Scott gets All Fired Up for repeat Canada win
KAMLOOPS COWBOY HELPS TEAM CANADA TO BUCKING AND BARRELS CAN AM PRO CHALLENGE
Getting bucked off simply wasn’t an option for Jackson Scott, not with what was on the line.
On the final ride of the third annual Bucking and Barrels Can Am Pro Challenge Saturday night at the Exhibition Grounds, the bullrider from Kamloops, B.C. made sure that didn’t happen.
Facing Team USA’s Cody Lane in a rideoff, Scott rode All Fired Up to a blazing 89-point ride to not only give Team Canada its third straight Can Am Pro Challenge title over the U.S, but also the hefty $10,000 cheque that came with it.
After watching Logan get bucked off in the first rideoff astride Excessive Force, Scott knew what he had to do.
“I was thinking is that I have to try my butt off,” he said. “I can't let this bull buck me off because that’s $10,000 I need in my pocket.”
He delivered and helped Canada to a 60-54 win over Team USA after three nights of competition in bareback, saddle bronc, ladies barrel racing and bull riding with an ending that couldn’t have been scripted any better.
“Absolutely not,” said Scott. “A rideoff anywhere, you know it’s going to be wicked, especially in front of a crowd like this,” said Scott. “Everybody’s cheering and they want to see something really exciting. So to be able to go out there and perform like that and win $10,000 is just incredible.”
Much to the approval of the crowd onhand for Saturday’s final go-round, some southern Alberta talent rode into the spotlight and assisted in Canada’s win as well as Pincher Creek’s Dustin Flundra notched an 86-point ride on Sunset strip to snag his own $10,000 payday.
“It’s always good. I’ve had success at this rodeo. I’ve won the very first year it’s nice to come back and have an opportunity to win that kind of money, that’s what all cowboys ride for. I always like the big stage and want to try and step up on it all the time whenever you get the opportunity. When you get chances like that, it's just nice to have them and to be here in front of everybody and have my family, the people out there, there's probably a whole bunch that I know and know me, so that's always nice"
The Americans didn’t go away empty-handed, winning the bareback and ladies barrel racing titles as well as the $10,000.
Chase Erickson of Helena, Montana capture the bareback championship, riding Wicked Ways to an 87-point ride, while Abelene, Texas’ Angela Ganters blazed a time of 14.49 seconds around the barrels to earn this year’s title.
For Scott, the showdown with All Fired Up was his first.
“I've never seen him before, but a good buddy of mine said he was going to be really nice and fit me well and it worked out,” he said.
And when the eight-second buzzer sounded, Scott’s reaction bared the namesake of the bull he just rode.
“I was almost too excited, I almost had a bad get off and landed right in front of him,” said Scott. “I was just super excited, I knew I’d won it and I was ready to go have some fun.”
Meanwhile, Flundra got on a horse he’s familiar with and one that also boasts a solid resume.
“That's a horse that takes a lot of rein, he’s got some moves,” he said. “He’s been to the Canadian Finals and the National Finals Rodeo before and I had him at the Ponoka Stampede a couple years ago and it worked out good there.
“But he’s one that you can’t stub your toe on. He’ll give you a chance to win first, but he’ll also plant you in the dirt if you do it wrong.”
On Saturday night, Flundra did no wrong as he took his giant cheque and posed for a family picture with sons Ridge and Shade and his wife Niki next to the chutes.
Canada needed Scott’s title-clinching ride to secure this year’s title as Team USA made it close, pulling to
within a point after the ladies barrel racing.
Ganters did her part to pull the Americans within striking distance with her fast time on a horse she hadn’t ridden until the Can Am Challenge began Thursday.
“I've never run him until the first go here, that was the first time I've ever run him. So this is my third run on him. I should quit while I'm ahead,” she said. “I knew when he went in and rode the first (barrel) that if I just rode really hard, he had a shot. He’s very, very fast. I pulled up before the eye last night and I got scolded for that, so tonight I didn't pull up before the eye.”
As it wraps up its third year, the Can Am Challenge format remains popular among the riders.
“It doesn’t count for points anywhere else in the world, it’s not an association or anything, but they have a lot of money here and the Keslers do an amazing job putting on this rodeo,” said Scott. “The crowd is absolutely awesome and the stock is awesome. The whole committee behind it, everybody has a fun time."
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