07-07-2025
RODEO NOTES, Day 3: Shelby Boisjoi-Meged lighting quick in victory
The local cowgirl has done her city, province and country proud …
Again.
Two days after making history with the first-ever breakaway roping go-round win at the Calgary Stampede main rodeo, Shelby Boisjoi-Meged, of Langdon, Alta., was a second-time day-money victor.
Her lightning-quick 2.6-second time Sunday afternoon shoots her through to Showdown Sunday as the top qualifier over the first three days of the Stampede show.
Boisjoi-Meged will be joined from Pool A by Colorado's Kinlie Brennise and Oklahoma's Cheyanne McCartney. The 1-2-3 qualifiers respectively wrapped up $14,500, $14,375 and $9,750.
The only other Albertan — and Canadian — to advance through to Showdown Sunday among the 21 Pool A rodeo finalists was Stampede veteran Scott Guenthner.
The Provost cowboy was king of bull-doggers in Pool A with $18,000 pocketed from the three rounds. Included in the massive money haul was his second-place $5,500 payday picked up Sunday, after he timed in at 4.7 seconds. The day-money winner ahead of Guenthner was Justin Shaffer, with a 4.3-second run.
With that victory, Shaffer snuck into third spot in the three-day aggregate. His $10,250 collection joins Guenthner and Florida's Kyle Irwin as the Pool A steer-wrestling qualifiers for Showdown Sunday.
Guenthner was the Stampede champ in 2023, while 'Alabama Slammer' Irwin was the king in 2019.
Cole Franks is off to Showdown Sunday …
Again.
But he wants more from the final day than what has transpired the last two years.
'I have yet to make the short-round here (on Showdown Sunday) — that one's eluding me still,' said the Texas bareback artist. 'I've been one hole out and two holes out (the last two years).
'I've been really close, but this year is going to be the year.'
Franks secured his spot Sunday with a 79.5-point effort on Erotic Tango, good enough for a sixth-place draw, a $500 pay-hole and the $13,000 top-spot aggregate in bareback.
With the day-money win Sunday, Louisiana's Waylon Bourgeois — on an 88-point ride aboard Expose Not — advanced alongside Franks out of Pool A to Showdown Sunday. As did young Mason Stuller, a 21-year-old Oregon bareback artist, who was second Sunday with an 87.5 score on Welcome Delivery.
Bourgeois and Stuller advanced with $12,875 and $12,500, respectively.
Lefty Holman's go-round win Sunday — his second-ever at the Stampede —vaulted him onto Showdown Sunday.
The California cowboy is always in the mix in Calgary, and he's off to the championship day this year with $18,000 from Pool A competition.
His Sunday effort of 89.5 points aboard feisty Crocket was among the best scores of the week in any event.
Joining Holman in a trip to Showdown Sunday from Pool A is Wyoming's Brody Cress, with $17,000, and Kansas' Weston Patterson, with $14,750.
In a case of 1-2-3 finishes to grab the 1-2-3 qualifiers for the finale, it was Cress with a runner-up 89.0 ride on Urgent Delivery and Patterson aboard Come Along for 88 points and third in the Day 3 payouts.
Cress won in 2021.
Hayes Weight also made Showdown Sunday weight with his eight-second winning ride on Day 3.
The Utah bull rider was brilliant aboard Judge and Jury, securing 86.5 points and the $7,000 first-place prize to shoot into the finale with $12,250.
Only JR Stratford, of Byers, Kansas, pocketed more cash after Saturday's monster take-home pay of all the money — $23,250 — and a three-day total of $29,500.
Weight and Stratford are joined by Idaho's Tristen Hutchings in moving onward to the championship day. Hutchings earned $8,750 in Pool A competition.
Texas tie-down talent John Douch clinched his berth from Pool A into Championship Sunday with a second-place run on Day 3.
His 7.5-second time was a shade slower than the day-money winner, Shane Smith of Wimborne, Alta., in 7.1.
But his $17,500 aggregate dwarfed the rest of the field, with Nebraska's Riley Pruitt and New Mexico veteran Shad Mayfield finishing second — with $10,875 — and third — $8,875 — also thrusting through from Pool A to Championship Sunday.
What a week for barrel racer Anita Ellis, who not only won all three runs in Pool A competition for a whopping $21,000 but takes home the Stampede record for her sparkling 16.79-second effort Sunday.
The Idaho cowgirl was already through to Championship Sunday with performances on the first two days — both sub-17 — so she went with a younger horse than her usual trusty mount, Axe, and Rico surprised all with the new standard.
The second-place ride put up by Oklahoma's Emily Beisel on Day 3 — 16.84 — also bettered the previous record of 16.86 put up Kassie Mowry in 2022.
What a day for Alberta's Quaide Skjonsberg, who put up the ride of his young life in novice bareback to take the 2025 Calgary Stampede crown in that event. The kid from Bluffton rode General Lynx to an eye-popping 86.5 score and eked out the championship by a single point — in the three-day pool aggregate — over Texas talent Kash Loyd … Pool B begins its three-day rodeo run Monday at GMC Stadium (1:30 p.m.).
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