NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Tyler Popescul of Medicine Hat ropes a steer in the tie down roping event on championship Saturday at the Medicine Hat Exhibition Stampede and Rodeo.
The Medicine Hat Exhibition Stampede and Rodeo did not disappoint this weekend as cowboys and cowgirls battled the heat to show off their craft.
Two days of rodeo starting Thursday and Friday culminated on championship Saturday as one of the last events of the city’s event of the year. The 2022 Medicine Hat rodeo was a special one as it featured 15 participants from Medicine Hat and the surrounding area.
Tyler Popescul was the lone Hatter competing on Saturday, taking part in the tie-down roping event. He said he always enjoys performing on his local stage.
“It’s a great rodeo, it’s always tough performing in your hometown, but it’s one of the best rodeos of the year and it’s pretty awesome,” Popescul said.
Popescule smiled when talking about the amount of Hatters in the rodeo and what that shows about Western Canada’s talent.
“It’s great. The western industry is awesome to represent,” Popescul said. “Just doing that from town to town, city city, and hopefully it keeps growing.”
Popescule didn’t fair as well as he would’ve hoped for in his run on Saturday, getting tabbed with penalty time for breaking the barrier, putting him out of the money grouping. His brother Jesse, representing Glentworth, Sask. ran behind him and also didn’t make the money grouping. Popescule said the two share a strong rivalry.
“He always likes to brag a little more than I do but it’s good,” Popescule said. “It’s good to travel together and always have a little rivalry.”
Beau Cooper of Stettler, was the winner of the tie-down roping, with a time of eight seconds flat, earning him $2,952.54. Austin Hines from Marwayne was the second place finisher, with a time of 8.4 seconds, earning $2,706.50.
Dena Millard of Vanderhoof, B.C. was the lone event winner on championship Saturday, all of the other events, including tie-down roping, were won with times on either Thursday or Friday.
Millard won the the ladies barrel racing with a time of 16.18 seconds to open the day Saturday, earning a purse of $3,149. Bayleigh Choate from Fort Worth, TX. finished in second with a time of 16.24, winning $2,676.65.
Carbon’s Cole Goodine finished in first place in the bareback riding event with 86.5 points on Duane Kesler’s ‘06 Showboy. He took home $2,658.32. The second place finisher, Kody Lamb of Sherwood Park, had an 84 point run earning him $2,183.62.
The steer wrestling event went to Tanner Milan of Cochrane, who took down his steer in four seconds flat, earning him a take home of $2,876.40. Two steer wrestlers tied for second place, with Mitchell, Ont.’s Tim Kemp and Derek Frank from Stony Plain, each having times of 4.2 seconds and taking home $2,476.90.
Hunter Sawley of Fox Creek won the Saddle Bronc event with an 86.5 ride on Duanne Kessler’s 446 Chucky, earning a take home of $2,921.52. There was a three way tie for second place with Logan Hay of Wildwood, Zeke Thurston from Big Valley and Kole Ashbacher from Arrowwood all having 86 point runs to win $1,878.12.
Dillon and Dawson Graham from Wainwright finished in first place fo the team roping event with a time of six seconds. They each took home a purse of $2,794.39. Quentin and Grady Branden from Barrhead finished in second place with a time of 6.8 seconds and a take home of $2,429.90.
Brooke Pomeranz from Drayton Valley and Kendal Pierson from Wardlow tied for first in the breakaway roping with times of 3.29 seconds. They each won $1,336.86 with the tie. Taylor Flewelling from Lacombe was the third place finisher with a time of 3.33, earning herself $1,054.68.
Sundre’s Wyatt Gleeson was the bull riding champion at the Medicine Hat stampede with an 88.5 ride on Duane Kesler’s 721 Jack Knife. Gleeson won $2,895.20 for his winning ride. Brock Radford from Dewinton finished in second with an 86 point ride, earning himself a take home of $2,378.20.
