With the 2026 regular season coming to a close, we’re excited to honour the 2026 award-winning personnel and animals of our sport. The award winners are determined on the basis of votes cast by the top 20 contestants in all major events and CPRA contract members. Event specific awards are voted on by top 20 in that event only. Junior Steer riders vote only on steer riding contractor of the year.
2026 Stock Contractor of the Year is Wayne Vold and Vold Rodeo Ltd.
“I really appreciate this,” Vold commented on learning the news. The second generation contractor, who gained his start in the business after buying the Canada-based Vold Rodeo Company from his dad (the late stock contracting legend, Harry Vold) in the early eighties, was quick to recognize the group of people he counts on each year. “With events just about every weekend from May into the fall, it all comes together with all the hard work and organization Team Vold puts in… from my cousin, Nansen Vold (who handles the bull riding side of the business) to chute boss Kail Ethier, pick-up men Tyler Thomson and Stran Schlosser, the rodeo secretaries and timers we work with – everyone on the team. It takes a lot of effort. And we never quit trying to improve our stock. We’re always looking for new horses and bulls. Vold Rodeo is alive and well because of our great team.”
Rodeo announcer, Brett Gardiner, the man behind the microphone at many prominent Canadian events including the CFR, has been awarded a record 15th consecutive Announcer of the Year award. Gardiner is a much sought-after, talented professional, who in addition to announcing rodeos and bull riding events across Canada, works as a clinical psychologist in the sport mental health field.
Rodeo Timers Brenda Vold and Karry Krystal will be returning to the Canadian Finals Rodeo, Brenda for her 21st year and Karry Krystal for a fourth appearance.
The Pick-up Men selected for this year’s CFR are Calgary Stampede Ranch Manager Tyler Kraft who will work his seventh Finals, and Stran Schlosser who will be making his first appearance at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
2026 CFR Bullfighters: Tanner Byrne, from the legendary Byrne bull fighting family, will make his fifth consecutive CFR trip. Byrne will be working alongside Kris Buffalo, who fought bulls at the CFR in 2021, and Josh Haeberle, who is appearing at the Finals for the first time.
The 2026 winner in the Specialty Act, Comedy category is Okotoks, Alberta’s Dennis Halstead. This year marks an outstanding twelfth time the popular veteran performer has won this award. Halstead is on rodeo road much of the year where he performs at events across Canada, the U.S. and as far away as Australia.
Piper Yule and Annie Simpson, have earned the 2026 Specialty Dress Act of the Year, Piper for the seventh time and Annie for the second consecutive year. The young enter tainers provide dynamic performances involving athlete and equine excellence at rodeos and special events throughout the season. Both young women are thrilled to be recognized, once again, by their colleagues and peers.
Rodeo Timer, Dusty Daines is the Janet Vold Memorial award winner. The Innisfail, Alberta timer is a first-time winner. This award commemorates the life and contributions of the late Janet Vold and recognizes women in the sport of rodeo who go above and beyond. The namesake of the award, Janet Vold, enjoyed a rodeo secretary career that spanned three decades. Janet was a person who took the time to visit with each con testant; she was respected greatly in the rodeo world with her larger than life love and knowledge of the sport.
“Hearing I’d won the award caught me off-guard,” said Daines. “There are so many who are deserving of this award.” The rodeo enthusiast timed at a dozen events this year. “I enjoy seeing the production side of other rodeos and all the work committees put in. I’m always learning.” Daines, who is part of the central-Alberta Innisfail Auction Market organization, has long been part of the sport of rodeo and is much appreciated by con tractors, colleagues and contestants alike.
The CPRA recognizes Covy Moore as the CPRA Photographer of the Year. 2026 marks the second consecutive year the award has been offered, and the second win for the talented Moore who calls Airdrie, Alta. home. A CPRA and PRCA photographer, Moore is a regular shooter for the CPRA, Calgary Stampede, PBR Canada and has been selected as a Canadian Finals Rodeo photographer as well.
The Steer Riding Contractor of the Year – voted on by the CPRA steer riders – is also a returning winner; Duane Ashbacher and the Lazy 2 Rodeo outfit continue to be recognized by junior steer riders for their stock excellence and support of rodeo’s young com petitors. Ashbacher has won this award consistently since its inception.
EQUINETY TIMED EVENT HORSES OF THE YEAR
Dashin Haze or Tyson, owned by Curtis Cassidy, is once again the Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year. This exceptional equine athlete has been celebrated by the CPRA seven times and the PRCA three times. The former graded stakes-placed racehorse turned bull dogging legend has mounted cowboys at some of the biggest rodeos in both the CPRA and PRCA.
And Cassidy was excited to learn that his hazing horse A Double Corona (Doubles), was named the CPRA Hazing Horse of the Year for the second time around. Cassidy has a number of horses in his program from race backgrounds. (Doubles has $400,000 in race earnings alone.) Also of interest is the fact that both horses were bred and raised by Texas equine veterinarian Dr Tommy Hays … a compelling point with Tyson 21 years of age and Doubles only 8.
2026 marks the first time C My Lite (Lincoln), owned by Tyler Popescul, has won Tie Down Roping Horse of the Year. The talented 17-year-old cow-bred gelding (sired by CD Lights out of a Freckles Playboy mare) has gained prominence in recent years not only with his owner, but also several PRCA athletes including Brushton Minton (2025 NFR and 2026 Calgary Stampede) and Trevor Hale, Shane Smith, Kincade Henry and Riley Webb, also at Calgary.
The 2026 Ladies Barrel Racing Horse with the Most Heart (an award sponsored by Marci and Billy Laye) – is Queen Flingtima (A Streak of Fling x Queen Fa Tima) or Fling owned by Karli Cowie. The Mankota, Saskatchewan cowgirl, who competed on Fling for all three of her CFR qualifications, and won the 2023 Average on the mare, purchased the roan as a four-year-old from Cornelius and Maria Wiebe.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Cowie said, upon hearing the news that Fling had won Barrel Racing Horse of the Year. “She’s a tough mare and I think she deserves this but it’s cool to know that others see her as I do.” Cowie has overcome a few health challenges with the mare, throat and bone chip surgeries among them. But the nine-year-old equine athlete – who enjoyed her barrel racing start with fellow Sask trainer Krystal Grad – has helped Cowie enjoy another outstanding year in Canadian Pro Rodeo where she sits eighth in Canada with over $26,878 in earnings.
Three-time All Around Cowgirl, Bradi Whiteside, is being celebrated for her outstanding Breakaway Roping Horse, Hott For Teacher (Spots Hot out of a Docs Stylish Oak daughter). ‘Teacher’ who is owned by Whiteside’s partner, Ben Bamford, is being recog nized in this category for the fourth time. The amazing equine athlete has consistently carried Whiteside to the top of the leaderboard at numerous rodeos in recent years.
This year’s Team Roping Heading Horse of the Year is 11-year-old Boy Wrangler Lark (aka Joe) owned by reigning Canadian Champion Kash Bonnett.
“I’m excited,” Bonnett (the youngest of three Ponoka team roping brothers) commented. “This year has been like no other. We’ve had a lot of success on Joe… we caught a lot of steers and our confidence is high. Logan (Bonnett) rode him quite a bit too.”
And the Team Roping Heeling Horse of the Year is CB Flashin Whizard (Whiz) owned by Kash’s partner – and defending Heeling Champ, Logan Cullen. “It’s awesome. I’ve always wanted to win this award,” said Cullen. “Whiz is really solid and always getting better. I know what to expect; and it helps having confidence in your horse.”
ROUGHSTOCK HORSES OF THE YEAR
The top Saddle Bronc choice for 2026 is -91 Mary Lou owned by the Yule Rodeo firm. The seven-year-old will enjoy this accolade for the first time. “I’m over-whelmed,” said Jeff Yule when he got the news about the award. “Mary Lou was born here at our ranch. She's honest and consistent, and the guys love getting on her.” Recent stand out performances for Mary Lou include wins at Bonnyville, Sundre, Red Bluff, the Calgary and Gleichen two of the last three years.
The Calgary Stampede is the proud owner – for the second straight year - of the CPRA Bareback Horse of the Year, D-508 Disco Party. This world-class mare by Grated Coco nut and out of Outlaw Buckers’ Lunatic Party, has been a top performer at numerous big shows including Fort Worth, Houston, Calgary, Ponoka and the NFR.
The 2026 Bull of the Year in Canada is Vold Rodeo’s -116 All Gold Rolex, a five-year-old son of All Gold Everything that Nansen Vold acquired from Ty and Barry Prescott as a two-year-old. “He was big and wild at first and it took a lot of work to get him to where he is now,” Nansen Vold recounted. “But I’m not surprised he won the award. He’s just gotten better and better. He’s intimidating and kind of mean; they get on him, with all that size and leg, they know they’re on something. He has the attitude and he‘s got a big, really hard first jump, then he gets pretty nice to ride, either left or right.” Although All Gold Rolex bucks off a lot of guys, Grady Young was 90 points on him in the four-round at the 2026 Ponoka Stampede.
Congratulations everyone!
Winners and sponsors will be celebrated at the CPRA Night of Champions October 6 in Edmonton.
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About CPRA
The Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) with headquarters in Airdrie, Alta. is the official sanctioning body for Professional Rodeo in Canada. The CPRA approves 60+ events annually with a total payout just shy of $8 million. The organization oversees the CPRA Pro Tour Finale September 2-5 in Armstrong, BC, holds their premiere event–the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB October 7-10 and endorses the Maple Leaf Circuit Finals November 25-28 as part of Canadian Western Agribition in Regina, SK. For details, please see RodeoCanada.com
For more information:
Barb Poulsen
CPRA Communications and Media
Phone: 403 625-9225
Email: media@rodeocanada.com
