What’s better than rodeo on New Year’s Eve? A rodeo payday on New Year’s Eve.
Cochrane’s Steven Turner greeted 2015 with a third-place overall finish in the Ultimate Cowboy event at Calgary Stampede’s Agrium Western Events Centre. The jackpot show was worth just over $2,000 for the 12-year Canadian Professional Rodeo Association Cowboy who competes in bull riding and steer wrestling events throughout the spring and summer on the Canadian pro tour.
What makes the one-day Ultimate Cowboy event unique is contestants compete in all six rodeo disciplines: bareback, saddle bronc, bullriding, steer wrestling, tie-down roping and team roping.
Ten cowboys from Canada and the U.S. competed, with Black Diamond’s Clay Elliott winning the overall title for the second-straight year. Turner finished first in bull riding and steer wrestling to claim third overall.
“It was all right. It’s kind of just more of a fun deal to do all the events like that,” the 10-time Canadian Finals Rodeo bull rider said. “It’s kind of interesting and a good time. And you get to come home with some money.
“It was a pretty good way to spend New Year’s.”
Turner competes in roughstock (bull riding) and timed (steer wrestling) events on the Canadian pro circuit, so it’s easy to see he has some Ultimate Cowboy built in.
“They kind of almost designed this thing for me,” he cracked. “I just wish they’d have done it 10 years ago when I was younger.”
At 32, he’s not old by any means. But his body has taken a beating over more than 12 years of riding bulls and wrestling steers. He’s scheduled for hip surgery in early spring and may miss the opening month or two on the 2015 CPRA calendar.
So he’s just glad he got the Ultimate Cowboy invite.
“That was a really good show. They ran it off fast and there was a lot of action,” he surmised. “I think everyone was pretty happy with it.”
With an extra $2K jammed in there, you can bet his wallet was pretty happy with it, too.
