Page 45 - Canby Rodeo 2023

August 15-19, 2023, 65th Annual
45 – CANBY RODEO
took top honours as the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Bareback Horse of the Year, while Wild Cherry picked up Canadian Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year, and was also runner-up for the top Saddle Bronc horse in the PRCA.
Adding to an incredible year, the Calgary Stampede was also recognized as the winner of the 2021 stock contractor Remuda Award, recognizing the Stam- pede’s bucking horses as the most consistent and top- performing during the 2021 rodeo season, creating the best scoring opportunities for contestants.
For horses who have wrapped up careers in the arena, there is still an important role to play within the herd, becoming valuable role models for the next generation of bucking horses.
“They get buddied up with yearlings,” says Kraft, “So when we kick them out onto grass after a winter of feed, they have a guide, I guess you could call it.”
Friendships built between horses on the Ranch last a lifetime. Just like people, horses will find other horses that they like to spend the most time with. These bonds can be easily seen through observing the natu- ral herd dynamic.
“Back when they were competing, two mares - Mad Money and Mata Fact - were inseparable on the road and off the road,” Kraft says “If they happened to get on two different trucks, when they’d get back to the Ranch they would get back together and be like ‘I haven’t seen you in long time.’”
The passion and commitment to raising the most talented bucking horses in the world runs deep within the Calgary Stampede. Recognized as the only rodeo that also runs its own stock contracting business, the Stampede bucking horses are known as some of the best, high scoring, and most consistent in the rodeo industry.
“The wild west days of old saddle horses that would buck, those days are long gone. It’s evolved into ani- mals that are ready to perform on the biggest stages. So, we have to do our homework and make sure we set them up to be the best they can be.”
Life on the Stampede Ranch
Where the best in the sport are Born to Buck
If you closed your eyes and imagined your own personal paradise, what would it look like? For bucking horses, paradise looks like the Stampede Ranch.
Located near the badlands in east central Alberta,
600 equine athletes call the 23,000 acres of natural grassland home. It is here that some of the world’s best bucking horses are born and raised.
The Calgary Stampede’s Born to Buck breeding program and stock contracting business has been a world-renowned pillar for exceptional bucking horses since 1961. Over 60 years later, Stampede horses contin- ue to thrive in and out of the arena. This success is not only attributed to a strong foundation of bloodlines, but also the management of the program. Stampede Ranch Manager Tyler Kraft oversees the operation, rais- ing powerful athletes that are recognized on the larg- est stages of rodeo throughout North America.
“Genetics are huge, but that’s just part of it,” Kraft says. “It’s nutrition, the practices, the handling out at the Ranch. They have to be in good shape and raised right.”
It’s a process that begins shortly after a foal is born.
“When they’re younger, they’re just handled a lot so they get used to being around people. That’s the start of everything,” Kraft says, adding “You have to have a horse that handles well, so we set them up for success when they get to the rodeos.”
The horses are introduced to a halter and lead, and have their first vaccinations, hoof trims and other regular care before heading out into the pasture for summer.
When the horses are three-and-a-half years old, their natural urge to buck is encouraged through a gradual introduction to competition, without carrying a rider. They won’t do that until they are at least four years old.
“It’s basically a process to get them out in the arena, go through the chutes, learn where the fences are, that kind of thing.” Kraft says.
In any given year, approximately 70 of the Stampede’s top horses will compete at some of the world’s most elite rodeos, including the Canadian Finals Rodeo and National Finals Rodeo. And they are recognized as su- perstars wherever they go.
2021 was a banner year for the Calgary Stampede’s bucking horses. Outstanding performances at rodeos across North America throughout the season brought major accolades as the year wrapped up. Xplosive Skies