New CPRA Rule to Assist Multi-
R ules for any sports organization are meant to protect the best interests of its mem - bers, providing equal opportunity to everyone and ensuring nobody receives any unfair advantages. However, rules also regularly receive updates through additions and amendments, and one particular rule change passed by the CPRA at its recent annual general meeting will positively impact the rodeo careers of some young members who may have previously faced a tough choice: buy their full CPRA membership to try to make the CFR in one event, or continue competing on a permit or semi-pro membership to further devel - op another event at the rough stock end. Canada has long been known to produce some of the rankest horses in the world, but for current CPRA rodeo administrator Tanner Girletz, that wasn’t what he needed to be getting on to develop bareback riding as a second event after filling his full card in the bull riding at the start of his career. After earning a high school title in the bareback rid - ing, he clearly showed promise in that event, and would have benefited from being able to enter the novice bareback to build his confidence and skill
set. Instead, matchups with some of the toughest horses in the sport at that time poured cold water on his future as a multi event contestant. “I’m not sure if I would have kept going, but it definitely made my decision easier.” claimed the third-generation rodeo cowboy. Horses like Outlaw Buckers ' superstar Jay Bar Nine and Wayne Vold’s Awesome found their names beside Tanner’s, which were hard for even the most seasoned veterans to finish a ride on. That rough start led to him closing that door and given the current numbers in the pro - fessional horse riding events , Girletz played a big part in drafting the new rule that was passed this spring allowing contestants to still enter the novice rough stock events even if they have earned enough to become fully carded members in another event. Girletz and CPRA General Manager Denny Phipps wanted to provide a smoother development opportunity for young competitors in a similar position. Although the new rule was approv ed this year, Girletz shared that a slightly different proposal didn’t garner such a positive reception in the past.
Kyle Wanchuk, 2023 Cranbrook Pro Rodeo photo byChantelle Bowman
Canadian Rodeo News – May, 2024 – 36
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator