Bronc rider living his dream

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When he was growing up, Shawn Henry's grandparents would bring posters back from the Canadian Finals Rodeo. He'd put them on his walls and dream of one day actually seeing the CFR, maybe competing, maybe even winning. In 1995, he took another step through is dream, winning a performance and placing well up the list in the toughest saddle bronc competition in Canada. In the CFR at 28, Henry says that he's continuing to dream.

"It's been a good year this year, or it has been since July," he said. "But you've always got dreams you know, of winning, of the National Finals, there's always something more to dream about."

Henry had been at the Canadian Finals as a novice saddle bronc rider, then came to Edmonton for the first time as a senior competitor in 1993. Two years ago, the big man from Williams Lake, B.C., went away empty handed, but not without the determination to be back.

At the start of the 1994 season, he broke his saddle, but continued to ride on it.

"I thought about (the broken saddle), it kind of preyed on my mind," he said in the dressing room at the Edmonton Coliseum. "I don't know if it was the saddle, or if it was me thinking about the saddle, but I had a terrible season in '94. I was trying too hard and fighting my head.

"I had a terrible start to '95, too, but I got a new saddle at the end of June," he continued. "I won all my money since the start of July."

Henry qualified 10th for the finals with season winnings of $7,927. His win with a score of 80.5 points on Thursday gave him a cheque equal to almost half his season's winnings for just one ride.

"It's been great when things have been going right," said the 6 ft. 200 lb. Henry. "And not so great when they haven't been. I got a great horse that suited me on Thursday, but the first horse didn't suit me and I didn't suit him; I got only an average ride on the third horse; and the fourth was just a little horse, so I didn't have much of a chance because I'm big." An 81 on Sunday afternoon, good for third place, wrapped up a great week, and gave him hope that next year will be his best yet.

"Just being in (the dressing) room with these great cowboys is a thrill," he said. "Rod and Denny Hay, Rod Warren, Guy Shapka, Skeeter Thurston, Mel Coleman ? these guys are among the best in the world. They can win the world championship any year, and I'm just lucky to be in here with them," he paused and smiled, "but that doesn't mean I don't give it to them a bit." Warren walked by and Henry gave him a shot about getting a lower score on the horse Henry rode to win on Thursday.

"The best, like the Hay boys there, they do the fundamentals right every time.," Henry said. They spur the horses out good, stay under the rein and they've got a lot of gas. They do the basics right, and that's why they stay on top. You still make mistakes, but you give yourself a better chance to win."

Henry hopes that he can become more consistent. He's moved to Drayton Valley, Alta., to be with his girlfriend, and he says that's had a calming influence on him, and has allowed him to focus on his rodeo goals. The boy who once dreamed of going to the CFR is now a man who dreams about winning the Canadian championship.