EDMONTON – He grew up playing hockey, but Straws Milan decided to trade his sticks for stirrups, and now, he’s representing Canada at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas.
As a kid, Straws Milan was all about hockey.
“He loved hockey,” said Straws’ dad Murry Milan. “He was passionate about hockey.”
Murry is the president of the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association.
Despite the fact that his entire family was involved in rodeo, Straws was focused on the ice.
“I always played hockey, never really worried about it much and then my last year of high school I got into it. I was always around it, just never really interested,” explained Straws with a grin.
He went quite far in hockey, playing Junior A and earning a tryout with WHL team the Kamloops Blazers.
But, in high school, he made a choice that changed the trajectory of his life.
“He could’ve gone either way, I know he could’ve,” said Murry.
“He chose to go rodeo, and I believe the choice he made was right, that’s the choice he wanted to make,” he added. “He set his destiny.”
“I knew there was definitely a lot more money to make in hockey, but the chances of making it to the NHL … it’s a lot harder,” Straws explained. “I knew I had a pretty good chance to make the Canadian Finals and the NFR.”
Straws draws on a number of the skills he honed as a hockey player to steer wrestling.
“Strength is one of the big ones,” he explained, “and knowing how to win.”
That competitive spirit was fostered from an early age at home.
“He’s our little go-getter,” said his dad. “He always had to try to keep up with his older brothers. That made him a pretty aggressive kid all his life.”
“To look at him, you wouldn’t think he’s very athletic, but he’s more athletic than any guy you would imagine,” his brother Tanner added.
Tanner is also a steer wrestler, and he enjoys making rodeo a family affair.
“That’s all we talk about… it’s just something we’ve done our whole life. We don’t really know anything else. It’s great.”
“There’s times we’re gone from home for two to three months, and it’s pretty nice to have a family member with you. You don’t get as homesick,” Tanner said. “It just makes it a lot easier out there on the road.”
The rodeo circuit is also a lot easier to handle when it comes with success.
On Friday, Straws won the second go-round at the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton with the time of 3.3 seconds.
“It was awesome. From the time I started out, my main goal was to try to qualify for the Canadian Finals. This will be my third one now. After that… my main goal was to get to the NFR, that’s the big dream, and it came true this year,” said Straws.
The 27-year-old will represent Canada at the NFR in Las Vegas.
“It’s remarkable,” said his dad. “It’s great; it’s an achievement of life.”
“He’s just on a roll,” added Tanner, “really happy for him.”
And family members aren’t the only ones raving about Straws’ athletic skills.
“When I saw him take down that calf I definitely saw he could be doing something in the football world or the hockey world for sure,” said Edmonton Eskimos receiver Nate Coehoorn.
His brother thinks the sky is the limit for his younger brother.
“As long as he stays focused and practices hard, he can pretty much go as long as he wants, I think.”
With files from John Sexsmith
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