The winner of this year's Ponoka Stampede Cattle Raffle is a familiar name around town - and even Canada and beyond.
Born and raised in Ponoka, former professional bull rider Wacey Finkbeiner was the 2018 Canadian Champion Bull Rider and a two-time PBR Global Cup team member.
The hometown Ponoka cowboy attended Ponoka Composite High School back in the day and his family is well known locally. He now lives in Medicine Hat.
READ MORE: A great year for newly engaged bull rider Wacey Finkbeiner
A popular staple of the Ponoka Stampede, every year the Ponoka Stampede Association (PSA) holds a cattle raffle, where the final draw winner walks away with either $75,000 or 40 pasture-bred heifers.
After purchasing the winning ticket online, Finkbeiner and his wife are keeping the cattle.
"They decided to take the cattle and start their own herd," said PSA board member Terry Jones, who handles the raffle each year.
"He's a former Ponoka boy," said Jones, adding Finkbeiner "followed in his dad's footsteps," by becoming a professional bull rider.
"I have been buying tickets for years for the cattle (raffle)," said Finkbeiner in an interview.
"It was awesome to win the cattle, especially from my hometown."
The herd of 40 black Angus heifers, pasture bred by bulls donated by Brian and Judy Sutter of Atlasta Angus, were shipped to Finkbeiner in Medicine Hat on July 4.
"They loaded up the cattle and they headed south," said Jones.
Finkbeiner said the cattle are currently being vet checked in preparation to move them to the family's new home in Malta, Montana.
"I had cattle before but I sold them to my dad when I moved to Medicine Hat in 2018 so this will be a fresh start," he said. "It will be a great start to our new life in the states.
"The quality of the heifers is top-notch and I purchased the two bulls that were with the heifers from Brian Sutter."
While he doesn't compete anymore, having retired from bull riding after the Canadian Finals Rodeo in 2021, Finkbeiner still has plenty to do caring for his young family.
"I’ve been keeping busy welding and chasing my two kids around," he said.
The winner of last year's raffle, a newly-wed couple from Eckville, also opted to keep the cattle, though there's no guarantee the trend will continue next year.
READ MORE: Eckville newlyweds are keeping the cattle from the Ponoka Stampede Cattle Raffle
All the 2024 Cattle Raffle tickets sold out by Thursday, June 27, a day earlier than usual, said Jones.
To avoid the sellout, get your tickets for the 2025 Ponoka Stampede Cattle Raffle early, he advised.
Tickets will go on sale on Dec. 1, 2024.
