Hard as it may be to fathom it really is just another rodeo.
Longview’s Brock Radford it taking the been there, done that approach to his first entry in the Canadian Finals Rodeo next week in Edmonton after the bull rider narrowly missed out on the national championships for two years running.
“It’s nothing different. I’m not changing a thing,” said Radford, a 2013 graduate of Foothills Composite. “I’m doing what I’ve been doing all year and going in with some of my best friends and we’re going to keep doing what we’ve been doing and take it one bull at a time.”
The incremental approach has been paying off in a major fashion all season.
The second-ranked bull rider heading into Edmonton, Radford kicked off a consistently brilliant season by winning in his debut – taking first place at the Chad Besplug Invitational in Claresholm.
“I got the ball rolling at the first event of the year,” he said. “That gave me a lot of momentum off the start and it just rolled on since then.”
He’s gone on to wins in Moose Mountain, Medicine Hat, High Prairie and most recently has come out on top in three of his last four entries in Pincher Creek, Brooks and last month at the Pro Canada Series Final in Calgary.
He attributes his breakthrough season to lessening the load both mentally and psychologically.
“It’s just not putting too much pressure on myself or over-thinking stuff,” he added. “When I was a rookie I was kind of jittery and had to have something to calm me down knowing if a bull does this or that.
“Now I’m not really caring. I don’t ask too much about them, get on and try to do my job.”
The carefree attitude has led the cowboy to fight through a few knocks and bruises all season. Unlike many of his peers, Radford has avoided extended layoffs to rest and recoup and in doing so hasn’t allowed rodeo rust to creep into his endeavours.
Still, the significance of competing at this stage of this season is not lost on the affable athlete.
“It’s huge – it’s definitely every cowboy’s goal to get to the CFR,” Radford added. “It’s a big accomplishment for me, I’ve been close the last few years so it makes it a lot more sweet now finally getting it.
“It hasn’t quite sunk in yet. I’m sure when I’m making the drive up next week it will hit me.”
Also making the trek to the capital city will be fellow bull rider Jordan Hansen from Okotoks.
The 2012 Foothills Composite graduate is the third-ranked bull rider entering the competition. He enjoyed a brilliant start to the season with wins in Williams Lake and Grande Prairie before being setback by injury in the late summer, early fall events.
In team roping, Longview’s Steele DePaoli enters as the ninth-ranked header while Okotokian Clint Buhler is the 12th ranked qualifier in the same event.
In the saddle bronc, Millarville product and Stavely resident Sam Kelts is aiming for the title while veteran barrel racer Toni Dixon of Okotoks will be one of 12 athletes turning the clover-leaf pattern.
The Canadian Finals Rodeo runs Nov. 9-13 at the Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton.
For more information go to cfr.ca
