Change of Plan for Baillie Milan

Airdrie, ALTA – August 9, 2017

The third member of the Milan brother trio from Cochrane, Alberta made some big-time noise over the weekend.

Two weeks ago it was little brother Straws grabbing the headlines with his record-tying 2.9 second run at Edmonton’s K-Days Rodeo while two time Canadian Champion Tanner has been solid all season and sits second in the Canadian standings and tenth in the world prior to the weekend’s action.

Enter brother number three – Baillie Milan, hazer extraordinaire, five time CFR qualifier, movie cowboy and oldest brother of the famed Milan trio. Baillie bulldogged his steer in 3.3 seconds at the Strathmore Stampede and Heritage Days to take home a whopping $5625. Coupled with a 2/3 split at High Prairie a few days earlier that added another $1321 to his week’s pay cheque, the 35 year-old jumped from 50th place in the standings to the top 20 and became an instant and vital part of the CFR conversation.

“I don’t just want to be known as a hazer,” Milan admitted. “I’m a steer wrestler; that’s what I do and that’s how I want people to think of me.”

His performance over the last week might just help with that perception.

“It’s funny, I went over to watch slack with Tanner and I said I’d really like to get that steer #31 – he looks pretty good and what do you know, that’s the one I got. I’ve been riding Curtis (Cassidy)’s horse, Tyson, and he’s been really good so things worked out for me.”

And while the money was nice, the win necessitated a change in Milan’s schedule. He’ll have to put the movie part of his career on hold for the moment while he takes a run at another CFR spot.

“A 3.3 second run will do that, especially at this rodeo,” (Strathmore), the second generation dogger chuckled.

While it’s been five years since Baillie has ridden into the business side of the timed event box, that could all change as the 2017 rodeo season heads into the home stretch and the battles intensify for the final CFR qualifying berths. He couldn’t have picked a better time to get the hot hand and put the pressure on those still in the CFR hunt. Nowhere is that battle more heated than in the bulldogging where there are as many as 20 guys still battling for the final half dozen spots.

“I’d really like to get to the CFR with both my brothers and especially Straws. We’ve never been there together and that would damn sure be nice.”

And while Milan may downplay his success as a hazer, he’s one of the most in-demand cowboys at that job in the industry as evidenced by the Strathmore results. After his blistering run to open the final performance at Strathmore, Milan swung over to the other side of the box and hazed for Scott Guenthner, brothers Tanner and Straws and Curtis Cassidy. All four pulled sizable cheques out of Strathmore.

Among the other big winners at the just concluded weekend were reigning Canadian Champion saddle bronc rider, Clay Elliott who won Strathmore (86.5 points on Vold Rodeo’s Klondike) and split ½ at High Prairie (87 points on Kesler Championship Rodeo’s Flash Dance) for a total payout of $7126 and the team roping duo of Clint Buhler and Rocky Dallyn who split first and second at Strathmore and added an outright win at High Prairie for a solid $4428 total.

For complete results, head over to rodeocanada.com

This week’s CPRA action kicks off two performances August 8-9 with the Field of Dreams Rodeo in Lacrete, AB, then it’s on to the Dawson Creek Exhibition and Stampede, a Canadian Pro Tour rodeo with performances slated for August 11 to 13.

About the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association
The Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) with headquarters in Airdrie, Alberta is the sanctioning body for professional rodeo in Canada. The CPRA approves over 50 events annually with a total payout exceeding $5.1 million. Join us September 29-30, 2017 for our 4th Annual Grass Roots Final (at the Agrium Western Event Centre, Stampede Park in Calgary, Alberta) and for our premiere event – the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) November 8-12, 2017 at Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, Alberta. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat at @prorodeocanada, like Canadian Professional Rodeo Association on Facebook or online at RodeoCanada.com.

Courtesy of CPRA