A Canada Day to Remember for McCarrolls
PONOKA, Alberta – Brothers Justin and Brett McCarroll celebrated Canada Day – and the impending birth of Brett’s second child – by winning the team roping title at the 78th annual Ponoka (Alberta) Stampede on July 1.
“It’s a very special thing,” said Justin, 31, the header. “This is the best rodeo we have in Canada.”
Four contestants in each event qualified for the Showdown Round, with the slate wiped clean following Tuesday’s afternoon finals round. The McCarrolls, who are from Camrose, Alberta, won with a time of 6.4 seconds.
“It’s a big deal to win this one,” said Brett, 28. “This is kind of the Daddy of ‘em All for Canada.”
Brett McCarroll won the Ponoka Stampede last year with header Clint Buhler, and in 2005 with Troy Fischer. This time, he was ecstatic to win with his brother, and also thrilled that his wife, Renee, got to see it.
“She endured the day,” Brett said. “The baby is due right now. I hope it waits until morning, and we can celebrate this win. Our whole family is here.”
The brothers McCarroll have qualified for the Canadian Finals Rodeo five times, and won the team roping championship in 2006 and 2007.
“We’ve pretty much punched our ticket to get back there this year,” Justin said. “Our goal is to win it again.”
Their father, Dirk, a team roping header, won the Canadian Finals Rodeo in 1989.
“Dad, you taught us how to win,” Justin told the Ponoka Stampede fans during their buckle presentation in the arena.
“Dad put a lot of money and time into teaching us,” Brett said. “He kept good horses under us. We’ve been roping together since we were old enough to walk. We competed professionally together for six years, but then roped with different partners because we were at different points in our lives. Now, we’re glad to be back together.”
Brett has a son, Coy, 2, while Justin has two daughters, Halle, 3, and London, 10 months.
Other Showdown Round winners at the $472,929 rodeo were bareback rider Kaycee Feild (87.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Mucho Dinero), steer wrestler Dru Melvin (4.1 seconds), saddle bronc rider Taos Muncy (88.25 points on Calgary Stampede’s Timely Delivery), tie-down roper Tuf Cooper (7.3 seconds), bull rider Cody Teel (88.5 points on Vold Rodeo’s True Blood) and barrel racer Kaley Bass (17.156 seconds).
Courtesy of PRCA