Familiar names are the ones to watch this rodeo season

Page 12

It's that time of year again and Indian and Metis cowboys from all over are preparing for the 1997 rodeo circuit. Almost every weekend will see one rodeo or another cropping up in western Canadian provinces and northwestern states.

A number of family names have become synonymous with rodeo, including such names as Andrews, Baptiste, Buffalo, Cressman and Yellowbird.

In saddle bronc, the ones to watch include Shawn Henry, Ben and Jay Louis, Max Big Throat and Lewis Little Bear.

The bareback competition offers riders like Byron Bruised Head, Darcy Cressman, Bill T. Head, Andrew Hunt, Leon Montour, and Kenton Randle.

There have been some excellent bull riders lately. Kenton Randle, Benji Buffalo, Colin Willier, Derek Martineau, Terry Villeneuve, Calvin Fox, and Tyrone Potts are just a handful of many.

Also competing is 1985 world champion, Ted Nuce, who won the title and $50,000 at the '92 Calgary Stampede. We look forward to seeing him in action as well as Brazilian Adriano Moraes who won the same title in '94.

Then watch out for those Yellowbird team ropers and calf ropers from Hobbema. They'll be back at it again, as will Morley's Labelles, Left Hands and McLeans, Cardston's Bruised Heads, Montana's Ted Hoyt and Gus Vaile, and many more.

The steer wrestlers will show their might with such competitors as Wright Bruised Head, the Dixons from Morley, Bruce Labelle, Melton Louis and several others.

Not to be forgotten are the barrel racers in the persons of Chantelle Daychief, Tia Fox, Carmin Houle, Melissa Louis, Marie Shade, etc.

And what about Rod Baptiste Jr. and Todd Buffalo Jr., among others who'll make their appearance soon as adult competitors? Look out world.