The SMS Equipment Pro Rodeo Tour finale is set for this weekend as part of the IPE and Stampede in Armstrong, British Columbia. Preceded by the final stop in the Tour Aug. 31-Sept. 2, the Finals will be staged Sept. 3 and will feature the top 10 Tour contestants who will vie for the Tour champion’s spurs and the sizeable payoff that will go to the champions.

Defending Tour steer wrestling champ Scott Guenthner will be gunning for another title as he leads the standings with 822.5 points. But the Provost cowboy is being pursued by both Ryan Shuckburgh at 745 points and Stephen Culling at 670 with more than enough points still up for grabs if either challenger should mount a charge on the final Tour weekend.

Shuckburgh’s central Alberta cousin, Beau Cooper, is holding onto a somewhat precarious lead in the tie-down roping as Texas superstar roper Ty Harris trails Cooper by just 75 points.

Also looking to defend their 2019 title (the last time the tour was contested) is the team roping brother combination of Dawson and Dillon Graham who find themselves trailing Tour season leaders Tristan Woolsey and Trey Gallais by 135 points but are coming off a weekend that saw the talented brothers win all three CPRA rodeos on the docket.

One of the closest Tour races is in the Ladies Breakaway Roping where Nanton’s Lakota Bird leads Lacombe cowgirl Taylor Flewelling by a slender 20 points with a handful of cowgirls not far behind the frontrunners.

The bronc riding could be a dogfight as well with Australian Lachlan Miller leading two-time World Champion Zeke Thurston by only 45 points heading into the all-important final weekend with no fewer than seven bronc riders within 200 points of the popular Aussie.

And the bull riding is also a tight - and interesting - contest with Sundre’s Wyatt Gleeson at 635 points and Lonnie West (Cadogan, AB) and Brock Radford (Dewinton, AB) both at 630. Of interest heading into the final weekend: Bull riding Tour point leaders, Jared Parsonage and Jordan Hansen, have not entered the Pro Tour Finals. They are headed to a PRCA event in Washington as they continue their pursuit of NFR qualifications. By not entering the Pro Tour Final, they are removing themselves from SMS Equipment Pro Tour Finals Championship contention.

Among the leaders with a little more breathing room with the SMS Equipment finish line in sight are Oklahoma barrel racer, Bailey Choate and bareback rider Ty Taypotat.

With the races near the top of the standings as exciting as those near the bottom, it’s important to note that money won by successful Armstrong Tour finalists counts toward CFR. Look for some season-changing stats once the dust settles after the long weekend.

The IPE and Stampede features rodeo performances at 8 pm Wednesday through Friday with the SMS Equipment Pro Tour Finals slated for 8 p.m. on Saturday.

A few last things to consider as we head into the final Pro Tour weekend:

• Maximum points up for grabs - Armstrong IPE & Stampede (100 for 1st down to 10 points for 10th place; double points for Tour Finals - 200 for 1st and down)
• MUST compete at the Finals to win overall Tour Championship
• Tour Champions will be receiving SMS Pro Tour Championship Spurs

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