It was just over 10 months ago that Brady Tryan & Calgary Smith stormed into Red Deer and dominated the team roping at the 2023 Canadian Finals Rodeo, setting a plethora of new CFR Records and ultimately leaving with the Canadian title. This season looked a little different for the pair, spending just enough time North of the Border to secure a CFR birth while also pursuing a spot in the PRCA's Top 15. There was no team roper as electric as Calgary Smith last year in Westerner Park and with the big crowds that Rogers Place has to offer, there's no doubt he will be just as exhilarating to watch this year in Edmonton.
Question: Tell me about your season/summer
Answer: It was so so, we never really had any big wins. Walla Walla was probably our biggest win but it came at the end of the year where it was too late for our main goal of making the Finals (NFR). We went pretty hard this year to try and make it there but we didn't get that accomplished. We got enough won to get into all the Winter Rodeos again and start over in January. We weren't in Canada as much as we were last year. We went back to a couple at the end there to try and make sure we got in for sure and we got that Finals made at least. That was our goal up there, to give ourselves another shot. It's gonna take a lot of work to defend the title with Jeremy having such a good year. I'd be happy to just go up there and win as much as they'll let us, we got nothing to lose.
Question: How do you describe heeling for Brady?
Answer: *Pauses... That pretty much anybody could do it. They turn 99% of the time and then just lope off in front of you, it's pretty easy going. If I ever miss one, it's usually cause I didn't do a very good job, not ever on him. He's still got it that's for sure even if he doesn't want to admit it. He's pretty old now I tell him but I think he could make it again and again as long as he wanted to.
Question: What's your main horse?
Answer: His name's 'General', I've had him since he was 4 and he's 9 or 10 now. He doesn't have papers or anything, I bought him from a good friend up here. He was just chilling out in their pasture and I found him on Facebook and didn't really pay a whole lot for him. They weren't roping on him or anything so I got him home and started roping on him and now he's been my number 1 for the last 3 years or so.
Question: What's your rope of choice?
Answer: Spyder Medium. I'm about the only heeler out there that uses a Spyder. Pretty much everybody that heels is a Powerline guy, but I suck with those so I use a Spyder.
Question: What do you like better about the Spyder?
Answer: I just like the way they feel, how smooth they are and easy to control. Everybody says they run super bad but I suck at dallying with anything so it doesn't really make a difference to me.
Question: What's your favorite Canadian rodeo?
Answer: I'm going to say Buffalo Lake. Nobody says it and they gave a cool buckle with a Buffalo on it this year and I've been there twice and was 5 flat both times. We catch there every time so I like that one.
Question: Who has been the biggest influence on your roping career?
Answer: Probably BJ Roberts or Jason Stewart. BJ , he's a guy from the Northwest that heels extremely well. He's who I go to for everything if I'm struggling, I'll send him my videos or what not and he helps me a lot. Jason Stewart, he helped me get going more with my heeling. He helped me learn how to win more and not just throw it every time, he taught me how to catch the right ones and things like that. And then obviously roping with Brady has been huge for me. He's got me recognized more than anyone, it's been a good partnership that's for sure.
Question: What're the future plans? What else do you want to achieve?
Answer: I want to make the NFR here in the next year or something. I wanted to make it this year but I didn't catch enough really. I can think of a couple weeks where I didn't catch very good that would've helped us out a lot. But I just want to make a living with a rope and sell some horses and just kind of ease around doing that until I feel like I can't win at a high level anymore. Right now, I just want to rodeo and do that for a while.
Question: Man it's tough down there ain't it?
Answer: Oh yeah. There was numerous times we were 4.5 and were winning 4th or 5th place by the time it was done. A guy's gotta have a big win somewhere. No matter how many you catch, if you don't have a big hit somewhere, you're not going to make it. We never really had a big one. We caught a lot, it's the most I've won in a year but you gotta have a big one somewhere.
Question: What's the practice routine/gameplan leading up to Edmonton?
Answer: I don't really know exactly, haven't really thought about it. I go to Mandan, North Dakota and to the Wrangler Finals and then I'll come home to pack up and head up there. I might go to Kale's (Peterson) for a few days before and just kind of practice with him and ride some horses. Heeling doesn't really change where you go, my job is to go get around em and catch 2 feet no matter where they turn, so I'll just do my regular practice. I haven't rode my good horse in the last week and a half so I'll start riding him again and get him ready. But practice wise, just run em in and heel em when they turn. I actually went and worked in Reno for a week last year before the Finals and didn't rope for that week before the Finals. This year, I'll probably practice a little more but won't do anything crazy.
Question: What other team are you excited to watch in Edmonton?
Answer: Probably Trey and Jeremy, I think they could win every round. Trey turned 6 of them last year so dang fast that I don't know if he'll get out of the box if he heads em as fast this year as he did last year. There's a lot of good teams now that go up there. Kolton and Landen Glenn, Tee and Sid, Trey & Jeremy they could all catch every one. There's so many teams that could. Bird, he's bound to spin every one for first place. Just gotta see who draws what and who gets tapped off first really. I'm sure it's going to be crazy fast.
Don't miss out on this year's CFR Team Roping Pool. Last year the NFR Pool of the same format paid out $9,700 through round winnings, average winnings and the main Jackpot! Check out the details below.
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