Rodeo Veterans Bring Their A Game on CFR Night Two
There are certain things you can count on in the sport of rodeo. The courage of bullfighters, the pageantry of the grand entry, the roar of the crowd after a great ride…. and Scott Guenthner putting on a clinic at the Canadian Finals Rodeo.
The four-time steer wrestling champion of Canada has been as advertised through the first two rounds of CFR 51. After a winning 3.7 second run in Wednesday’s opening round, the Provost, Alberta cowboy made a second victory lap on Thursday night after a 4.2 second run earned him another $11,400 payday and bumped his season earnings to just over $62,000 for a $15,000 advantage over the second place man, Ryan Shuckburgh.
“It wasn’t the greatest run,” Guenthner acknowledged. “The steer almost tried to fade to the hazer. But (award winning bulldogging horse) Eddie (owned by Tanner Milan) worked awesome. Even though he tried to turn and run down the arena before my run, (which the crowd enjoyed), I knew he’s going to go into the box and work.”
With a return trip to the NFR on the horizon, the popular bull dogger made it clear his focus this week is on a fifth Canadian title.
“I keep it pretty basic, do my job and let the chips fall where they fall. I don’t really look at the NFR. I feel like I’ve just got to look at what I’m doing right now, which is definitely the CFR. I would love to win another Canadian Championship. That’s definitely one of my goals.”
Back to back wins in Rogers Place have certainly put the 34 year-old rancher/athlete/family man in a strong position to achieve that goal.
On the CFR’s Retro Night, defending Canadian champion bareback rider Kody Lamb went old school in making a winning 86 point ride on C5 Rodeo’s Pretty Woman. The Sherwood Park, Alberta man entered this edition of the CFR in fifth place knowing that he needed an old-fashioned come-from-behind charge to stay in the hunt for a repeat title. After a so-so start in round one, Lamb’s dance partner on Thursday night backed out of the chutes resulting in an automatic reride option and something of a rarity—a go round win and an option on the same ride. Lamb opted to take his score and the decision turned out to be the right one.
“I knew It was going to be a good opportunity,” Lamb noted. “The start was a bit rough. She turned around backwards. That’s what all the re-ride flags were for. It’s my first round-win with an option. I wasn’t sure about the option; sometimes when they turn around backwards, the judges can really dock the score. But then the score came up and I was leading it with three guys left so I figured it was probably better to just roll the dice on the score and it worked out.
“I didn’t get off to the start I wanted to yesterday so I really tried to wipe the slate clean today and make a good ride. It’s so easy to turn it around here this week as there’s so many good horses and so many opportunities to ride good. I just wanted to wipe that from my brain and make the best ride I could today.”
Lamb pointed out that with just three rounds left there wasn’t much room for error. “I like the short time frame. Sometimes sitting around and thinking too much isn’t good either. I don’t mind the quick pace here. This is what we stay in shape for and work out for all year. We’re prepared for this so we’re definitely ready to get on this many horses this quickly.”
The 2024 champion will need to keep the pedal to the metal though those remaining rounds of CFR 51 as season leader Clint Laye and the hard charging Montanan Sam Peterson have both made quality rides on their first two horses.
Bull rider Jake Gardner was looking at an almost must-win situation as he climbed down on the Duffy Rodeo bull 141 Stray Bucks. Two-time champion Jared Parsonage had the season leader clearly in his sights, having gone 2 for 2 through the first two CFR rounds with a third-place finish in round one and an 84 score already in the books on Thursday night.
The pressure was squarely on the Fort St John, British Columbia talent, affectionately known as ‘the Prince of the Peace Country” and the two-time All-Around Champion and 2022 Kenny McLean Award winner went to work. Stray Bucks had won the only previous confrontation between the two and was clearly intent on a repeat result.
But Gardner reached deep and made the kind of ride he has made so often in 2025. The result was an 88.25 score and a critical round win that keeps him in first place with a slender $4000 advantage over Parsonage who missed the 2024 CFR with an injury but has been at the top of his game over the final weeks of the regular season.
“It was a good bull raised by my buddy Shay Marks and I was just really grateful to draw him,” Gardner stated. “His name is Stray Bucks. He’s a bucker–one everyone wants to get on but If you stub your toe, he’s going to get you down. The start to the ride was a little hairy but I sat up and finished him strong. I’m just really grateful for the result. I’ve been chasing the Canadian bull riding title for quite a few years – this is my 6th CFR. I’m just hoping for consistency here. I want to stay positive, be ready and look forward to the next one.”
Other Round Two Winners included:
Saddle bronc: Quinten Taylor, 90 points
Team roping: Kash Bonnett/Logan Cullen, 4.2 secs
Barrel racing: Karli Cowie, 13.82 secs
Tie-down roping: Shane Smith, 8.2 secs
Breakaway roping: Bradi Whiteside, 2.6 secs
Novice bareback: Quaide Skjonsberg, 81.25 pts
Novice saddle bronc: Lonnie Dunn, 71.75 pts
Jr steer riding: Jax Torkelson, 83 pts
For complete results, visit rodeocanada.com
Round three of CFR 51 gets underway at Edmonton’s magnificent Rogers Place at 6:30 pm (MT) Friday, October 3.
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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 exceeding $7.4 million. The organization oversees the SMS Equipment Pro Tour Finale each fall in Armstrong, BC, holds their premiere event–the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR)–at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB in early October and endorses the Maple Leaf Circuit Finals 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