Put together one roping master and one talented kid, and you’ve got a team that could be hard to beat.
At the 35th Anniversary of the Sundre Pro Rodeo, Rocky Dallyn and Kolton Schmidt showed why. The duo snagged a steer in just 4.3 seconds to claim the trophy buckles in the team roping event, along with a $1,540 payday each.
Dallyn, from Nanton, turns 47 this weekend. He qualified for 13 straight Canadian Finals Rodeos as a heeler, and has won the national title four times.
Schmidt, from Barrhead, has a birthday this coming weekend as well. He’ll be just 20, but already has one Canadian heading championship, which he picked up at his first CFR last November with Lacombe’s Tyrel Flewelling.
The idea of these two teaming up to enter Canadian rodeos this season was cooked up over the campfire this winter.
“I was actually down in Arizona this winter staying at his dad’s,” explained Dallyn. “We were roping, and he came over from college, and said he didn’t really have a partner for up here this summer. I actually hadn’t committed to anybody either, so we said ‘heck, we might as well give it a whirl’.”
“It’s great for me,” added Dallyn. “It does make it fun. Kolton, even though he’s a young guy, he’s great to travel with. He wants to do good, and works hard at it. It gives me a little bit more incentive too, to keep at it and work at it.”
Dallyn and Kolton’s father, Ronald, have put on team roping schools for kids for years at the Schmidt ranch. Little did he realize he’d be training a future partner, who was barely out of diapers when Dallyn was part of the debut of team roping at the CFR in 2000.
“I figured by the time he was there, I’d probably be done and gone,” laughed Dallyn.
“I guess I just love it. I always thought I would’ve retired by now, but I’ve never lost that competitive nature. I’m still trying to learn, working at it as best I can.”
Dallyn and Schmidt made it look easy in Sundre, despite some sticky ground conditions.
“That’s the nice part with him. I know when he turns one it’s always for money. So if I can just do my job back there, it’s been working out.”
The coveted Ken Thomson Memorial Spurs for the Sundre all around champion went to Steven Turner.
Turner is back on the winning trail after recovering from hip surgery last winter to remove bone spurs and attach ligaments.
Bull riding is his primary rodeo event, but he’s done his share of winning in the steer wrestling, en route to four Canadian all around championships.
“I knew I had a really good bull in the bull riding, so I was more focused on it all day. I wasn’t even thinking much about the steer wrestling, but I guess it’s good that I didn’t out-think it,” he said.
Turner was bucked off his bull, so couldn’t add any earnings from that event from Sundre. There will be a tussle, or at least a coin flip, to see which of three cowboys will get the bull riding Sundre buckle. Strathmore’s Scott Schiffner, B.C.’s Ty Pozzobon, and Garrett Green of Meeting Creek all logged 82.5 point rides, and each collected $1,941.
Texan Stetson Vest was able to claim the tie-down roping buckle after he wrapped and tied a little black calf in 8.8 seconds ($2,327).
“This is actually my first time I’ve ever won anything here,” said Vest. “I always had a little tough luck. I’d make good runs and tie them in eight, but never won anything. But this year, fortunately, I was lucky, and thank the Lord and Savior that I had a good calf, and I won it today.”
“I was at Reno (competing) and just flew in late last night, and came here. This was my only luck I had. I’d sure to like to get on a roll, with a big week next week with Ponoka, Airdrie and Williams Lake up here, and starting the big run down south. It’s always a good confidence-builder to win something and go build off of it.”
Two other Sundre buckles went Texas way as well, with Isaac Diaz taking the saddle bronc honors for an 84.5 on Another Blue ($2,270), and Taylor Jacob the fastest barrel racer in 17.184 seconds ($2,143).
Four-time Canadian champ Dusty LaValley of Bezanson rode the horse Fabio to 86 points for first in the bareback riding ($1,997).
Riley Gagnon of Red Deer County claimed the steer riding at Sundre with a 78.5 mark. Lane Cust of Ardmore was the novice saddle bronc riding winner with a 75, while Dantan Bertsch of Maple Creek, Sask., took novice bareback with a 67.
The next rodeo stop in central Alberta is the Ponoka Stampede, which starts Wednesday.