The Canadian Intercollegiate Rodeo Association finals will be held at Northlands in Edmonton March 27 to 29 and two cowgirls will represent Ponoka. Casey Crandall will be competing in the barrels and poles and Kendra Carothers will be competing in team roping, breakaway and goat tying.
Crandall stood as the elected student president this year and thought the association had a good year and is looking forward to the finals.
“The year went really well for the association, we are able to go back to Northlands this year and that is always exciting for us,” said Crandall. “It’s like every year, you’re against nine other girls and our finals our sudden death and the champion is determined from that weekend only. Everyone has to try their best over those three rounds, I would say I have as good a shot as anyone else.”
Crandall has been competing in rodeo for several years and this will be her fourth CIRA finals. She is currently attending the University of Calgary studying kinesiology and hopes to become an athletic therapist and Carothers is studying at Red Deer College.
CPRA rodeo
The first Canadian Professional Rodeo Association event of the year was the Camrose Spring Classic Rodeo held from March 14 to 16.
Ponoka cowboy Brock Butterfield won the steer wresting with a time of 5.1 seconds winning $1,243 and Craig Weisgerber placed eighth with a time of 7.1 seconds winning $108.
Brett Buss from Ponoka and Jeffrey Quam from Airdrie placed third in team roping with a time of 5.9 seconds winning $1,207.
The event welcomed 15 local cowboys competing in barrels, team roping, bareback, steer wrestling, tie-down roping and saddle bronc.
The next CPR event is in Lethbridge March 28 to 30.