Entertaining evening of bull riding supports MS
There were a number of standout bull rides on Friday evening, but the big winner at the Strandquist Arena was the fundraising spirit which resulted in over $5,000 being raised to battle Multiple Sclerosis during Caitlyn’s Crusaders Bull Riding fundraiser.
A group of 11 riders put their skills to the test against a pen of bulls provided by CS Bucking Bulls during Friday’s fundraiser, but the tough matchups resulted in just four qualified rides among the 24 rides.
Ironically, the best ride of the event was the first rider out of the buck chutes, with Reed Duncan scoring a 77 point ride aboard Joey. When combined with a near eight second performance in the second round, Duncan was awarded the championship at the first annual fundraiser. Maple Creek’s Garret Harrigan had the only other qualified ride of the first round with a 71 point ride onboard Fifty
In the second round there were two Pool B competitors scoring eight second rides, with Travan Bevan scoring a 76 point ride and Jessie Ozirney holding on for a 77 point ride on board Oklahoma Outlaw.
Most importantly, the evening raised an announced total of $4,725 for the MS Society, with more donations recorded following the event.
“I am over the moon excited. It turned out better than I expected,” event organizer Caitlyn Stenberg explained after the conclusion of Friday’s event. “Everybody was kind of itching to get out and this is kind of fun. Everyone just gets to relax and watch some awesome bull rides. And we had some great ones tonight.”
Stenberg was diagnosed with MS in 2018, and over the subsequent years she has become a strong fundraiser for the MS Walk. Her Catilyn’s Crusaders Walk Team will be combining the over $5,000 from the Kyle event plus the just shy of $6,000 raised during a rodeo fundraiser in Pilot Butte back on August 27, and pledging the total to the 2022 MS Walk.
Stenberg and her family have been rodeoing since 1999, and she has known Cody Strandquist for over 20 years so they were able to team up for the fundraiser.
“We’ve been friends for years and this is just a great fit,” she said.
The event was also an important opportunity to raise awareness of the prevalence of MS in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan has one of the highest rates of MS in Canada and the world.
“We’re surrounded by it. This is how I cope with my disease is making awareness for it and helping other people maybe reach out and just have somebody as a new contact.”
She said simply by organizing two fund-raising events she has had three or four people ask her how she copes with her MS, which has helped expand the already extensive support system of people dealing with MS.