The 90th Ponoka Stampede is saluting the cowgirl, and one of the ways of doing so is by boosting the prize money in the newest ladies event. Breakaway roping is taking the pro rodeo world by storm and made its debut at the 2025 Ponoka Stampede, with a $30,000 purse. This year, organizers upped it to $45,000.
Falyn Thomson would love to get her rope on a big chunk of that. The BC rookie made a good start by posting the fastest time in both rounds on the opening day. Her morning time was 3.7 seconds. Then she came back and was even speedier in the evening, snagging her calf in just 2.5 seconds. Her total of 6.2 seconds on the pair of runs is nearly ten seconds faster than the rest of the early field. That’s no small feat for a first-timer at the Stampede, considering the ‘long score’ factor at Ponoka, giving the calf a longer running head start than at most rodeos.
“I was ready. We doctor a lot of cows at home and I was definitely super excited to run one down the lane here, especially with the horse I’ve got under me.”
“I came early and ran my horse through the barrier, and she was really good, so I felt pretty confident coming in,” says Thomson. “I had a calf that really ran this morning.”
But that didn’t phase the ranch-raised cowgir. Plus she’s got a mount she can count on named Chili Pepper.
“My horse has got a lot of run. She’s real honest, and is definitely the fastest horse I’ve ever rode, so I like when the calves are out in front of me,” smiles Thomson. “We bought her when she was two and I’ve had her ever since. She started as a barrel horse, but she just became so good in the roping that now she’s my best breakaway horse.”
Thomson has spent the last four years on the college rodeo scene stateside, graduating with a degree in animal science nutrition, and just returning to Canada about a month ago.
Thomson was hitting the highway right after her Ponoka run, to go back to BC for a run the very next day at Williams Lake.
Saddle bronc riders coming over the next five Ponoka performances will need to be sharp to be among the top twelve who get to return for the Finals on July first, because there were seven rides on the opening night over 82 points. Sitting on top of the heap so far are two cowboys, who also happen to be traveling partners.
Tyrel Roberts, who’s roots are in BC, rode to 86.25 points on the C5 horse called Butterscotch, a horse he’d only seen one video of from this spring.
“She looked super fun and did about exactly what she did there. I haven’t seen it (on video) yet, but it felt really fun,” says Roberts. “She was giving me all day to spur.”
Roberts was equally happy to see Kyle Wanchuk match his 86.25 on Hangover Face. Hayle Lueders rounds out the truck as the youngster of the traveling crew, and he wasn’t far behind at 82.75.
“I’m actually the old guy in the rig now,” laughs Roberts, 25, who also does all the entering. “I was the little kid a couple years ago, so it’s kind of funny.”
Roberts is having a banner season, second in the Canadian standings, and with $37,000 already won, he’s inside the top thirty in the world as well.
“I’m maybe feeling a little more confident in myself and my own abilities and feeling like I do belong here at the top with all the other big guys -trying to prove to myself I am a ‘big guy’ and I can ride with the best of them.”
Wanchuk, meanwhile, had a busy night. The three-time Kenny McLean award winner rode the C5 horse Hangover Face for his 86.25. It was a horse he’d made a memorable ride on when he was just getting started riding saddle bronc.
“When I saw I had him today, I was sure happy to get him, now that I’m riding a little better than I was back then,” says Wanchuk. “He does a little scoot and gives you tons of time to put a good mark out in him, and then he just tips over and gives you all the time in the world to set your feet and handle your rein, and flash him up.”
But then Wanchuk had to run to the other end of the arena to compete in team roping. He actually turned professional as a team roper, before he found his stride with the saddle. It’s hard to do both, but Ponoka was one place where he wanted to get his rope warmed up again, in hopes of winning the Ponoka All-Around title for a second time. Although he and partner Koby Ziemmer caught only one heel so won’t likely place, he keeps searching for a team roping cheque to qualify for the McLean award again.
There was only one qualified bareback ride in the opening performance at Ponoka, so Bucky McAlpine of Two Hills sits alone with his 78.25 on Cinnamon Valley. As well, Griffin Koester of Rockyford is the lone bull rider in the hunt yet, as he made an 85 point ride on Tuffy Time. Stettler’s Riley Warren was fastest of the evening in the tie-down roping at 9.0 seconds, and he’s also in front on two runs with a total of 20.0 seconds. In addition, Warren is sitting on top overall in the team roping, with partner Scott Meeks. They have a combined time of 15 seconds on two runs, while Ponoka’s own Jackson Braithwaite and Montanan Dillon Johnson were fastest in the performance at 6.5 seconds. Lisa Zachoda of Foothills recorded the best barrel racing time at 17.35 seconds. Newlywed Wyatt Wilson of Rimbey was the fast man in steer wrestling in the performance with 4.4 seconds, but Chase Tkach of Coronation leads on the combined times, at 14.7 seconds.