Bronc riding title icing on cake for Dustin Flundra

Edmonton — Dustin Flundra breathed a sigh of relief the moment he sat down in the room where every cowboy wants to be on the last day of the Canadian Finals Rodeo.

He’d just clinched his third Canadian saddle bronc riding championship at Rexall Place on Sunday afternoon and was offered the opportunity to talk about it.

"Every one is pretty special," he said, "but this one caps a pretty great year for me. To be the regular-season leader in Canada, make the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, get married and have a baby on the way and now a Canadian title on top of everything else, it’s really something.

"This is a super confidence builder knowing that I’m going to the WNFR wearing a shiny new buckle."

Will he wear it at next month’s world championships in Las Vegas?

"Oh, yeah, every day."

Flundra, 30, got married to trick rider Niki Cammaert in early October. The Pincher Creek cowboy went into the last of the six CFR rounds duking it out with three other rivals. But he knew he had an edge.

"I was pretty tickled after the fifth round when they told me I’d drawn Calgary’s Knife Money for my last horse," he said. "He’s always great. The hard part is over when you draw him. After that, you just got to do your part and if you take care of your end of the deal, you’ll probably end up with some money in your pocket."

Flundra kicked out an 85-point spur ride, the high score of the round, to earn $10,790. He finished second in the aggregate score on six head with 482.25 points and closed out the week with $31,817 in prize money. Throw in his regular-season earnings and it all came out to a $59,417 year in Canada.

Kyle Thomson, from Black Diamond, wound up No. 2 with $50,914, a career best on the home front. He topped the aggregate with 484.50 points on six rides.

Dusty LaValley, also Vegas-bound, matched Flundra by capturing his third bareback riding buckle. He completed his five-day run with an 81.5 score on a new horse called Dust Bunny from the Outlaw Buckers outfit. It was only worth fifth money of $1,107 and dropped him to second in the aggregate for another $8,023, but it was enough to unseat his closest rival, defending champion Kyle Bowers.

LaValley closed out the CFR with a $38,180 haul to cap a $71,296 year. He placed in all six rounds with two firsts, a third, a fourth and two fifths.

"Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be a three-time champion," said the Bezanson cowboy, who also won in 2006 and ’07. "A couple of guys I really looked up to – Darrel Cholach and Davey Shields – won it three times. I finally got there."

Of the 15 Americans in the field – one, Texas calf roper Tuf Cooper – won a championship. The 20-year-old, No. 2 in the world standings going into Las Vegas, placed in five rounds and earned $38,467 to cap a $60,772 year north of the border.

Rana Koopmans, nee Walter, was the CFR’s leading money winner, stacking up $49,246 in capturing the barrel racing championship with total income of $74,540.

Team roping heeler Rocky Dallyn, from Nanton, became a four-time champion. His frontman was Chase Simpson from Claresholm.

Bull rider Jesse Torkelson, from Winfield, clinched his championship Saturday night, but cashed fourth in the last round to polish off a $45,649 CFR and an $85,419 year.

The all-around championship went to Cochrane’s Steven Turner for the fourth time. He placed in the bull riding during the last two performances and also worked the steer wrestling, finishing with a $19,367 CFR and an all-around record $60,975 year.

The High Point went to Curtis Cassidy, who claimed the title with a $45,458 CFR that boosted him to a record $91,909 year in two timed events.