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In the CorralFebruary-March 2006 Winston Bruce Named Cowboy of the Year
The Canadian Professional Rodeo Association is proud to announce the 2005 Cowboy of the Year is Calgary, AB’s Winston Bruce, an icon of rodeo and a cowboy respected as one of saddle bronc riding’s legendary greats. “It’s a real honour,” said Bruce of the Cowboy of the Year announcement, “especially considering those in the past who’ve won it and the people that I’m following. I feel elated and excited.” Bruce was a Canadian champion saddle bronc rider in 1957 and 1958, a Calgary Stampede champion in 1959 and world champion in 1961. He was inducted into the Canadian Professional Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1995. In 1969, Bruce joined the Calgary Stampede, retiring as manager of rodeo in 2002. Behind the scenes, he created a set of breeding, production and performance records tracing the entire Stampede’s bucking horse program that is still unmatched. After leaving the Calgary Stampede, Bruce joined the CPRA’s board of directors as the saddle bronc representative as well the CPRA’s advisory committee. Sponsored by the Douglas Lake Ranch, the annual Cowboy of the Year award is presented to the rodeo competitor whose talents and character contributes to the betterment of rodeo. Here’s another reason they are Living Legends…Who knew the Miss Rodeo Canada horsemanship competition could be so exciting? Christa Lawrence, Miss Rodeo Canada 2005, rode into the UFA Show Hall arena to demonstrate the reining pattern, just one of the horsemanship components for the Queen competition. Shortly into the pattern, the bridle on the borrowed horse blew apart, leaving Christa with little more than the reins and chinstrap pressing ineffectually on the underside of the horse’s neck. “When the bridle broke I just prayed he wouldn’t jump,” Christa said. She managed to get the hard running gelding circling as horsemanship judge Jerri Duce (Living Legends, Feb/Mar 2005) and Lawrence family friend Dale Montgomery (Living Legends, June/July 2005) sailed over the arena fence and cornered the runaway horse. “He had no whoa with a bridle, even less without one,” Christa commented later. “I wasn’t nervous, I’m used to riding colts so you just relax and ride them. When you get nervous, they freak. Then I saw Dale coming and I knew I’d be OK.” I don’t know which was the most impressive; Christa keeping her cool or Jerri and Dale’s warp speed reaction. I sure won’t miss the horsemanship competition next year! Kenny McLean inducted into National Rodeo Hall of Fame
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum has inducted the late Kenny McLean into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame. McLean participated in saddle bronc, calf roping, team roping and steer wrestling, winning thirteen major Canadian titles. He was Rookie of the Year in 1961 and one year later was the PRCA saddle bronc world champion. He was the Canadian All-Around Champion three consecutive times from 1967 to 1969 and then again in 1972. He competed at the NFR nine times in saddle bronc and once in calf roping. He is still the only Canadian to have qualified for the NFR at both ends of the arena. He was also considered an expert horse trainer. He was the first recipient of the Bill Linderman Award, presented to rodeo’s finest all-around contestants, an inductee in the Canadian Hall of Fame, the Canadian Pro Rodeo Association (CPRA) Hall of Fame and the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame. Maclean is also the only rodeo cowboy to receive the Order of Canada. “The entire family is honoured that Kenny received the recognition, I know Kenny would have been honoured too,” said Paula Jo McLean, Kenny’s widow, reached at her home in Hamilton, MT in a recent interview with Canadian Cowboy Country. “He was a very down-to-earth person, very humble, he didn’t come off as a star and was often embarrassed by the attention he received,” she added. “He was most comfortable on horseback in the arena.” “You know what was strange,” Paula Jo continued, “The weekend before Kenny went to Taber he was team roping at Standoff. After he roped the steer, it doubled back and the rope went under his mare’s tail. We raised that mare and she had never offered to buck in her life, but that day she clamped her tail and just blew up. Kenny went to spurring her shoulders to get her to lift her tail and she bucked so hard the spectators could see the top of the arena rails under her belly. The crowd went nuts. It was the best bronc ride they had that weekend. Kenny was giggling about it later and said, “That sure felt good!” So he got to have his last bronc ride.” The following weekend, Kenny died of a massive heart attack while waiting to enter the arena on his rope horse, Last Wish, at the National Senior Pro Rodeo at Taber, Alberta, on July 13, 2002, 63 years and 60 days from the day he was born on a ranch near Okanagan Falls, British Columbia. National Senior Pro Rodeo Champs!Glen Goddard of Maple Creek, SK burned a trail across Canada and the U.S. to emerge as the National Senior Pro Rodeo’s World Steer Wrestling Champion. “I bulldogged all summer and it was fun,” said Goddard. The Finals, held in Winnemucca, NV also saw Glen’s horse, 17-year old Spook, awarded the Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year. “It was a good year for him also,” Goddard added. Chuck Melin was awarded the coveted Cowboy of the Year and was presented with the Kenny McLean memorial buckle.
Cowboy Hats in Torino, ItalyEckville, AB’s hometown girl, Mellisa Hollingsworth-Richards, bride of bronc rider Billy Richards, is having a sizzling season in her extreme sport of Women’s Skeleton with a gold, two silver and a bronze medal in her first four World Cup Races. Currently Mellisa is ranked 2nd on the international circuit and seems destined to compete in her first Olympics in Torino this February. Billy is trying to save up enough for a plane ticket to be there with her. There is something magical about cowboys at the Olympics – they sure seem to bring their brides good luck. Just ask Catriona LeMay-Doan… Congratulations to Darell Hartlen and his wife Sarah on the birth of their first child, Cooper Alan, born November 22, 2005. He weighed in at 8 lbs 1 oz and mother and son are both doing fine. When reached for comment, Darell said, “Well, he’s kind of boring. We have to wake him up to feed him, but he’s pretty neat.” When asked about his name Darell squelched a rumour when he stated, “No, he’s not named after Ash Cooper.” Darell Hartlen is the editor of Canadian Rodeo News. BCCHS announces Lesley White as the 2006 Kamloops Cowboy Festival Poster Artist
The British Columbia Cowboy Historical Society is pleased to announce Lesley White of Prince George, BC has been selected as the 2006 poster artist and feature artist for the 2006 Kamloops Cowboy Festival. Celebrating their 10th anniversary, the festival runs March 10 – 12, 2006. Her painting, “In Grandpa’s Footsteps” was created for the festival. “If we are lucky enough to have at least one of our children or grandchildren connect to the spirit of ranching, we are blessed with the hope that this wonderful tradition will continue despite the inevitable intrusion of the fast paced technological world.” The festival features cowboy poetry, western music, western artists and artisans, dinner theatre, BC Cowboy Hall of Fame inductions as well as workshops and seminars. For more information, visit www.bcchs.com. Riding for the BrandInvitational Heritage Ranch Rodeo The Invitational Ranch Rodeo held during CFR in Edmonton hosted capacity crowds as working cowboys from some of the top heritage ranches across the West were invited to compete in the inaugural event. The cowboys brought the ranch to the city, showcasing their riding, roping and teamwork skills seldom seen from the road. The thirteen ranches competing included teams from BC’s Douglas Lake Cattle Co. and the Gang Ranch, Alberta’s Bar U, Rocking P, Round Top T, Sears, A7, OH, Leslie Ranch, and the Deseret Ranch as well as Saskatchewan’s Slippery Moon, South Shadow Angus & Paints and the Elliott Ranch. Collectively, these ranches control well over one and a half million acres. The cowboy crew of Tom, Dusty, Peter and Greg Bews and Clint Timmons riding for the Bar U brand (now a national historic site) won the rodeo. The Rocking P crew of Mac and Justin Blades, Blake Schlosser, Josh Erickson and Manerd Bird took second while third was hotly contested between the Round Top T Ranch crew of Vern Lonsberry, Bill Akins, Cam Sutherland and Chad Wilson and the Douglas Lake Cattle Co. cowboys; Stan Jacobs, Wendell Stoltzfus, Steve Brewer and Nolan Eek. It was settled by a tie breaking One Man Doctoring event between Vern Lonsberry and cowboss Stan Jacobs, who, with a rare miss, saw the Round Top T emerging as third place winners. William Beierbach from the Slippery Moon Ranch team also competed in the Canadian Finals Rodeo, winning the steer wrestling aggregate championship. The enthusiastic response to the long rope cowboys has ensured the event will be back again next year. This is a must-see event! Photo Name: corral_0206_10 War Cry
This classic shot of Stan Weatherley’s great horse War Cry is about to be immortalized on the streets of Innisfail. The photo, captured at High River by rodeo photographer Sarah Timmons will be laser cut into a metal sign sponsored by Community Savings and displayed along Innisfail’s Main Street. Innisfail is home to the five-day, 46th Annual Innisfail Professional Rodeo held June 14 – 18, 2006. As well, War Cry was voted as the top saddle bronc of the Canadian Finals Rodeo, earning Stan Weatherley of Big Country Rodeo a shiny new Dodge truck. |
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