Quam Ready for 3rd CFR Appearance, 1st in Edmonton

Quam sticking it on one for Riley Wilson at the 2022 CFR

Grady Quam put together a solid summer to enter the CFR in the #4 spot on the head side with over $27,000 in earnings throughout the 2024 season and a chance at his 1st Canadian title. This will be Quam's 3rd trip to the Canadian Finals after appearances in 2018 and 2022, but it will be his first time in the city where he grew up watching his dad battle it out at numerous CFRs. Quam will pair up with Moose Jaw's Brady Chappel in Edmonton this October and there is no denying that it could be electric. It was a great time chatting about his season, his horses and his career as we inch closer to CFR 2024.

Question: How's it feel? Are you getting hyped up for Edmonton?

Answer: I'm excited for it to go back to Edmonton. I never got to rope in Rexall, my first year was actually it's first year in Red Deer. Which Red Deer was great and I'm happy I got to go but I grew up watching my dad in Edmonton. Sitting there, roping, playing left leg up in the nose bleeds as I waited to watch my dad. As a young kid, I kind of always wished I would've roped in Rexall.

Question: How's it feel to be roping with Brady Chappel? Have you guys roped together at all?

Answer: I'm actually excited to rope with Chappel. His track record inside of that arena is pretty dang good. You can say that's what that guy grew up in, it's a nice arena but it's a little barn over there in Moose Jaw and I think he's dialled in on those setups. We've always been good buddies throughout the years but we've never roped together ever. I'm gonna make a point to go out there before the Brandon rope horse futurity to get a practice session in with him there.

Question: Tell me a little bit about the horses you used to rodeo on throughout the year

Answer: I rodeoed on a sorrel that I call 'Dennis'. I actually got him as a 2 year-old and he kind of got the brunt of it all this summer. We trained him up at home and he's been my good one for the last 3-4 years now. Then I have my 19 year-old yellow horse that I ride in all the buildings and a couple of the shorter setups. He's who I'll use at the Finals. I should give him more credit, he's always there when I need him and when I have to trust him he always does good. I don't ride him that much throughout the year but I always seem to ride him where the money counts.

Question: What's your head rope of choice?

Answer: GT4 XS every time. I always used to swap around and use different ropes for different sets of horns, but for the last 2 years I've been strictly on the GT4.

Question: What's your favorite rodeo of the year?

Answer: Obviously Ponoka's the coolest but that electricity in Armstrong is next to none. It is something you gotta experience one time, it's pretty cool.

Question: What're your goals following this season?

Answer: I'm not too sure on what my partner situation is for next year quite yet but I wanna go ahead and get into the Winter Rodeos next year and obviously make the Canadian Finals and be a Canadian Champ also.

Question: Who has been the biggest influence on your roping career?

Answer: Obviously growing up it was definitely my dad. He's been the one who had me mounted on good horses. I got to watch him make the CFR 8 times and that's always something I wanted to do. I always got to look up to him and try to walk the same path he did. And then later here in my life as I got out of the house, Ken Bray and Logan Olson have been a huge help. They're the guys I send my videos to after every rodeo and they pick on me about my riding and stuff. Those would have to be my people for sure.

Question: What's one think you've learned to help push you over the hump and get back to the CFR?

Answer: I think it was just learning to consistently trust your run and your roping. I think that year where I missed it there, I had let a couple bad weeks determine my year and I got pressing and straying away from what I'm good at. I think that if a guy just sticks to his run and puts together runs, you'll always be at the CFR.