An Okotokian who put down his hockey stick in order to wrestle steers cashed his biggest rodeo cheque of his career last week in High River.
Jonny Webb, 26, finished tied for second in the steer wrestling at the Guy Weadick Memorial Rodeo June 23-26 when he pinned his steer in a time of 4.0 seconds Sunday in High River.
“I will win $3,000 ($2,715) or so,” Webb said. “Today, I just drew a good steer and got him.”
Webb started steer wrestling approximately two years ago after a successful career in hockey, including a stint with the Brandon Wheat Kings and the Okotoks Junior A Oilers.
“I had never even rode a horse before,” Webb said. “I showed up one day to meet some friends to give it a try.”
He ended up getting an education in steer wrestling from some of the best. He got his training visiting his friends at the Stampede Ranch, west of Longview, getting pointers from his friend Joel Edey, who is presently steer wrestling on the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association. Webb, who grew up in the Okotoks area, also received help from 2010 Calgary Stampede champion Lee Graves, and riding tips from ropers Steele and Don DePaoli from Longview. He bought his horse, Jill, from Graves.
Webb said he is hoping the big payday in High River will turn his season around. It’s his first pay-cheque this season.
“I’ve been breaking a lot of barriers and not making a lot of money,” Webb said.
In other steer wrestling action, Okotoks’ Coleman Kohorst finished out of the money with a time of 5.4 seconds during Saturday morning’s slack performance.
“The steer was supposed to be real slow and stop out front but he ran pretty good and I was a little slow on him,” he said. “Some of the steers do get a pattern that are pretty reliable, but a typical longhorn, they do change their minds.”
He estimated he was in 11th place in the CPRA going into the High River.
“I got a cheque out of Stavely, I won Brooks two weeks ago so it’s a start,” Kohorst said. “I have been on the outside the last couple of years looking in to get to the CFR (Canadian Finals Rodeo) and I am trying to change that... The next couple of weeks are going to be a big.”
The top 12 in the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association advance to the Canadian finals.
Graves had a no time on his steer during Saturday’s slack.
“The steer didn’t line up for me,” Graves said. “It’s frustrating as heck. It’s like you’re heading into the end zone and you fumble the ball.”
Baillie Milan from Cochrane won the steer wrestling in 3.9 seconds.
Bareback
The only thing rotten about a Millarville cowboy’s ride last night was the name of the horse.
Sam Kelts had the top ride in the saddle bronc at the Guy Weadick Memorial Rodeo on Thursday when he rode Rotten Ralph to an 80.5 in High River.
“It won’t win me first-place (for the four-day) rodeo, but it should get me some money,” Kelts said. “I was really happy with the horse. It’s a Ralph Bergen horse, and I have been able to ride him a few times in Nanton for practice. So, I knew I was getting a good horse.”
Kelts ended up finishing tied for seventh in High River and took home a cheque for $500.
Bergen, who lives in the Aldersyde area, said it was a case of a good horse being ridden by a good cowboy.
Longview’s Steele DePaoli finished first in the Thursday night go-round in tie-down roping with a time of 8.7 seconds. When all was said and done, DePaoli finished seventh and took home $787 from High River.
In Sunday’s go-round in High River, Davey Shields Jr. of DeWinton turned out in the bareback. Tyler Thomson of Black Diamond also wasn’t able to make it for his ride in High River because he was on an airplane returning from another rodeo.
The Guy Weadick Memorial Rodeo winners (unofficial) were : Saddle bronc – Taos Muncey, 82.5; bareback – Bobby Mote, 86; Bull riding – Robert Bowers, 89.5; Tie-down roping – Cliff Cooper, 8.1 seconds; steer wrestling _ Baillie Milan, 3.9 seconds; barrel racing – Brittany Pozzi, 17.28 seconds; Team roping – Riley and Brady Minor, 6.0 seconds.
To see how foothills area athletes sit in the latest Canadian Professional Rodeo Association standings go to Scoreboard on page 14.
