Grand Canyon Pro Rodeo Association Crowns Year-End Champions

The Grand Canyon Professional Rodeo Association completed their year on Sunday, Oct. 29 in the Buckeye Equestrian Event Center Arena. The association is home to members from several states, but the majority compete across the state of Arizona.

A unique offering in the GCPRA are the incentive events for the calf roping, team roping,and barrel race. Each one has a different set of standards, but it gives more people the opportunity to compete competitively and be contributing members of the association. The incentive events held their finals during the day while the regular events were held at night during the performances.

In the incentive tie down roping, Tyler Tool was able to hold on to his lead by a mere $151 over Boedy Lambert. Tool didn’t have any luck picking up checks at the finals; whereas Lambert was a force. Lambert won third in the first round and then took over winning both rounds two and three along with the average.

The incentive team roping heading was won by Josh Whipple who topped Cooper Anderson by $972. Sterling Fowlie pick up the buckle for the heeling also edging out Jett Uldrikson by $968.

The incentive barrel racing was a nail-biting race coming down to waiting to see who won the final check in the third round and the average. Hayley Cook was the lucky one placing third in the final round and second in the average which was just enough to take over the lead from Renee Freeland. Cook snuck past with a lead of only $209.

The steer wrestling is known as the “big man’s event,” and Jace Bleil won it in a big man fashion. The champion for the year-end put a total of $5,082 in his wallet while the runner up, Casey Collins, followed with $3,690. Bleil was tough the whole way through the finals placing in two rounds and the average to put a period on his great year.

The calf ropers put on a show in the third round to determine the champion. Joseph Parsons put the pressure on when he tied his calf in 8.8 seconds. Kalai Nobriga didn’t let the pressure phase him and finished his standout year with a 9.6 second run which solidified the title for him. A second-place finish in the final round paired with an average championship gave Nobriga the championship saddle.

In the breakaway, the standings had to be double checked to make sure the awarded roper was in fact the winner! Sierra Spratt entered the finals with what one would have believed to be a commanding lead, but Cheyenne Blackmore never took the heat off. Every time Blackmore backed into the box, she got a check. Winning the first round, splitting third and fourth in the second round and earning fourth in the final round gave Blackmore the average championship. But, as good as she roped, Blackmore came up $154 short of the year end title.

The bareback riding was the closest race being separated by $12! Cauy Betony came into the finals leading but Brazos Winters rode all three horses to earn $1,950 at just the finals. Winters won the first and second rounds along with second in the third round and first in the average. His efforts in Buckeye were enough to overtake Betony and win the year-end.

The open team roping was won by a father and son team of Michael Calmelat and Lil Michael Calmelat. The heading was a run-away win with the senior Calmelat winning the championship by almost three thousand dollars. The heeling side was much closer with the junior Calmelat besting Denton Dunning by just $315. Dunning gave it his best shot by winning the first and second rounds, second in the third round, and winning the average.

The open barrel race title went to Kiersten Pettus who rose to the occasion at the finals. Pettus and her great horse won second in the first and third round and split the average win with Stacey Padilla. Winning over $2,000 at the finals catapulted Pettus ahead of the season leader, Ashley Haller.

The saddle bronc riding couldn’t have been predicted, possibly even by the competitors. There were five riders who truly all had a shot at the year-end title, but Sid Skiver held on to his narrow lead coming into the finals. All five of the competitors earned money at the finals. Skiver ended the year with $3,511 with Chance West close on his heels earning $3,258.

To finish it out, Hunter Kelly earned the bull riding title. Even though Kelly entered the finals about $1,400 shy of the lead, his two qualified rides at the finals were enough to get ahead of Caelan Reynolds. Kelly ended his year $562 ahead in the standings.

In total, the GCPRA awarded over $95,000 at the finals along with buckles for eachround, the average, and the year-end along with saddles for the year-end champions. The GCPRA also recognized outstanding Horse of the Year awards for each event.