[ad_1]
RED DEER, Alta. Clay Elliott worked three times on Sunday at the Canadian Rodeo Finals.
It was worth it.
The 24-year-old cowboy from Nanton, Alta., Hung for three rounds around the infield – his initial posting, then two rehearsal horses – en route to win his second national championship title in a window of three years.
"I guess you could say, there's a lot of mental stress, but I love riding, so if they told me I had another race, I was still going to nod." Elliott said. "There is some mental and physical stress, but I am physically and mentally fit enough to take two or three more heads if I needed it."
In this case, three was enough.
More than enough, in fact.
There was Black Hills.
Then Banshee. ("I thought it was an armed son, but the judges did not think so.")
Finally, Elliott sat aboard a large bay horse that was responding to High Valley, keeping his seat for another eight seconds and squeezing the judges for 86.25 points.
"It all happened in about seven minutes or so," Elliott said afterwards. "So, I was a little out of breath, but all my traveling companions were ready to take off and saddle all the horses I was riding on.
"It's just a good day."
A nice day, actually.
Entering Sunday's final match at Westerner Park in Red Deer, Elliott was leading one of his best friends – Zeke Thurston of Big Valley, Alta. – with less than $ 200 in total earnings.
He learned later, after all this hard work, that he could have got up a little earlier.
"I imagine that my first score would have been enough," Elliott shrugged. "But I did not want to miss an opportunity to ride on this High Valley horse, because I knew it was a good revolver.
"And he was there."
Elliott, to his credit, equaled him.
GOOD RIDE COWBOY
It was not a fairy tale end, but being sidelined on Sunday does not change Scott Schiffner's legacy.
The Strathmore-based bull rider is retiring as one of the greatest rodeo players.
Schiffner participated for the 18th time in the Canadian Rodeo Finals. His excellent resume includes a pair of national titles and two big checks from the Calgary Stampede.
The 38-year-old proved he still had what he thought – no one thought otherwise – with a second place finish on the Saturday night show.
"The most important thing I've said is that I've always wanted to leave this sport, knowing that everyone thought I could always win, no matter the day," he said. said Schiffner, a proud father of three girls. "It was not visible (Sunday), but I feel like I'm coming here and at least threatening. I never wanted to stay too long where people used to talk about me, I could, but I can not anymore …
"It has always been important to remember the winner."
[ad_2]
Source link
