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Calgary Herald

Rodeo Notes, Day 3: Bull rider Grady Young shakes off pain, reaches new heights at Calgary Stampede

Article content 'I honestly just block all that out,' said Brennan, who won $7,000, while Thurston, of Big Valley, Alta., had to settle for a payday of $5,500. 'I don't even worry about it. I just focus on what I've got to do and the rest is up to the judges.' Article content That being said, Brennan was pleased as punch to outdo Thurston, who captured three straight Calgary Stampede titles from 2015-17 before finishing second behind Kade Bruno last year. Article content 'Zeke's one of my really good bodies,' Brennan said. 'We get along really good. And he's an absolute freak. You don't win four world titles and all the stuff he's won for not being the best in the world, so it's just fun to be out here competing against him and trying to take his Canadian money. It's a bit of fun.' Article content And the Aussie cowboy has been having all sorts of fun of late. Article content 'In the last four weeks, I've won nearly $60,000,' said Brennan, who was crowned the top saddle bronc rider at the Ponoka Stampede on Canada Day. 'Hopefully, we just keep adding to it here, so yeah, it's been awesome.' Article content Article content A pair of competitors from nearby Idaho kicked off Monday's rodeo by winning their respective events. Article content After Cooper Cooke scored 88 points atop Calgary Stampede's Zastron Acres to win the bareback riding event, barrel racer Megan Mcleod-Sprague had the fastest time of 17.11 seconds in her specialty. Article content It was the first-ever go-round win for both Cooke and Mcleod-Sprague, who each won $7,000 for their efforts. Article content 'I've been here for three years, came close to winning the bronze, but never quite got there, so this year must be my year,' said Cooke, who had previously scored 85 points on Zastron Acres at the Houston Rodeo. 'Honestly, I couldn't ask for a better first horse here. I mean, this is the horse's home country. They always buck better where they were born. You know when you have a Calgary horse in Calgary, it's going to be pretty good.' Article content Article content Mcleod-Sprague last competed in Calgary in 2023. Article content 'This is my first-go round win, so I'm pretty excited about that,' said Mcleod-Sprague, who praised his horse Jagger for his performance. 'He always gets stronger the more runs he's got, so I was actually really pleased for him to come out of the gate that strong.' Article content Even the pyrotechnics that are often featured during the afternoon show didn't faze him. Article content 'I was kind of laughing with one of the other barrel racers when we were out here,' Mcleod-Sprague said. 'He thinks they do the fireworks for him. He's not scared of them at all.' Article content Article content Texan Cody Devers stopped the clock in 3.8 seconds to win the steer wrestling competition. Louisiana's Rowdy Parrot may have had the best name of the day, but he had to settle for second spot behind Devers with a clocking of 4.0. Mississippi's Will Lummus, the 2022 Calgary Stampede champ, finished third (4.1) … New Mexico's Maddy Deerman's time of 2.7 seconds won Monday's breakaway roping competition. Americans Hali Williams, of Texas, and Joey Williams, of Montana, finished in second and third with times of 3.1 and 3.2, respectively. Kendal Pierson, of Wardlow, Alta., stopped the clock in 5.2 to finish a respectable fourth.