Donalda’s Curtis Cassidy won big at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas this past Monday, Dec. 8, after wrestling a steer in 3.3 seconds.
The 3.3 second finish was 0.6 seconds faster than second-place Trevor Knowles of Oregon and 0.7 seconds ahead of third-place Nick Guy of Wisconsin.
At first, Cassidy thought he’d botched his run by breaking the seal, which would add a 10 second penalty to his time.
“I was kinda mad,” he said. “I got up real slow and then turned and saw the barrier was still there. Then I saw the time and started hooting and hollering.”
His performance has been a bit of a “rollercoaster ride,” the Donalda resident said. He’s had times in the nine second mark in some nights of competition, with the Sunday night time in excess of 17 seconds.
Going from 17 seconds one night to 3.3 – the second-fastest time so far in the competition – has bolstered his spirits some.
“It feels great,” Cassidy said. “I had a good feeling. I wanted to get a good start, leave the chute close to the steer. It was a combination of things – a good start, a good steer, a good horse.”
The win also netted Cassidy a handy $19,002 (US) in prize money.
This is the fifth time Cassidy has competed at the NFR events, debuting in 2002 and competing again in 2008, 2009, and 2010.
Going into the competition Cassidy was ranked 11th in the world, but the win improves his standing to sixth place.
Cassidy is one of three Canadians competing at the NFRs, now in its third decade alongside Dustin Flundra of Pincher Creek and Jake Vold of Ponoka.
The NFR competition continues until Dec. 13, giving Cassidy several more days to rack up some more quick finishes.