By Dianne Finstad
As the Canadian tie down roping Champion, Ty Harris certainly knows how to win at Canadian rodeos. But the talented Texan had never advanced to the finals at the Ponoka Stampede.
Harris took care of that dilemma on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, as he ran down the long score setup to still rope and he his calf in a sizzling 7.6 seconds.
Combined with his solid 8.9 second time from the morning slack, his 16.5 second total means Harris can make his hectic travel plans now include a Sunday return engagement in Ponoka. “The last cheque I got here was in 2018, so I’m pretty excited,” says Harris.
“I think I got just a really, really good start and the calf was right there, and the rest was kind of a blur. It happened quick, and man, I was super blessed.”
Harris is also feeling blessed to be able to rodeo this summer with his younger brother Joel, who also roped at Ponoka.
“He quit roping for two and a half years to go to Bible college when he was 17. I never thought that he was going to rope again, no one did. But God called him back to roping, so it’s been a super huge blessing to be able to do it. It was our dream our whole life, but I’d let go of it because that wasn’t what he was doing. But to get to live our dream now is such a blessing.”
Ty helped his brother prepare for the Ponoka long score by taking him to Prineville, OR where there’s a similar alley setup, and they watched the first round at Ponoka too.
“He did really well, so I’m happy for him. Everybody roped their but off here,” Harris exclaimed. “My brother is 18.9 on two, and winning fifth. Usually 20 or 21 makes it back. I hope he makes it back, but with these great ropers and these great calves, you never know.”
There’s a chance the Harris brothers will both be in Sunday’s Ponoka finals, but there are plenty of miles to travel before then. Ty’s schedule includes a pair of stops at Greeley, CO; Prescot, AZ; St. Paul and Molalla, OR; and Williams Lake, BC.
“I got exactly how I wanted it set up. I’m really excited about my schedule. Spend a lot, and hopefully make a lot,” he grinned.
The top twelve in each event return for Sunday’s finals, followed by the Showdown round Sunday evening.
