Barb Poulsen
CPRA Rodeo
Layton Green is hoping history might just repeat itself.
It was one year ago that the Meeting Creek, Alta. bronc rider rolled into Falkland on the May Long and left town a while later as the Falkland Stampede champion.
But just as importantly, the Falkland win propelled the 23-year-old talent to a phenomenal string of successes on both sides of the 49th parallel that resulted in Green eventually being crowned Canadian champion and earning his first trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
Fast forward one year and there was Green once again emerging with the Falkland bronc riding title after a standout 87.5-point effort aboard Northcott-Macza’s Honeymoon for $1,417. But this one was maybe a bit more special as the win came with the 100th-anniversary commemorative buckle the committee put up to celebrate its centennial edition.
“Yeah, that’s pretty cool,” Green reflected. “Anytime you win one of those anniversary rodeos it means a lot, especially when you think about the fact that you’re the only person who will ever have that buckle. It’s pretty exciting to win one like that.”
As for putting together another run like the 2017 roll he enjoyed, Green was very definite.
“That’s my plan,” he said. “After I won Falkland last year, I really started rolling from there. This is the time of the year I really love — the outdoor rodeos — I’m just getting warmed up. I’m really excited for the rest of the year.”
The reigning champion wasn’t the only repeat winner at Falkland. Barrel racer Shalayne Lewis of Vernon also went back-to-back, this time with a 16.658-second run to take home $1,292. Other Falkland 100th Anniversary Champions included Cadogan product Clint Laye in the bareback riding (87 points on Northcott-Macza’s Stevie Knicks for $1,264), bull rider Austin Nash of Eckville. Alta. (86 points on Northcott-Macza’s Crazy Wings for $1,512); Cochrane’s Straws Milan, whose 4.1-second run earned $1,599; veteran Curtis Cassidy who posted a 9.0-run in the tie-down roping to earn $1,730 and the team roping duo of Brett Buss (Ponoka) and Kelly Buhler (Pritchard, BC) who topped the field with a 4.9-second run for $1,213 each.
Milo, Alberta’s Chett Deitz, earned 65 points and $256 to win the novice bareback riding championship; Ben Andersen (Eckville) was 71 points for $303 to capture the novice saddle bronc riding title while in the steer riding it was Carter Sahli of Red Deer who scored 78.5 points for $302.64 and the win.
For complete Falkland Stampede results, go to rodeocanada.com. Next up on the CPRA schedule — a four-event weekend with the Grande Prairie Stompede and Leduc Black Gold Rodeo both running from May 31 to June 3, the Wildwood Bronc Bustin June 2 and the Hand Hills Lake Stampede June 2-3.
