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Byrne, Roy Strike at Calgary Stampede

CALGARY, Alberta – Two years ago, all that kept Tanner Byrne from winning a $100,000 check at the Calgary Stampede was a single point.

In the final four, Byrne would ride a small Big Stone bull with a pile of airtime by the name of Pop Evil. His score was 90.5, but a couple riders later, none other than J.B. Mauney would best him with 91.5 points on Bombs Away, a bull owned by the Calgary Stampede.

Fast forward two years and Byrne is back looking to win that $100,000 check after leading the pack in Pool A with $13,000 won in the past four days.

The Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, bull rider wasn’t even set to compete at the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth until last week however.

“They called me about Wednesday to tell me that I was in,” Byrne said. “That was a pretty good call to get. It’s always awesome to be a part of this thing. I’m excited to be here. I want to take advantage of it and show them that I should have been here in the first place. That’s kind of my drive now and I want go to win this thing.”

After putting a zero on the board in day one, the youngest member of Jared Allen’s Pro Bull Team has gone 3-for-3 since, winning the last two rounds.

Starting off the streak was an 83-point effort on Blue Stone (Flying High Rodeo Co.) to finish fourth. Day three brought Byrne his first round win in Calgary, and the prestigious trophy bronze that goes with. That win came on the back of Silence Reins (Big Chief/Armstrong Bucking Bulls) at 85 points. His best score of the week gave him the share of the win Monday afternoon with Brazil’s Fabiano Vieira, the current No. 12 man in the world. On Monday, Byrne rode Sugar Smack (Big Stone Rodeo) for 88.5 points while Viera took Nearly Departed (Outlaw Bucker Rodeo Corp.) to the same tally.

With five days off until Sunday when the $100,000 checks are written, Byrne turns his focus to a few of his bulls in the draw later this week.

“I’m a part owner in Flying Four Bucking Bulls. We’ve got bulls coming in for Pool B here out Thursday and Friday so I’ll change hats and put my contracting hat on for next week. Hopefully they are good, I’ll let you know which ones they are if they do good,” Byrne joked.

As this story started in 2013, Aaron Roy’s miraculous return to the very arena nearly everything was taken from him, cannot be left out.

Two year ago Roy’s future laid in the hands of the surgeon who worked to make sure the Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan, athlete would be able to walk again, let alone ride a bull.

Today, in one of, if not the greatest comeback story in the history of the Calgary Stampede’s 100-year history, Roy’s surgeon, Dr. Ganesh Swamy of the Foothills Hospital in Northwest Calgary, was in the stands to watch his patient back doing what he lives for.

Roy, the three-time PBR Canada Champion and four-time Glen Keeley Memorial Award winner, rode Hair of the Dog (Calgary Stampede) for 86.5 points. That left him third behind Vieira and Byrne to earn $3,500, moving his four-day total to $8,000, and advancing him directly to Sunday despite bucking off his bulls on day two and three.

“I got on four really good bulls, the bulls two I fell off, that was kind of rider error but that happens to everybody. You just have to on with it and go on to your next bull,” Roy said. “It’s a great feeling being back in Calgary and to be able to get back to Sunday.”

Roy has had success on Sunday before, finishing as the reserve champion to Chad Besplug in 2012. This year a win would mean so much more but it still has to come one bull at a time.

“That’s always the game plan, you’ve just got to show up here and ride your bull and let the cards fall how they fall,” Roy explained. “That’s the sport of bull riding, you can’t go in there and say ‘I’m going to be 90 points today’ you’ve got to work with the bull you have and do your job and get him covered.”

Roy has done his job, however, it’s been a more challenging road for him, not only physically, but mentally battling back.

“My nerves were kind of getting to me right before the bull riding started,” Roy said of the first day. “I’m glad they started the bull riding when they did because it kind of got my mind off of it a little bit. Once the bull riding starts, that’s what’s on my mind. Before, I just got thinking too much about what had happened and stuff but once the first bull left the chute that’s what was on my mind. That that’s the time to do it and it’s your time to ride.”

With a few days off, Roy plans to spend time with family at his brother’s place in Cremona, Alberta, which is located about an hour Northwest of Calgary.

Also moving on to Showdown Sunday from Pool A were 2004 PBR World Champion and 2008 Calgary Stampede $100,000 champion Mike Lee ($12,500), along with 2014 Canadian Pro Rodeo Bull Riding ChampionDakota Buttar ($7,500).

Pool B of competition begins Tuesday and runs through Friday. Contestants scheduled to compete include Trey Bention III, Chandler Bounds and Beau Hill qualifying via the PRCA along with 2014 PRCA Champion Sage Kimzey and 2012 PRCA Champion Cody Teel. Cody Nance, Stetson Lawrence, four-time PRCA Champion J.W. Harris, 2008 PBR World Champion Guilherme Marchi and two-time Calgary Stampede $100,000 Champion and PBR World Champion J.B. Mauney earned their spots via competition in the PBR.

© 2015 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.

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