4 days ago
Petersen claims $7,000 prize in Pool B bareback action at the Calgary Stampede
Sam Petersen was excited when he saw that he drew Twin Cherry as his ride at the Calgary Stampede rodeo on Tuesday.
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'Honestly, pretty scared at the same time,' said Petersen when he found out he was going up against the celebrated Calgary Stampede bucking horse. 'I mean, that's one of the rankest horses in the world and one of the most eliminating horses in this world.
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'I was ready to get out of that bucking chute and get it over with for dang sure. I'm just so blessed and so happy it worked out the way it did.'
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The bareback rider from Helena, Mont., was definitely up for the challenge as he earned a score of 89 points from the judges.
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'I just knew today it was going to be a pivotal moment in my career and I had to go at that horse with everything I had,' he said. 'I knew if I did my job correctly, I had a very good chance to win.'
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And that's exactly what happened leading to a payday of $7,000 for Petersen to give him a total of $10,250 in earnings through two days of Pool B action.
That puts him just $250 behind Utah cowboy Dean Thompson, who scored 88 points atop I'm All Ears to earn Tuesday's second-best payout of $5,500.
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Only the top three money earners though three days of action will earn their spots in Showdown Sunday to get a chance at the top prize of $50,000.
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'One more (ride),' said Petersen, who will head out after Wednesday's performance to take part in rodeos south of the border in Sheridan and Casper, Wyo. 'Take care of that tomorrow, and hopefully I'll be back here next Sunday.'
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Although he finished in a tie for fifth place on Tuesday, Idaho's Cooper Cooke is still sitting in third place in the standings ($8,500) by virtue of winning Monday's go-round.
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Competing at the Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth for the third straight year, Petersen earned his first go-round win in Calgary.
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'So far, I haven't had much success,' he said. 'It just didn't seem like I drew the right horses at the right times. And this year, it seems like I finally have a little bit of change.'
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Which resulted in him enjoying his first victory lap around the infield in front of the fans packed into GMC Stadium.
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'I love victory laps more than anything,' he said. 'This is my first time doing it in Calgary, so it's definitely my favourite one. The atmosphere is so electric. All these people, it's pretty amazing.'
