Day 2 of Calgary Stampede Rodeo: Early calendar start makes for tough travel decisions

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9 hours ago

Part cowboy. Part travel agent.
That's how Kyle Irwin describes his job on the rodeo circuit.
Right around the annual start of the Calgary Stampede, both gigs kick into high gear for himself and the other rodeo stars of the world.
Because not only is there $50,000-plus to be won here, but there's gobs of cash to be earned during the Fourth of July week in the United States.
'Cowboy Christmas' it's called.
And with that potential windfall come major decisions on which show to go to and how to get there.
'I tell people we're more travel agents than cowboys,' said Irwin, one of the planet's top steer-wrestling talents. 'I can get somewhere now. I'm telling you … I can get somewhere.'
That's a tremendous trait to have this time of the rodeo calendar.
And it's even moreso important this year with the Stampede having started earlier than most years — that being right on Independence Day.
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Indeed, while many rodeos were whooping it up down south on the patriotic American holiday, the Stampede's opening round went Friday for Irwin and the other Pool A participants, which dramatically changes the travel plans this year.
'We went to four rodeos over the Fourth this year,' said Irwin, of the last week that's seen him drive — relentlessly — to shows in Prescott, Ariz., Oakley City, Utah, St. Paul, Ore., and Basin City, Wash., before flying from Pasco, Wash., through Seattle to Calgary on Thursday morning.
'Normally, we're going to 10 or 12 rodeos at this time of year,' continued Irwin. 'So you cut it short by coming up here this year. And back in the States, the guys that didn't get to come here are winning and catching you in the (world) standings. So that was a decision you had to make.
'But when you're going up against 10 guys that pay six holes and $7,000 for the win, the odds are better here.'
Indeed, the Stampede's quality money certainly has its draw.
'Yeah … usually we try and go to as many rodeos as we can over the Fourth of July, and it's more about quantity and quality,' agreed saddle-bronc rider Brody Cress. 'This year, I was like, 'Let's go for quality.' You know … we're not doubling up or tripling up on days where we're sore and feeling bad and killing ourselves driving across the country.
'So we went to St. Paul, Cody (Wyoming) and Oakley, and then came up here — and we're riding good.'
Those that receive invites to the Stampede are asked to prioritize which of the three pools — 'A', which is on now through Sunday, 'B' from Monday to Wednesday or 'C' from Thursday to Saturday — they'd like to compete in. And those ranked higher in the world and Canadian standings get dibs on their choices.
Once that's decided, they can then schedule which American rodeos to attend.
'This 'A' set will have the fewest amount of guys asking for it because of the dilemma with the Fourth,' Irwin said. 'So we thought, 'Well … shoot, we're guaranteed to get it.
Competing in Pool B allowed rodeo stars to compete State-side in the ever-popular Fourth of July weekend shows.
As did competing in Pool C, which also carries the added advantage of already being here for Championship Sunday and not having to race back from other rodeos to compete for the monster Stampede money.
'Like me, I've either got to sit up here for a week or I'm going back south to some rodeos and then have to get back up here for Championship Sunday,' said Irwin, who's in the mix to make Championship Sunday with a third-best $8,500 aggregate total heading into the third-and-final show Sunday of Pool A steer wrestling.
'Heading back south is a little more travel expense …'
But it just might mean a $50,000 payday here.
'So you'll juggle all that,' Irwin said. 'But you don't miss that Championship Sunday here. If it's looking sketchy with a plane or whatnot, you don't go — you don't miss a $50,000 payday.'
Decisions, decisions …
'You kind of just pick a path and go with it,' added Cress, who leads Pool A competitors in saddle bronc with $11,500 through two rounds. 'Because to get a chance at winning $7,000 a day here, there's not many rodeos down there that even if you win first, they pay that.
'So we're missing rodeos down in the States.'
The trick is to try and make it to at least a few of those American shows while also competing in one round — and then possibly Championship Sunday — at GMC Stadium.
'There was some strategy in our entering there,' confirmed Irwin. 'And you had to cut the Fourth short, which is normally huge (for the money and the world standings). If you don't win nothing, it's just really expensive. But … you know … if you win something, it's really good.'
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