By Deanna Kristensen
At the halfway point of the 2014 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, five-time WNFR steer wrestling veteran Curtis Cassidy of Donalda, Alta., cracked out a run that rodeo fans have been waiting for.
“It felt awesome out there,” smiled Cassidy in the press room.
With a time of 3.3 seconds, not only did Cassidy make one of the best runs of his career, but he also claimed one of the fastest times so far the 2014 WNFR; Kyle Irwin, of Robertsdale Ala., won the third go-round, with a 3.2 on Saturday.
“This was my fastest time at Las Vegas. This time I broke my own personal record.”
So far the finals have been an epic roller coaster ride for the eight-time Canadian High Point Champ. Cassidy made headway onto the leaderboard Monday night and picked up his first check for $7,969. However Sunday night’s disappointing time of 17.7 seconds, left him feeling a bit defeated.
Between tough steers and his first-time WNFR horse Tank (owned by Dusty Walker), Cassidy said the little things at the WNFR were starting to get him more than just a bit.
“Little things that make a huge difference, when you are trying to be three seconds. I had a talk with my horse last night, so that we were on the same page,” laughed Cassidy.
At this rodeo, your most important run is the next one… always.
“Everyday is a new day out there. You just have to back in there – try again and be aggressive.”
After all this is the place where dreams happen, for the best rodeo cowboys alive. For Cassidy, Monday’s performance will certainly be one of the brightest moments of his rodeo career.
“It felt awesome out there. You wanna win, every night.”
