By Jasmine Franklin
A seven-year-old Ponoka boy represented Canada at the National Finals Rodeo and surely didn’t disappoint, coming home as the Canadian dummy roping champion and the over-all reserve champion.
“As soon as he could walk, he was swinging a rope,” said mom Dee-ann Bonnett. “He loves it.”
Bonnett went to the NFR, held in Las Vegas, from Dec. 9 to 12 and roped against 104 competitors aged six to eight years old for the World Dummy Roping Competition.
“We were really surprised because there’s so many other kids,” Mrs. Bonnett said “He’s so talented and at such a young age. It’s really exciting.”
Competition was tough, missing once means an automatic dismissal from the competition but that didn’t happen to Bonnett, who ropes off a horse and practices a few nights per week.
“Seeing him at the CFR (Canadian Finals Rodeo) would be neat,” Mrs. Bonnett said.
Bonnett came home with a roping dummy, belt, NFR buckle, two ropes, hoodies and T-shirts.