5x NFR Header and 2x Canadian Champion Dustin Bird is heading back to the Canadian Finals. Bird will head into Edmonton as the 5th ranked header with $26,980 in season earnings that he picked up primarily heading for Jeremy Buhler. Throughout the 2024 season, Bird picked up wins at Drayton Valley, Brooks and Pincher Creek and placed 2nd in the Showdown Round in Ponoka and won the average for a BIG payday. Bird spends a majority of his time ranching near Cut Bank, Montana and next week in Edmonton he will head for Tyce McLeod.
Question: Are you getting geared up for Edmonton next week?
Answer: Yeah, I got me a horse up here now. Aaron Tsinigine sent me a good bay horse. I've had him for about a week, I got to rope some on him before I left for the Wrangler Finals and then we'll get geared up here and start going again tomorrow.
Question: How many times have you made the CFR now?
Answer: I don't really know. I made it for the first time heeling in 2010 for Murray Linthicum. Me and Paul (Eaves) I know made it 2012 but I don't know if we made it in 13 or 14. And then I know I made it with Russell (Cardoza) in 16 and 17. So 5 or 6 times, this one will be 6 or 7 probably.
Question: How was your summer/season?
Answer: This was a good summer. I had a very busy spring with calving and all that stuff. Then with coming to Canada for 2 or 3 days and then coming home to work and then going back was all a little much but we made it work.
Question: You hit pretty big in Ponoka, how was that?
Answer: That was very good. There's only 2 rodeos left that I want to win, Ponoka and Pendleton. I told Driggers there that day as we were hanging out waiting for the top 4, I told him this is one of only 2 rodeos that I want to win anymore and of course he got by us. I picked up my rope too early there and was going to hit the pole so I had to bring er down but it worked out.
Question: Have you roped with Tyce much?
Answer: I actually roped with him up there in Ponoka at the jackpot at the start of the year. He's been to my place here a couple times when he was rodeoing with Quam a few years ago, they'd come through and stay quite a bit while they rodeoed in Montana.
Question: What horse did you use all summer?
Answer: I got a young one that come from Sherri Cervi. I bought him as a 4 year-old. I call him 'Franklin', he's a Dinero (PC FRENCHMANS HAYDAY), he's 8 year old now. I've been riding him the last couple years.
Question: What head rope do you use?
Answer: Still the Soft Heat
Question: What's your favorite rodeo up here?
Answer: Ponoka, isn't everybody's?
Question: Who's been the biggest influence on your roping career?
Answer: Oh man, that's a good question. I've had a lot of help, my dad obviously, my mother. I've just had a lot of support.
Question: What else do you want to accomplish in your career?
Answer: Winning Pendleton & Ponoka would be nice. It would be nice to win a Canadian title again. Other than that,, I don't have too much. My oldest boy made it to the Northern Rodeo Association Finals this year in the breakaway so we're pretty darn excited about that.
Question: What's one other CPRA Head Horse you'd like to swing a leg over?
Answer: I'll tell you what, I rode a pretty darn good gruella the other day in Pincher Creek that belonged to Riley Roy. I'd never been on him, just got on him and he was super easy. That was a very good horse. Kolton Schmidt and Tee McLeod obviously got good ones, I'd have to say one of those 3.
Question: Who else are you excited to watch in Edmonton?
Answer: I'm not excited to watch any of em, I just worry about doing my job haha
Question: What's your gameplan in Edmonton?
Answer: I usually try to win the day money. I'm going to be aggressive, I'm not going to back off a heck of a lot. But I would like to catch em all and turn em all and give Tyce a good chance. See how it all plays out but dang sure be aggressive. The go rounds pay good so I'd like to win money every night.
Question: What's one piece of advice you'd give to the next generation coming up?
Answer: Don't be afraid to get help, maybe take a little advice from some people, some help and some lessons, there's a lot of good people that teach. Don't be afraid to fail, get up and give it your best.
The Final 5 CFR Interviews are presented by Balan Quarter Horses, The Home of 5 top quality stallions that will be showcased over the next 5 write ups.
Balan Quarter Horses is the home of MPH DAY DRINKIN, a 2021 son of leading performance and multiple time NFR sire PC FRENCHMANS HAYDAY and out of a daughter of leading race sire Ivory James (SI 103). 'Swigger' has been showing all kinds of talent and will be campaigned in both the roping and barrel futurity's in the future. Located in Bonnyville, AB.
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