A Foothills Comp graduate was glad to be back to work at his main job for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Sure, Brock Radford was a bit sore after not riding a bull for the past four months, but the slight bump of an extra $2,700 in his jeans after finishing tied for first in the PBR Cooper Tire Invitational July 23 in Lethbridge’s Enmax Centre took away some of the pain.
“I’m a little sore but it’s a good sore,” Radford said. “Glad to be back on the bulls. I had to go out and get a real job and I would rather be riding bulls every day.”
Radford finished tied for first when he rode Stuntman Hank to an 86 in the second-round.
“I knew he was a good bull and not too many guys like to get on him,” Radford said. “I figured he’d suit me and I picked him and it ended up working out and I was able to hang on.”
Ty Ellis also finished with an 86 to share the victory with Radford.
Radford took the hard route to the championship eight-man second round.
The first round was dominated by the bulls — who apparently didn’t like having someone on their backs after an unexpected four-month holiday.
Six of the 25 bull riders covered their bulls in the opening round. Radford sneaked his way in by hanging on for 6.5 seconds, the best time of the 19 riders who were bucked off.
“It’s not the way a guy likes to do it but you will take it when you can get them,” Radford said. "I stubbed my toe on the first bull and he made me pay for it, but I regrouped, it ended up working pretty well in my favour."
He wasn’t quite done yet. There was a second bull riding competition later that evening at the centre.
Radford was bucked off in the evening competition.
Fellow Foothills Comp grad Jordan Hansen was bucked off in the first round of both bull-riding competitions.
Throughout both events, COVID-19 protocol was followed.
“Our dressing room was spaced out so we were six feet apart, more room for us to get ready,” Radford said. “There were only two guys allowed at the bucking chute to help you.
“We had to wear our masks at all times unless we were the ones getting on.”
The chutes were also thoroughly cleaned during the competition.
As for yahoos for the cowboys’ efforts, that came from their counterparts and organizers — there were no fans in attendance due to COVID-19 restrictions.
However, in the evening bull riding competition a drive-in type theatre was set up in the parking lot for rodeo fans to watch the action from the Enmax Centre.
Radford now resides in High River. He comes by his rodeo roots honestly. He is the grandson of hall-of-fame barrel racer the late Isobel Miller from DeWinton.
Radford now sits second in the Canadian PBR National standings behind Dakota Buttar.
His next event is Aug. 13 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
