A Millarville cowboy found himself in an unusual situation when the Canadian Finals Rodeo took place last November — he wasn’t there.
Sam Kelts didn’t qualify for the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) because he did not finish in the top 12 in the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) saddle bronc standings.
He laughed when it was suggested he didn’t qualify in 2010 because of an injury.
“It wasn’t an injury, it was a result of bad draws and bad riding – I just had a bad year last season," the 27-year-old Kelts said. “I couldn’t draw anything that rode for me and everything just snowballed from there.”
Kelts is riding high again this season and will be competing at the Guy Weadick Memorial Rodeo this week in High River.
Kelts was sitting in first place in the CPRA standings as of June 16 with $9,372. He took home $2,577 after splitting first-place money with Clay Creasey at the Lea Park Pro Rodeo in Marwayne June 10-12.
He said things started to improve for him last fall.
“Things started to turn around for me around August,” Kelts said. “And I had a pretty good fall to earn enough to qualify for the winter rodeos (in the United States).”
As a result, his confidence started picking up towards the end of 2010.
“This spring has been really good,” Kelts said. “I have been drawing good horses and I felt like I have been riding well. Things seem to be working.”
In rodeo, the judging is based on 50 per cent for the cowboy’s ride and the 50 per cent on how the horse or bull bucks.
Therefore, being confident when you get on the horse is paramount.
“It’s just like any sport, the more confidence you have the better,” Kelts said.
essing yourself, things don’t work out as well as they should… I started getting my confidence back last fall.”
Kelts ended up winning a rodeo in Omak, Washington last fall and was second in the Pendleton Round-up in Oregon, one of the bigger rodeos in the United States.
When Kelts nods his head on Thursday night in High River, there will be familiar face in the arena. Sam’s dad, Jim Kelts, a member of the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, is one of the pick-up men.
“It’s good to have him there,” Kelts said. “We will talk about a horse and things. He’s been my coach my whole life.”
However, it doesn’t give him an advantage.
Kelts said his dad is the kind of person – like virtually all people in rodeo – who will offer advice to anyone who asks.
High River and Okotoks are the closest rodeos to his Millarville home, but he said having friends and family around does not put any added pressure on him.
“When you are getting on your bronc, you are just kind of zoning everything else out,” Kelts said. “You don’t try to worry about any other elements in play.”
Kelts is a graduate of Oilfields High School in Black Diamond and was a national high school champion in the United States.
On Thursday night in High River he will ride Rotten Ralph.
“I rode him a couple times this winter for practice,” Kelts said. “He is a real nice jump-kicking horse.”
The Guy Weadick Rodeo is Thursday to Sunday at the High River Agricultural Society Rodeo Grounds. The Thursday to Saturday performances start at 6 p.m. while the Sunday performance is at 2 p.m.
For ticket information call the High River Chamber of Commerce at 403-652-3336 or 403-652-3443. A ticket is also good for the North American Chuckwagon Races which follow immediately after the rodeo.
To see the draw for the Guy Weadick rodeo go to www.rodeocanada.com.
Draw for foothills athletes at the Guy Weadick Memorial Rodeo on June 23-26.
Sam Kelts, Millarville Saddle bronc June 23, 6pm
Marty Vernon, Millarville Saddle bronc June 25, 7am
Dustin Thompson, Okotoks Saddle bronc June 25, 6pm
Anthony Hodson, Turner Valley Bareback June 25, 6pm
Davey Shields Jr, DeWinton Bareback June 26, 2pm
Stephan Peloquin, Longview Bareback June 25, 7am
Jordie Nash, Blackie Bull riding June 25, 6pm
Tyler Thomson, Black Diamond Bull riding June 26, 2pm
Wyatt Eirikson, Okotoks Tie-down roping June 23, 6pm
Steele DePaoli, Longview Tie-down roping June 23, 6pm
Curtis Butterfield, Okotoks Tie-down roping June 25, 7am
Joel Edey, Longview Steer wrestling June 23, 6pm
Jonny Webb, Okotoks Steer wrestling June 26, 2pm
C. Kohorst, Okotoks Steer wrestling June 25, 7am
Lee Graves, Black Diamond Steer wrestling June 25, 7am
Debbie Renger, Okotoks Ladies barrel racing June 24, 6pm
Suzanne DePaoli, Longview Ladies barrel racing June 25, 6pm
Kendra Edey, Longview Ladies barrel racing June 23, 6pm
Adel Hansen, Okotoks Ladies barrel racing June 25, 7am
Sheena Thomson, Black Diamond Ladies barrel racing June 25, 7am
Lauren Byrne, Okotoks Ladies barrel racing June 25, 7am
Sasha Noval, Turner Valley Ladies barrel racing June 25, 7am
Lisa Zachoda, Okotoks Ladies barrel racing June 25, 7am
Kylie McLean, Okotoks Ladies barrel racing June 25, 7am
Kalyn Peloquin, Longview Ladies barrel racing June 25, 7am
Shawna Easson, Okotoks Ladies barrel racing June 25, 7am
Sharyl Malin, Okotoks Ladies barrel racing June 25, 7am
Brittney Roome, Black Dia Ladies barrel racing June 25, 7am
Tom & Wyatt Eirikson, Okotoks Team roping June 23, 6pm
Steele DePaoli, Longview Team roping header June 23, 6pm
Jeremy & Clint Buhler, Okotoks Team roping June 23, 6pm
Don & Colter DePaoli, L’view Team roping June 25, 6pm
