or six seconds and then you’re done your run,” Richardson said. “It’s a big rush, that’s for sure.”

Aside from winning, Richardson was grateful to have made it as far as he did and competing in front of so many people.

“It’s really an honour to compete here in Edmonton and tonight the stands were full and it gets you that much more pumped up and you want to do good,” Richardson said. “It really means a lot.“