Well the plot keeps thickening.  Kelly Sutherland was 35th after Friday night, and has jumped to 2nd overall.  Hugh Sinclair is running strong this week, and he is a 3 time champ here so he will be tough.  It was good to see Buddy Bensmiller and Luke Tournier bounce back after the controversial penalties they took on night 4.  The re-draw was tonight and it looks like I picked up a couple of new drivers, Leo Tournier and Rae Croteau.  The new wave of cowboys rolled into town for the second part of the rodeo, and it was good to catch up with a lot of the steer wrestlers that have become friends over the last few years.  Luke Branquino, Dean Gorsuch, Stockton Graves, Wade Sumpter, great guys the like to mix with the chuckwagon guys.  Anyway, as every night passes, it will get more interesting.  Stay Tuned!

Well tonight is kind of a downer as far as my wagons are concerned.  They threw the book at Luke Tournier, Buddy Bensmiller, and Kurt Bensmiller, giving them all 10 seconds for wagon interference.  I think the penalties are pretty strong, considering that these are 3 of the safest drivers in the sport.  We knew they were going to crack down this year, but 10 seconds takes away all hope for 3 guys that had a chance to win the whole thing.  I am down to on shot left, with Neal Walgenbach, so hopefully we can get Neal in there.  The infield was pretty wet tonight, but the footing was good.  Good luck to all.

I had a great four days,can’t wait for sunday to come around.

Davey Shields Jr. 

Yesterday (Tuesday) was a very busy day. We started chores an hour early (around 6) and by 7 am myself and the barn crew were on our way to the Spartan Controls office (one of my sponsors) for a pancake breakfast. We returned from there and finished chores, just in time to give a barn tour to a group of visitors. Than while the barn crew took in the sites at the midway, I headed off to the children’s hospital with a few of my fellow drivers. It is difficult to go there and see so many precious children in pain.  The kids really look forward to seeing us and I feel like giving these kids a reason to smile is is the least I can do. No matter how bad a race I have, or how bad a day I’m having I am always thankful that my children are all healthy. Everytime I visit the children’s hospital I am reminded of just how lucky I am.

We got a break on Monday night with a clean run and finished 9 for the day. However, last night I was once again plagued with penalities. This time is was the wagon that knocked a barrel. Sometimes even your best team can have a off day. There isn’t much that can be done, but I am considering some different options that I may try.

day one of the second group in the steerwrestling was a little shakey not starting off to well with two long times followed by two broke barriers one of them being myself but it was turned around with Joe Bell throwing his steer in 4.6 then followed up by Wade Sumpter with a 4.6 as well. i was dissapointed that i had broken the barrier but thats rodeo and today is a whole new day and i will be trying to win first today as well as nine other guys. the bulldoggers have a tradition that who ever wins the round must buy dinner and dinnner for ten bulldoggers is not a small one. we figure that the calgary stampede is by far the best rodeo we go to so we must eat only the best. so that means steak and lobster from the keg. it can get exspensive but i dont know any of us that doesnt want to buy dinner. even though we are competeing against each other we are all great friends and that makes things alot of fun. i just want to say thanks to the calgary stampede for making their rodeo the best show on dirt and giving me the opportunity to compete here and hopefully i will be buying dinner tonight.

Stockton Graves

Well Pool A is over now and so far I have had my best Stampede ever!!   I was second the first day, fourth the second day, third the third day and fouth again on the fourth day.  That made me the only barrel racer lucky enough to make money all four days.   My mare CJ worked pretty good there at Calgary, she was really running hard and not turning that great but thank god she fast.  It always takes them awhile to figure out the ground and how to handle it.

The weather during the four days were awesome, thats how all rodeos need to be.The last day was looking alittle bit ugly outside  but all of us barrel racers missed the rain storm by just a few minutes.  So everyone in the next Pool, Pool B, get  rodeo in the mud!  As much fun as that sounds….it’s not.  I’m so glad I don’t have run in it!!! So hopefully it dries up by the time I come back for the Short go on Sunday.

Until next time…..

Sierra Stoney

Well I showed up in Calgary yesterday after going to 10 rodeos in 2 provinces and 6 states in about 7 days and was ready for the chance to sit in one spot for more than a few hours! We got here just in time to watch the last performance of Saddle bronc rideing for pool A and I’m glad we did. The broncs were outstanding and the cowboys did a great job of matching them jump for jump. One of my traveling partners, Jeff Willert won the round with an 89 and sneaked into the Sunday short-go so he was pretty happy about that.

After a well needed good nights rest we checked into the office and found out what our draw for the day would be. I ended up with Calgary Stampede’s John Wayne. I got on him in Edmonton at the Canadian Finals last fall and knew just how good of a draw he was. I was 85.5 on him today and that was good enough for a second place. Cody Wright blew the rest of the pack away with an awesome 91 point ride on Kesler’s Cool Alley, the multi-time bucking horse of Canada and the World. It was a good day of bronc riding all the way around. Our pool has some great cowboys in it so it is going to be a challenge but I hope I am continued to be blessed with great draws the rest of the week and can secure a spot in the finals on Sunday. With the great weather and huge crowds it looks like its going to be a fun week!

Chet Johnson

Roger Moore has sorrel left leader that stands about sixteen hands tall and is as wide as he is tall but he is one of the most impatient left leaders i have ever seen.  All he wants to do is false start ever night he goes out there.  He does not want to stand at all, he just wants to go.  I am the lucky one who gets to hold him.  When Cash comes in to the barrels I go in and grab him with two hands.  On dry ground I can hold him but yesterday in the muddy infield I couldn’t do it he just chucked me around like a rag doll.  But if i had the chance to purchase i would give my truck and house for him.  Cash is the only leader i have seen that when he starts and none of the other horses start he will jerk the wagon himself.  If Roger and I can ever get him to stand and wait for the horn he will be one of the best horses on the ground.  I honestly believe that Roger has the chance to be a Calgary Stampede champion as long he can keep Cash.

Dustin Gorst

Well night 3 went pretty good all in all. A rainstorm blew in about heat 6 and washed the track pretty good so it was an advantage to be in the first 5 heats. One of the outfits that I ride for, Rae Croteau, was a victim of the slick track as his wagon kept sliding as he turned the top of 4 barrel, and he ended up hitting his bottom barrel. I guess those things happen. There were quite a few penalties last night, and the track was a little slippery for the last few heats. Tonight is a big night, especially for those driver that have dug a little bit of a hole. They have to start running now to get back into it.

Ed Melville

This sport is anything but consistent which is one of the reasons why I love it. However, it’s the inconsistencies which make it so frustrating. Just when I thought things were going smoothly, a couple of outriding penalties last night have thrown a wrench in things. It is always in the back of mind (and sometimes closer to the front) that as long as I run clean everything will turn out all right.  There is nothing more maddening than finishing a race and then being told that you have outrider penalties.  We changed a few horses around on the outriding team last night, so perhaps that had something to do with it or perhaps there are other issues that need to be addressed. It is hard to say. Day four is a new day and we must move on and hope that we can stay clean for the rest of the show.  

Yesterday back atthe barns there was a big trade of horses between Jason Glass and Jim Knight.  Jim Knight traded two outriding horses for one of Jason’s young classy pole horses.  Just like the NHL on trade dead line one team go for the run this year and one is building for the future.  Jason needed outriding horses now and Jimmy was building for the future.  Where Icame I worked as a scout for Jason to tell which of Jim outriding horses he wanted.  I told him which ones where the best ones all the way down to the weakest.  All I was hoping was that Jim didn’t trade my good one I ride for him.  But after all said and done it seemed like both sides where really happy and that’s all that really matters.  I hope by doing this they both become stronger outfits.

Dustin Gorst 

The track was a little muddy Friday but I was happy with my run. I felt quite confident I could out turn Jim Knight, Tim Haroldson and Sean Debolt and I told my outriders that they had better be ready because they were going to have to catch me because I was going to get to the front end. I didn’t make a good turn (Sloppy Barrel Turn). I was driving my son Ryans lead team and I did not drive as well as Ryan. I got to the front end going down the back stretch, I took their heads a bit then sent them down the lane and they flattened out at the wire. Saturday morning we had a track meeting and decided to maintain the track as we have had no complaints from drivers and felt we were seeing some of the best races that had been run in Calgary for years. My wife, daughter, son and Barn Crew are getting things done and a big helps so I can have piece of mind and focus on racing. Going into tonight’s race I drew the 4 barrel, I drove three of the same horses I drove Friday and borrowed a right leader from Brian Laboucane. My plan was to go high on my top barrel, go slow and drop in. I turned far better than I expected and was hung 4 wide then made a quick decision to pull and head to the rail behind Jason Glass. I tucked in behind and followed his stove rack for 6^th day money.

I had a good run tonight. My outfit didn’t start extremely hard but they ran when they hit the track. I sat in behind Wayne Knight who had a good turn on barrel one and waited until the third turn before I tried to take a run at him. My leader just nosed him at the wire by 2/100ths of a second. The last 2 years we had some horse problems heading into Calgary but this year Iam sitting pretty good. “Will” is starting to run and work harder than he has been. “Eddie” runs a route and likes the distance. “Donny” has been off since we raced in Wainwright. He didn’t start hard but ran well and should be ready to go Saturday. We are on barrel 2 again tomorrow (Saturday) so we will hook the same set of horses then give them the night off Sunday. Dallas Dyck, Curtis Meyers, David Bensmiller and my brother Mick will outride for me again for the next 4 nights but I will probably lose Dallas after the redraw when he goes to race in Lloydminster.

Happy Stampede Everyone!!! It is great to be be back for another year and as usual myself, my family, my barn crew and of course the horses are excited to be a part of the 2008 edition of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth! 

We arrived here this past Wed. and had a hectic couple of days getting our barn setup and organized and our tackrooms arranged. However, we now seem to have settled in and feel right at home.  The wagon also got a new coat of paint, so that it will look sharp even from the seventh floor of the grandstand.

Once again, my sponsor this year is ATB Financial. They have a number of events and functions planned, including daily barn tours and supper before the races for their clients, a visit to the Alberta Children’s Hospital and of course a few pancake breakfasts. Keep an eye out for Skippy, as he is out and about during the races and at many of the sponsor functions as well. I keep telling him to stay out of trouble, but he doesn’t always listen so well.

On night one (friday) we were in heat two. I decided to run the ”A Team” which is Fred and Jimmy on the lead and Coug’dit  and Zach on the wheel.  Unfortunately we got strung out three wide and ended up 25 on the day, which means we got to stay in heat two.

Last night (saturday) we went with the same team again. Although they sometimes don’t have the best start, they sure make up for it when they head down the home stretch.  Last night was a prime example.  Grant Profit, had a significant lead on us coming out of the fourth corner and we ended up catching him by a nose at the finish line to win the heat. Last night’s run was good enough to give us 8th on the day and bump us into 13 position. It is still very early on in the game, but I am happy so far and hope that the remaining eight days go just as well.

Chad Harden

The life of a outrider is pretty repetitive.  Get up do chores, kill time all day and then race at night.  If someone asks me how my night went i just tell them, “Round And a Round”.  To tell you the truth that is the key to being a good outrider is to get in a groove.  If some thing goes wrong a outrider has so be able to shrug it off and deal with whatever went wrong after the races because you carry one race into the next.  But not getting to cocky or full of ones self is just as important.

Congrats to Hugh Sinclair with the big run off the four barrel.  There nothing Better than to see four horses work that good.  Good job to outrider for  catching a loose horses last night in the ninth heat.  He made catching that horses pretty simple.