EDMONTON – Alberta-born saddle bronc rider Sam Kelts wanted to sit in the saddle for as long as he can remember.
“That’s what my dad did when I was a little kid and I looked up to him and that’s just kind of what I always wanted to do. I wanted to be a bronc rider too,” the 30-year-old Millarville, Alberta native said Saturday.
Sam’s father is Canadian rodeo legend Jim Kelts. Jim, who competed in his first rodeo as a teenager, was a Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) finalist nine times.
“I was at the first CFR here in ’74 and competed until ’87,” Jim said.
And in 1984, Jim won the CFR saddle bronc title.
Now, watching his son follow in his footsteps, Jim is still actively involved in rodeo as a pick up man.
“We ride in for safety, pick the cowboys off so they don’t have to go down hard,” Jim explained. “And then a big part of our job is clearing the stock, keeping things rolling smooth.”
Jim will be there right alongside his son, as he competes in the 40th annual CFR this weekend.
“Being able to work this rodeo with Sam competing here, I don’t know how to explain it, it’s a great thing,” Jim said. “I’m extremely proud of my son.”
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And while rodeo is his dream, Sam says the life can be tough at times.
“You get a little homesick. Especially, I rodeo down in the States a lot, too. So I start down south at the winter rodeos in January and pretty much rodeo until the end of September. So it’s a long season,” he explained. “There’s lots of times during the summer where we get on at a rodeo, get in the truck, drive 18 hours to the next one, get out, get on, get back in and drive another 18 to the next one. You don’t get time to stop.”
But being able to compete in his home province, with his dad by his side, makes the tough times a little easier.
“He taught me pretty much everything,” Sam said. “It’s really neat to have him out there. He picks up a lot of rodeos during the summer… but it’s really cool to have him here at CFR.”
Each year more than 90,000 people attend the CFR. This year there is more than $1.47 million worth of prize money up for grabs.
With files from Shannon Greer, Global News.
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