I’m a little upset. My live stream didn’t work again tonight. When I phoned RFD-TV, I just got a message, basically saying: ‘We’re swamped with the high volume wanting to watch the WNFR, leave your phone number, and we’ll get back to you.’ That was well over four hours ago, and my phone must not be working because I haven’t heard from them.
Actually my phone is working because some guys that are receiving it have been keeping me in touch. In the Bareback Riding, 4X World Champ Kaycee Field won it with a big 91.5 on Calgary’s X-9 Xplosive Skies. Richie Champion placed 3rd with an 87.5, and Jess Pope won 4th with an 86 on C5’s 144 Black Eye. The other Canadian horses, D39 Make Up Face, X81 OLS Tubs Spilled Perfume and S-77 Soap Bubbles all dusted their riders. He got the whistle, but things just didn’t mesh for Orin Larsen, and he settled for 78.5 points.
In the Steer Wrestling, Curtis Cassidy didn’t place with a 3.9, but he did pick up some business as world leader Matt Reeves sensed he needed a horse change and got on Tyson for a 5/6 split with a 3.8-second run. Tyson’s other passengers, Blake Knowles and Jess Brown, failed to place.
Allen Boore hooked up with Calgary’s Y-38 Yesterday’s Delivery for a 90.5 winning ride. Isaac Diaz won 4th with 85.5 on Calgary’s Z-92 Zaka Kibitz. Ward Macza’s 242 OLS Tubs Get Smart made short work of All-Around champ Stetson Wright. Zeke Thurston has been fighting it this week. Tonight he made a solid ride but missed his horse out.
Cory Solomon was 7 flat to win the round, and Shane Hanchey clocked a 7.4 for 4th place riding Logan Bird’s great horse, TJ.
Lisa Lockhart toured the barrels in 17.09 seconds for the big cheque.
Only two bull riders whistled up, Colten Fritzland was 89, and Ty Wallace was 88.5. With the ground money thrown in, they made big cheques. Colten won $45,058 and Ty earned $38,558.
The Calgary Stampede’s ‘Born to Buck’ program really shone tonight. They won both bucking horse events with a total of 182 points, and that leads to a story of mine.
Earlier this week I saw an interview with South Dakota’s 4X World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider Clint Johnson. He won the Calgary Stampede’s $50,000 bonus three times in the 1980s. He didn’t speak of this on TV, but it made me think of a tale I’d heard a few years ago.
At least twice, and maybe even all three times, Clint was on Calgary’s Go Wild when he won the bonus round. Later, when the Stampede retired the sorrel gelding the classy bronc rider, who now lives in Texas, arranged to take his favourite bucking horse home to live out his retirement on his ranch.
Then along came cloning technology, so Clint took a sample from his old pal and got three babies. Remember their dad’s name is Go Wild? Clint added some humour to the situation when he named the stud colts, Go Straight, Go Right and Go Left. Will it pay off? We’ll see!
*Recently a little bird told me that one of those clones had found his way to the Calgary Stampede Ranch near Hanna, Alberta.
Watch the WNFR 2020 Round 3 Highlights here!
