The Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) will go ahead in Red Deer for the last time this week.
Beginning on Wednesday at the Peavey Mart Centrium the best rodeo contestants in the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association will compete for the top prize.
After a successful season in tie-down roping, Stettler’s Beau Cooper can’t wait to compete in his second CFR.
“It feels pretty cool to be back for the second time in a row,” Cooper said.
“It’s been a great year and I’ve gained a lot of confidence from everything that has gone on. I feel pretty good about it that way with my roping.
“I’ve been working out and getting in shape. Physically and mentally I feel really good.”
Among Cooper’s highlights this season include winning the Medicine Hat Stampede, Strathmore Stampede, and the biggest rodeo of the year, the Calgary Stampede.
He took home the tie-down roping top prize after a seven-second run.
“That’s every little kid’s dream to win Calgary, make the National Finals Rodeo, and be a world champion. So far, I’ve knocked out two of those goals in one year,” he said adding he’ll go to his first NFR in Las Vegas this December.
“I’ll hopefully get that world championship but I got to watch my cousin Zeke Thurston win Calgary three times in a row. Six or seven years later to be able to win it myself is quite a deal.”
Now back for his second shot at a Canadian Finals Rodeo championship. Just last year the now 21-year-old was quick as lightning in his first-ever run at CFR with a 7.7-second run in his first-ever run.
“I learned quite a bit last year. Really anytime you rope a calf anywhere to learn something,” he said.
“There were a couple of things last year I wish I would’ve done differently. I had a calf get earlier in the week if it had stayed tied that Sunday I would have had a chance to place a little deeper in the average. I wouldn’t have had to win first on Sunday to win a Canadian title.”
Since his rookie season in 2021 where he won rookie of the year, Cooper has seen a lot of growth in his performances. He said the growth has come from plenty of practice and competing.
He hopes to continue that at the CFR from Wednesday to Sunday at the Peavey Mart Centrium. Each rodeo performance begins at 6 p.m. except for Saturday and Sunday which begins at noon.
Other central Albertans who will compete the CFR include Big Valley’s Zeke Thurston (Saddle bronc riding), Ponoka’s Dantan Bertsch (Bareback riding), Lacombe’s Ashton Sahli (Bull riding), Stettler’s Resch Cooper (Tie-down roping), Ponoka’s Chance Butterfield (Steer wrestling), Lacombe’s Justine Elliott (Barrel racing), and Ponoka’s Macy Auclair (Breakaway roping).