The Canadian Finals Rodeo is bringing you the Top 12 cowboys in Canada to battle it out for the coveted title of CFR Champion. The bareback riding has some cowboys that are familiar with the bright lights of Red Deer and some that are new on the scene.
No. 1 Kody Lamb, $46,727
Lamb’s big wins big wins in Canada this year include Dawson Creek Stampede, Taber Spring Classic, Newell Pro Rodeo among others. This is his sixth trip to the CFR, but first as the top-ranked bareback rider.
No. 2 Orin Larsen, $38,443
Larsen is an nine-time NFR qualifier and the 2019 CPRA Bareback Riding Champion. He is looking for his second CFR title as he enters the Finals No. 2 in the bareback riding. He cinched a huge win at the Ponoka Stampede and followed it up with wins in Grand Prairie, Rocky Mountain House, Sundre and Cranbrook.
No. 3 Clint Laye, $37,631
Your 2021 Canadian Champion picked up big wins through the season. He was the Co-Champion at three rodeos while outright winning five more. While scores in the 87-point range found Laye often, his success came twice while aboard Vold Rodeo’s Dancing Queen. This will be his ninth trip to the CFR.
No. 4 Ty Taypotat, $28,553
The reigning CPRA Champion knows Red Deer and the CFR well. He has been to 11 CFRs, the most of any bareback rider in His most recent win came in Hanna, Alberta. He matched up with Big Stone Rodeo’s Fired Up to put an 86.5 on top of the leaderboard and round out his regular season earnings.
No. 5 Dantan Bertsch, $24,196
Plenty of paydays found Bertsch this season starting with the Broncs and Honky Tonks Spring Indoor Rodeo and ending with Edmonton Pro Rodeo. He picked up a win in Bruce, Alberta that was worth over $1,000 and carried the momentum to split the High Prairie Elks Pro Rodeo.
No. 6 Strawbs Jones, $22,973
Jones is returning to Red Deer after a steady season. A second-place finish in Strathmore added over $4,500 to his name after he split the win at Pile O Bones Rodeo with an 84.5-point ride on C5 Rodeo’s Black Feathers. The Aussie has found a home north o the border with three consecutive CFR appearances.
No. 7 Chett Deitz, $22,545
With a rodeo count of 40, Dietz found himself having earned more than enough money at those 40 rodeos to qualify for his first ever CFR. His regular season wrapped up with a third-place finish in Edmonton thanks to an 85-point ride.
No. 8 Mike Solberg, $22,233
A Canadian veteran to the game, Solberg is heading to his 10th CFR in locked and loaded in the No. 8 hole. A big win from his season came in August when he rode for 85 points to split the win at the North Peace Stampede. He also won the Morris Stampede and the Williams Lake Stampede.
No. 9 Pascal Isabelle, $20,250
Isabelle is making his fourth trip to Red Deer after placing in just the right places during the 2023 regular season. His final paycheck of the season came to the tune of $884 in Langley, British Columbia after an 81-point ride. His signature wins of the year came at the Medicine Hat Indoor and Medicine Hat Outdoor Rodeo.
No. 10 Spur Lacasse, $18,340
After two surgeries and the rehabilitation that came with it, Lacasse returned to rodeo and had a consistent season. He won six rodeos to return to the CFR for the third time and first since 2019.
No. 11 Wyatt Maines, $18,113
Splitting a paycheck at the final rodeo of the Canadian season helped Maines lock in his spot at the CFR but a highlight of his season came when he rodeo multi-time Horse of the Year Stevie Knicks of Macza Pro Rodeo for 90.5 points.
No. 12 Dallas Hay, $17,014
The Australian cowboy is heading to his first ever CFR after a big year of Canadian rodeo. The 27-year-old just turned pro in 2022.
You can watch all of the CFR action beginning Nov. 1 on The Cowboy Channel and Cowboy Channel+.
