To Tyrel Roberts, Falkland felt just like home.
Roberts, the 23-year-old saddle bronc rider, just wrapped up victory at the annual Falkland Stampede, riding bronc, Steely Dan to an impressive 86.5 point effort.
The native of the small settlement, Charlie Lake, which has a population akin to Falkland, around 1,000, picked up $1,687 in prize money for his efforts.
“I knew the horse’s name but I didn’t really remember her. But when they ran her in there, then I remembered,” Roberts said. “She’s kind of famous with her own [special] halter and everything. I was pretty excited to draw as she rolls out of there and gets up underneath herself and helps you spur. It felt like she was really kicking that day.”
Roberts comes from a ranching background, with a little rodeo thrown in.
“My dad and his brother figured they were riding broncs all the time at the ranch so they might as well try to ride some at the rodeos but it didn’t work out as well as they thought,” he said. “But my parents made the World Series of Team Roping and my brother steer wrestled so rodeo was definitely a big deal for us.”
After an impressive rookie season in 2023, the young cowboy looks primed to take the next step, after spending much of the winter in the US riding.
“It was kind of a long winter,” Roberts said. “I didn’t draw that good at most of the places I went so I was pretty excited to be coming back to Canada and getting on some good bucking horses up here.”
After the win in Falkland, Roberts will move up from the 10th place ranking he had entering the weekend.
Also winning at the Stampede was Bradi Whiteside, who picked up victories in the breakaway roping competition, along with claiming funds in the Falkland barrel race.
Complete results are found at rodeocanada.com
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