What a farewell tour it will be for the winningest bull rider in the history of Canadian rodeo. Scott Schiffner is a two-time Canadian champion, has taken the title at the Calgary Stampede twice, branched over to the PBR and won the Canadian finals there once, and has become a part of the very fabric that is Canadian rodeo. 

The Strathmore, Alberta, cowboy announced on July 12 that he would be retiring after the 2018 rodeo season. Schiffner has qualified for a record 17 Canadian Finals Rodeos in his career—which is remarkable in itself—but what he may be remembered for most is his character.

The true embodiment of the word “cowboy,” Schiffner is just as likely to be seen tending to cattle, looking someone in the eye as he shakes their hand, or crouching down to talk to a small child as he is spurring some of the rankest bucking bulls in Canada. 

Family has always been a priority for Schiffner, who has three daughters (Maysa, Hadley, and Oaklyn) who are growing into little cowgirls themselves. 

“It’s (bittersweet). It’s been my life. I owe everything in the world to rodeo and bull riding,” Schiffner said to Postmedia’s Kristen Anderson. “From my ranch, to my wife, to my kids … it’s all a dominoes effect from what rodeo has given me.

“It’s bitter, no doubt about it. I still love riding bulls, no doubt about it. I just don’t want to miss the opportunities that are going to happen once or twice in my kids’ lives."

"I’ll always be a cowboy. I won’t be a bull rider anymore. But it’s time to be a dad." - Scott Schiffner

As he counts down the rodeos until his retirement, fans will be watching closely for what may become this Canadian rodeo icon’s “last bull.” So far, the name “Schiffner” will still be on the draw at the CPRA’s top rodeos, including the upcoming K-Days Rodeo in Edmonton Alberta, and the Manitoba Stampede and Exhibition in Morris, Manitoba.