The Udal Ranch team didn’t let more competition get in the way of winning Canadian Western Agribition’s ranch rodeo last week.
The team from Maple Creek, Sask., topped 12 competitors this year after winning the inaugural event last year against six teams.
Ranch rodeo is designed to represent the early days of rodeo and the everyday work done on a ranch.
Six of this year’s competing teams were from Alberta, four were from Saskatchewan and two were from Manitoba.
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Danny Udal said his team hadn’t competed much but work together all the time.
“That makes a lot of difference because you’re used to what each guy is doing and they know how to read each other,” he said.
The event expanded from two to three days this year, with the top six teams competing the final day. Udal’s team sat in sixth spot heading into the final.
“We didn’t have a good first two days,” he said. “We were able to sneak into the short go and the boys said, ‘well, we’ll make up for it.’ ”
Udal said luck helped because the competition was tough.
“You stubbed your toe once and they walked all over you,” he said.
“We drew good cattle. We drew a good bronc and it was a lot to do with just being able to work together all the time.”
There were six events in the competition and Udal Ranch won three.Arron Gordon won the ranch hand race, Shelton Udal won the bronc riding event and the team took the trailering title.
Soderglen Ranches of Airdrie, Alta., won the doctoring event and Northfork Grazing of Lundbreck, Alta., took the wild cow milking event.
T4 Ranches from Carnduff, Sask., topped the branding event and finished second in the entire competition. Soderglen placed third and Quill Ranch of Cowley, Alta., was fourth.
Udal said he likes the Agribition format. The Udal team took home $2,800 in first prize money, which Udal said helps pay the expenses. There is also a trophy.
“It was a good deal,” Udal said. “I think the boys want to come back.”
