Aboriginal cowboys didn't go home with empty pockets

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For saddle bronc rider Shawn Henry, 1999 was a good year. Maybe he didn't make piles of money, but he came away unscathed, injury-free, qualified for the Canadian Finals Rodeoand wound up taking home close to $7,000.

The Nov. 10 to 14 Canadian Finals Rodeo at Edmonton's Skyreach Centre was a near disaster for him on Saturday when he missed out and was bucked off his two mounts. Still, with Sunday remaining, he was reunited with his old nemesis, Zippy Delivery from the Calgary Stampede string.

In the past, "we just weren't a good combination," Henry explained. He first drew Zippy two years earlier. In that ride, he was thrown into the fence for a paltry 78 points. The two met again and again but they were like two left-footed dancers - mismatched.

On the finals go round of the CFR and before a capacity crowd, the two somehow clicked. Henry marked an 84.5 points to take top day money and a trophy buckle. And he did so in good company. Rod Hay wound up second that day, but in first place overall. Hay came to the rodeo in number one spot in Canada and in the world standings with better than $100,000 in earnings.

Henry expressed his pleasure that rodeo contestants are finally being treated more like athletes. As he puts it, "how many people do you know who are in the top 10 in anything in all of Canada or the world? In any other sport, we'd get a lot more respect." Well, it's happening now and rodeos all over the country are attracting larger crowds and bigger pay.

Presently residing at Wainright, Henry and his wife, Rhonda, are expecting their first child around Christmas.

Coming into the finals this year as well was Canada's number two bareback leader, Kenton Randle. The Fort Vermilion cowboy who managed to stick all six of his mounts for scores of 81, 83, 83, 82, 78 and 83.5 could only manage a sixth place finish overall, but still pocketed about $5,300.

In the end, Darrell Cholach from Cochrane and Edmonton's Roger Lacasse placed first and second overall. There was certainly no shame in Randle's performance as he placed in five of his six rounds. On his final mount, he was in obvious pain having aggravated an old shoulder injury.

As for next season, you'll see both cowboys' names on the program sheets. As Randle says, "It's like that song, Too Damn Young To Be This Damn Old."

Although none of his three sons, ages 10 to 17 are into rodeo, "I'm glad my family is 100 per cent behind me," he said. While the money is getting better, it's the challenge of the stock that tugs at Randle. Speaking of stock, last summer he clicked nicely with Kesler's Time Zone at Cloverdale, B.C. On that ride, he turned in a new Canadian record 91 which was just two points off the world record set in 1974 by the great Joe Alexander.

Last year, at age 38, Randle was named the Resistol World Bareback Rookie of the Year.

In calf roping, Travis Houff from Medicine Hat won handily and B.J. Zieffle of Consort tossed his steers down to take the steer wrestling.

Rayel Robinson from Alix won the ladies barrel racing and Robbie Bell from Houston, B.C., was best on the bulls.

In the novice categories, Wace Hartell of Strathmore won in bareback while Dustin Thompson from Brooks took the saddle bronc.

Young Ryan McDonald, a Metis from Buffalo Lake Metis Settlement, fell off pace after day three when he bucked off. The eventual winner was Tyler Prescott from Strathmore. Still, McDonald earned 1,327 dollars for his efforts.