2x NFR Qualifier and now 3x CFR Qualifier Brady Tryan is heading back to the Finals to defend his 2023 Canadian Championship. Alongside Calgary Smith, Tryan picked up just over $20,000 in season earnings to enter the 2024 CFR in the 10th spot on the head side. While the pair spent a good effort of their season trying to crack the top 15 in the PRCA standings, they ventured North to enough rodeos to secure a spot in Edmonton thanks to early wins in Coleman, Taber and Buffalo Lake. It was great chatting with Tryan as he gets ready to head out to Mandan, North Dakota and the Wrangler Finals before venturing North for one last time this year to compete at CFR 50.
Question- How would you describe your summer?
Answer- Ya know, it was alright. We had a good month of June in Canada. We focused a little more on being down south and it didn't go as well as we hoped but not horrible either. It was alright, we accomplished some goals but not every goal.
Question- What're some future goals?
Answer- Ya know, I don't know. The immediate future is to hopefully do good at Mandan and the Wrangler Finals and then Edmonton. After that, we'll refigure out what we want to do.
Question- How'd you start roping with Calgary and how's that been?
Answer- I've seen him rope since he was a little kid (wearing some goofy, tall crown, 2 inch brim hat when he was like 10 years-old running around roping the dummy). So I've always paid attention to him. We ended up roping at the Wrangler Finals in 2019 and we won it so we kinds just stayed in touch ever since. Then I knew he didn't really have anything going on and I wasn't really rodeoing at the time so I asked him if he wanted to go up to Canada for the month of June last year and see how it went. That's kinda where it started. It's been the best couple years I've had in probably a decade so it's been pretty good.
Question- What's your favorite rodeo up here in Canada?
Answer- Ya know obviously Ponoka is awesome. With Lyle (Kurtz) making it equal money, it's made it one of the best rodeos in the entire world. I also really like Buffalo Lake, it helps that we've done good there but I kind of like the whole setup around there and the fact that they added equal money this year helps a lot too.
Question- What's the story on your good horse?
Answer- Her name's 'Gypsy'. I plan on bringing her back up, she's really all I have so I don't have much choice. I bought her from my brother (Clay) last May, 2 weeks before I went up to Canada. I had rode her a little so I knew what she was like, so I bought her and had him send her up to me. She's been through a few owners. Kolton Schmidt owned her before my brother, Kolton had bought her from Kaleb Driggers and Kaleb had bought her from Lightning (Aguilera), so she's kind of been handed around a little bit but she's been an awesome horse for me. She fits my style more than she's fit anybody else, she's been awesome. She's easy, she's really user friendly.
Question- What head rope do you use?
Answer- I'm a Powerline guy. I'm kind of coming around to the Softs recently, I switch back and forth but I've kind of become a Soft guy.
Question- Who's been the biggest influence on your roping career?
Answer- My dad obviously, he kinda knows how to teach guys how to rope. He made the NFR back in '84. Then my brothers Clay & Travis. They've kind of been the 3 that I would go to.
Question- What's your gameplan leading up to Edmonton and once you get there?
Answer- Ya know with this year not having as much down time before it, we are still getting to compete a little bit which is nice, you can kind of stay sharp that way. I'm going to approach it the same way as I did last year. What happened up there wasn't necessarily what we were trying to do, it's just how it worked out, we got in a good groove. We're gonna try to win as much as possible, with only getting 5 rounds now you don't wanna mess up by missing a couple. Just try to do the same thing as last year, rope the same way and hopefully it works out.
This interview is part 2 of 3 of a Superstar Header Trifecta presented by Rein Equine Marketing:
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