Ben Andersen is out to a fast start at this year’s Calgary Stampede.
Not exactly reflective of the Alberta rodeo star’s season so far.
But it’s proof positive of how a trip home can truly change someone’s fortunes.
“Oh … definitely,” said Andersen, a saddle-bronc talent out of Rocky Mountain House. “Coming home and going to practise at Rimbey where we all grew up doing it, it’s great. You come home and all your buddies are here and your family and your friends, and you have some fun — and that’s what it’s all about.”
Those recent good times are rolling over into the ring, where Andersen is collecting big cheques here through two days of the Stampede’s Pool B competition.
Andersen took home first-place money from Day 1, winning that go-round outright, and is currently splitting top dollar again from a second round that still has a re-ride pending.
“I’ve got it rolling here, so it’s feeling good — happy to be here,” Andersen said. “My first horse, I didn’t really know that horse so good. But Leighton Green got on him at Wildwood there (and that helped me out). And I knew this horse (Wednesday) was going to hop across there and be good, so I was pretty happy about that draw. The two trips so far have been awesome.”
He’s hoping it takes him to where his dad and — ultimately — his uncle have been before.
That’s saddle-bronc legends Chris Andersen and Rod Hay — two guys he’s plenty happy to see in his return home to the Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth. His father has made it to the top four twice before in Calgary, while Hay is a four-time Stampede king after winning it all in 1994, 1999, 2002 and 2005.
“It’s everything having Roddy and my dad in the family … especially Roddy. ” said the junior Andersen, who’s a travelling partner with fellow bronc buster — and cousin — Logan Hay and cousin also to another saddle-bronc rider in Dawson Hay and novice saddle-bronc phenom Devon Hay.
“Roddy brought all those horses for us to learn on,” the 22-year-old continued. “He’d bring them all to Rimbey every week, and we’d all get to get on them. That guy is so good in figuring out what works for every bronc rider — he’s a real mentor.
“Me, Logan and Dawson all ride so different, and everything worked different for us for what we needed to learn. Roddy found out what we needed individually and really helped us move forward in that regard. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. I’ve got to give the guy a lot of credit for it.”
Perhaps it’s that Hay magic around the chutes in Calgary that’s really helping Andersen find his rhythm here.
He came into Stampede week sitting way back in 30th spot — with $33,754 — on the PRCA world standings.
In his third professional season last year, he finished in 14th with $108,346.
“It’s been a slow one,” admitted Andersen of the season so far. “I’ve been drawing not great and just kind of fighting some stuff — fighting my head a little bit.
“You know what? I had a really bad (July) 4th (collecting just $662 during five rodeos through ‘Cowboy Christmas’). But I said I was going to come here and go ride the Calgary Stampede and have some fun, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Try a 90.0-point score aboard Daunting News to kick off Pool B action Tuesday followed by Wednesday’s 86.5-pointer on Bright Lights. If Jake Finlay doesn’t better Andersen’s latter score with his re-ride Thursday, then he’ll have scored $10,000 already heading into Round 3 action.
With family, including his dad, slated to be at Stampede on Thursday, he’s planning for more of the same success.
“So far, so good,” Andersen said. “But you gotta keep riding and keep it up everyday. It’s like what they say in hockey — a two-goal lead is the most dangerous lead, right? You get comfortable and you start slacking. So it’s all gas and keep going from here.”
Hopefully right to a Stampede crown.
“It would mean everything,” added Andersen. “I’m so excited to get there. I’m going to take it one horse at a time, though.
“But I can picture that day already. Yeah … it would mean a lot.”
STAMPEDE SCOREBOARD
BAREBACK
Wednesday — Pool B, Day 2
1. Shane O’Connell (Rapid City, S.D.), Dancing Queen, 84.5 points, $5,000; 1. Tanner Aus (Granite Falls, Minn.), Buck Wheat, 84.5, $5,000; 3. Leighton Berry (Weatherford, Texas), Night Life, 84.0, $3,500; 4. Jacob Raine (Mount Pleasant, Tenn.), Showboy, 82.5, $2,500; 5. Rocker Steiner (Weatherford, Texas), Wichita, 81.5, $1,500; 6. Strawbs Jones (Clermont, Australia), Darcelona City, 80.0; 7. Caleb Bennett (Corvallis, Mont.), Legacy, 79.5; 8. Ty Taypotat (Regina, Sask.), Fabio, 79.0; 9. Trenton Montero (Winnemucca, Nev.), American Creek, 78.0; 10. Pascal Isabelle (Mascouche, Que.), Blue Wings, 75.0; — Taylor Broussard (Esterwood, La.), Dirty Money, bucked off.
Aggregate — After second round
1. Rocker Steiner (Weatherford, Texas), $7,000; 1. Leighton Berry (Weatherford, Texas), $7,000; 3. Shane O’Connell (Rapid City, S.D.), $5,500; 4. Tanner Aus (Granite Falls, Minn.), $5,000; 5. Caleb Bennett (Corvallis, Mont.), $4,500; 6. Jacob Raine (Mount Pleasant, Tenn.), $3,000; 7. Ty Taypotat (Regina, Sask.), $2,500; 5. Trenton Montero (Winnemucca, Nev.), $500; — Pascal Isabelle (Mascouche, Que.), $0; — Strawbs Jones (Clermont, Australia), $0; — Taylor Broussard (Esterwood, La.), Fired Up, $0.
BARREL RACING
Wednesday — Pool B, Day 2
1. Kassie Mowry (Dublin, Texas), 17.13 seconds, $5,500; 2. Sissy Winn (Chapman Ranch, Texas), 17.25, $4,500; 3. Wenda Johnson (Pawhuska, Okla.), 17.26, $3,500; 4. Lynette Brodoway (Brooks, Alta.), 17.29, $2,500; 5. Ivy Saebens (Nowata, Okla.), 17.37, $1,500; 6. Lexie Goss (Redmond, Ore.), 17.50; 7. Jessie Telford (Caldwell, Idaho), 17.58; 8. Jill Wilson (Snyder, Texas), 17.66; 9. Lois Ferguson (West, Texas), 17.70; 10. Nancy Leischner (Olds, Alta.), 17.85; 11. Shelly Holman (Brentwood, Calif.), 17.86.
Aggregate — After second round
1. Wenda Johnson (Pawhuska, Okla.), $9,000; 1. Kassie Mowry (Dublin, Texas), $9,000; 3. Jessie Telford (Caldwell, Idaho), $4,500; 3. Sissy Winn (Chapman Ranch, Texas), $4,500; 5. Ivy Saebens (Nowata, Okla.), $4,000; 5. Lynette Brodoway (Brooks, Alta.), $4,000; — Lexie Goss (Redmond, Ore.), $0; — Jill Wilson (Snyder, Texas), $0; — Lois Ferguson (West, Texas), $0; — Shelly Holman (Brentwood, Calif.), $0; — Nancy Leischner (Olds, Alta.), $0.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
Wednesday — Pool B, Day 2
1. Ty Harris (San Angelo, Texas), 7.0 seconds, $5,500; 2. Tuf Cooper (Decatur, Texas), 7.1, $4,500; 3. Bryson Sechrist (Apache, Okla.), 7.4, $3,500; 4. Jon Douch (Huntsville, Texas), 7.7, $2,000; 4. Quade Hiatt (Canyon, Texas), 7.7, $2,000; — Kincade Henry (Mount Pleasant, Texas), 7.9; — Marty Yates (Stephenville, Texas), 8.1; — Michael Otero (Millsap, Texas), 9.9; — Cory Solomon (Prairie View, Texas), 11.0; — Shane Hanchey (Sulphur, La.), 11.6; — Shad Mayfield (Clovis, N.M.), no time.
Aggregate — After second round
1. Tuf Cooper (Decatur, Texas), $10,000; 2. Quade Hiatt (Canyon, Texas), $6,500; 3. Ty Harris (San Angelo, Texas), $5,500; 4. Bryson Sechrist (Apache, Okla.), $5,000; 5. Cory Solomon (Prairie View, Texas), $3,500; 6. Michael Otero (Millsap, Texas), $2,500; 7. Jon Douch (Huntsville, Texas), $2,000; — Kincade Henry (Mount Pleasant, Texas), $0; ; — Shad Mayfield (Clovis, N.M.), $0; — Marty Yates (Stephenville, Texas), $0; — Shane Hanchey (Sulphur, La.), $0.
SADDLE BRONC
Wednesday — Pool B, Day 2
Re-ride still to come
Ben Andersen (Rocky Mountain House, Alta.), Bright Lights, 86.5; Damian Brennan (Injune, Australia), The Ritz, 86.5; Logan Hay (Wildwood, Alta.), Pedro, 85.5; — Brody Cress (Hillsdale, Wyo.), Devil’s Sun, 84.5; — Sterling Crawley (Stephenville, Texas), Ancient Delivery, 80.5; — Lefty Holman (Visella, Calif), River Reflection, Xile Hills (re-ride), 80.5; — Logan Cook (Alto, Texas), Canadian Trip, Absent Soot (re-ride), 77.0; — Cash Wilson (Wall, S.D.), Conman, 73.5; — Tegan Smith (Winterset, Iowa), Eight Lieutenant, 69.0;— Jake Finlay (Goondiwindi, Australia), re-ride still to come; — Dawson Dahm (Duffield, Alta.), Dutch Street, bucked off.
Aggregate — After first round
1. Ben Andersen (Rocky Mountain House, Alta.), $5,500; 2. Lefty Holman (Visella, Calif), $4,500; 3. Sterling Crawley (Stephenville, Texas), $3,500; 4. Brody Cress (Hillsdale, Wyo.), $2,500; 5. Logan Hay (Wildwood, Alta.), $1,500; —Dawson Dahm (Duffield, Alta.), $0— Tegan Smith (Winterset, Iowa), $0; — Cash Wilson (Wall, S.D.), $0; — Logan Cook (Alto, Texas), $0; — Damian Brennan (Injune, Australia), $0; — Jake Finlay (Goondiwindi, Australia), $0.
STEER WRESTLING
Wednesday — Pool B, Day 2
1. Tanner Brunner (Ramona, Kan.), 4.4, $5,500; 2. Tyler Waguespack (Gonzales, La.), 4.9, $4,500; 3. Harley Cole (Okotoks, Alta.), 5.0, $3,000; 3. Dakota Eldridge (Elko, Nev.), 5.0 $3,000; 5. JD Struxness (Milan, Minn.), 5.6, $1,500; 6. Talon Roseland (Marshalltown, Iowa.), 7.0; 7. Tristan Martin (Sulphur, La.), 9.0; 8. Riley Duvall (Checotah, Ohio), 10.3; 9. Tyler Pearson (Akota, Okla.), 14.7; — Jacob Talley (Keatchie, La.), no time; — Jesse Brown (Baker City, Ore.), no time.
Aggregate — After second round
1. Tanner Brunner (Ramona, Kan.), $10,000; 2. Riley Duvall (Checotah, Ohio), $5,500; 3. JD Struxness (Milan, Minn.), $5,000; 4. Tyler Waguespack (Gonzales, La.), $4,500; 5. Dakota Eldridge (Elko, Nev.), $3,000; 5. Harley Cole (Okotoks, Alta.), $3,000; 7. Tristan Martin (Sulphur, La.), $2,500; 8. Talon Roseland (Marshalltown, Iowa.), $1,500; ; — Tyler Pearson (Akota, Okla.), $0; — Jacob Talley (Keatchie, La.), $0; — Jesse Brown (Baker City, Ore.), $0;
BULL RIDING
Wednesday — Pool B, Day 2
1. Creek Young (Rogersville, Mo.), Night Shift, 88.0 points, $5,500; 2. Coy Robbins (Camrose, Alta.), Controlled Burn, 85.0, $4,500; 3. Maverick Potter (Waxahachie, Texas), Night Walker, 82.5, $3,500; — Shane Proctor (Grand Coulee, Wash.), Hood Mentality (re-ride), bucked off; — Tyler Bingham (Howell, Utah), Devils Advocate, bucked off; — Alan de Souza (Taubate, Brazil), Late Nite Host, bucked off; — Todd Chotowetz (Major, Sask.), Jack The Ripper, bucked off; — Jacob Gardner (Fort St. John), Circus Freak, bucked off; — Trey Kimzey (Strong City, Okla.), Moscow Mule, bucked off; — Dakota Buttar (Eatonia, Sask.), Rundown, bucked off; — Lonnie West (Cadogan, Alta.), Alley Rat, bucked off
Aggregate — After second round
1. Creek Young (Rogersville, Mo.), $11,000; 2. Coy Robbins (Camrose, Alta.), $4,500; 2. Dakota Buttar (Eatonia, Sask.), $4,500; 4. Maverick Potter (Waxahachie, Texas), $3,500; 4. Lonnie West (Cadogan, Alta.), $3,500; 6. Alan de Souza (Taubate, Brazil), $2,500; — Todd Chotowetz (Major, Sask.), $0; — Trey Kimzey (Strong City, Okla.), $0; — Shane Proctor (Grand Coulee, Wash.), $0; — Jacob Gardner (Fort St. John), $0; — Tyler Bingham (Howell, Utah), $0.
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