After Pivotal Ponoka Stampede Win, Could This Be Scott Guenthner's Year?

The money won at the Ponoka Stampede is a gift to rodeo competitors hustling down the rodeo trail, spending thousands on fuel, feed, entry fees, and all the expenses of living on the road. For Scott Guenthner, this money could be crucial long after it’s spent on filling up the tank.

Guenthner more than doubled his earnings in the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association standings with the $16,513.04 he pulled out of the Ponoka Stampede. This win puts Guenthner in the No. 1 spot with a total of $27,943.81—more than $6,000 ahead of his closest competition.

This win also has Professional Rodeo Cowboy’s Association implications for Guenthner. He has now moved to No. 3 in the world standings with $56,209.32 in earnings and, if he can keep it up, he could be getting another chance at the title of world champion.

“It’s going to be a big boost to the standings on both sides of the border,” said Guenthner in an interview after splitting the win in the first round. “I need a little boost down in the States right now; I’ve kind of been on a little bit of a lull. I did well at Wainwright but I still need some more money and to stay in the top 15 you’ve just got to pick away every weekend.”

Guenthner has become a seasoned competitor in the CPRA with four Canadian Finals Rodeo qualifications (Guenthner did not compete in 2014 due to injury) under his belt, and he made his first appearance at the WNFR last year. 

He showed the skills that got him to both the CFR and NFR at Ponoka this year. Guenthner made a solid run in round one, split first and second in round two with a time of 4.0 seconds, and then had an interesting start in the finals. 

Guenthner’s mount did not want to slow down as he careened down Ponoka’s long scoreline. With a lot of effort and some quick thinking, Guenthner got both hands on the reins, slowed the horse just enough to not break the barrier, and then somehow got himself back in order to make the fastest run of the top 12 finals at 4.2 seconds.

Watch the slow motion of that run, and his own explanation of the events here:

After that effort, the top four round looked like a day off for Guenthner.

"[The] horse felt way better in the corner this round, I knew I had a good start, I heard everyone yelling 'yeah'," said Guenthner. "I just tried to stay patient and hold the steer up and I was actually a tick behind, if I was a little earlier I would have been a lot quicker I wouldn’t have hung a toe."

But in a four-man situation, you never know what kind of times or scores will win. Guenthner's time of 5.4 seconds was fast enough to take home the coveted Ponoka Stampede buckle, jacket, and $8,250. 

Not only is a win at the Ponoka Stampede a huge confidence boost for any rodeo competitor, but one hoping to qualify for both the CFR and WNFR can breathe a little easier with that money added to the standings. He has some fighting left to do to guarantee he will make it to Las Vegas but—based on last year's standings—Guenthner can nearly guarantee that he will have a spot at the CFR’s debut in Red Deer this October. 

There comes a time in some lucky competitors careers where nothing seems to be able to stand in the way of collecting a paycheck. Guenthner seems to be on a roll that can’t be stopped by tough draws, less-than-perfect scores, and all of the variables that inevitably pop up throughout a steer wrestling run. 

So it raises the question: could this be Guenthner’s year?