NEWS PHOTO RYAN MCCRACKEN
Ponoka's Wacey Finkbeiner holds onto Funny Face in the bull riding event at Saturday's Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede rodeo in 2018.
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com@MHNMcCracken
Wacey Finkbeiner has been watching Pink Panther for a while. No, not the cartoon, or the Peter Sellers classic – one of the rankest bulls that stock contractor Kesler Championship Rodeo has to offer.
After keeping tabs on the beast for some time, Finkbeiner will finally get the chance to ride Pink Panther when his chute opens at the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede rodeo Friday night.
“He’s a good old bull of the Kesler family. I’ve wanted to draw him for a few years now,” said Finkbeiner. “They actually won the spring rodeo on him last year I believe. He’s a good draw. Hopefully I’ll get my job done and get in the top three.”
Finkbeiner moved from Ponoka to Medicine Hat last June and says it’s been a nearly seamless transition from one rodeo town to the next – and having another cheering section on the schedule doesn’t hurt either.
“It was a pretty easy transition into a place like Medicine Hat where they have two pro rodeos a year as well as a (Professional Bull Riding) event,” said Finkbeiner, adding he earned a great reception from the local crowd at the spring rodeo. “It was a pretty cool deal. When the rodeo announcer said I was from Medicine Hat you could definitely tell that the crowd was really into it, paying that much more attention to my performance knowing that I’m living in this town.”
It’s been an admittedly slow start to the season for Finkbeiner, who sat 25th the Finning Pro Tour bull riding standings entering the second half of July, but he’s confident Pink Panther can help him climb the standings.
“I had a bit of a slow spring but it’s been starting to roll along pretty good now. I’m looking forward to a busy rest of the summer, that’s for sure,” said Finkbeiner, adding he has been fortunate enough to avoid injury through the first half of the season. “I’ve had a few bumps and bruises but for the most part I’m fairly healthy heading into the busy summer months.”
Finkbeiner has been riding bulls since the age of nine – starting with steers before moving onto junior bulls at 15 then open bulls at 17 – but even with almost two decades of experience, the 26-year-old says you never completely get over the fear of climbing onto the back of a bull.
“There’s always some. It’s the most dangerous sport in the world but you learn a pretty young age to be able to block out the fear and just kind of go about your business,” said Finkbeiner, adding the sport simply runs in his blood. “My dad’s whole side of the family, they all rodeoed and rode bulls. My cousin Jason, he’s been to the CFR about six or seven times, my dad has been there four or five times, both my uncles rode bulls. It’s kind of a family ordeal.”
The Stampede’s three-day rodeo kicks off this evening at 5 p.m. Friday’s performance will begin at 8 p.m., while Saturday’s finale is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. The slack performance will take place today at 8:30 a.m.. Finkbeiner is one of several locals who will be in action.
Chelsey Carlier will be barrel racing tonight, while Kevin Schreiner will compete with Irvine’s Dalton Kraft for Friday’s team roping event and Trent Tunke will take part in team roping Saturday alongside Wood Mountain’s Jesse Popescul. Maple Creek’s Jarod Parsonage will also be part of Friday’s bull riding event.
Hatter Clint Schreiner and Redcliff’s Wyatt Stuber will compete together in team roping at the slack performance, while Medicine Hat’s Tyler Popescul will be in the tie-down roping event and fellow Gas City product Kareen Warren will compete in barrel racing.
