Gleeson & Smeltzer Make Big Moves

Paradise Valley, Whitecourt, and Carseland, Alberta - What a busy weekend for the BRC Bull Riders! The Alberta run started with the 3 Cities Fair Bull A Rama in Paradise Valley, AB where Rookie Grady Smeltzer from Claresholm, AB would take home the Event Champion title.

In the Long Round, Marcos Gloria, the reigning BRC National Champion, would tie for first and second place with Chase Thielen from Milk River, AB. Both Marcos and Chase scored 83.5 points on their bulls - Skori Bucking Bulls' Tom Petty (Gloria), and Dunt (Thielen).

Continuing in the Long Round, Grady Smeltzer split fourth and fifth place with Klayton Lakevold of Provost, AB. Grady's draw for this round was Girletz Rodeo Stock's Feed Bill, and Smeltzer says "...I knew showing up there that we would be getting on some really good bulls with Girletz, Skori, and Outlaw there. So when I seen my name beside a Girletz bull in the first round, I knew he was gonna come out bucking and I just knew I had to try and ride 'em."

When it came time for the Canadian Global Championship Round, Grady Smeltzer was the only Cowboy to make a qualified ride, and he won himself $4,500.00 for that one ride on Skori Bucking Bulls' Big Shot.

That win added over $4,700.00 and 365 points for Smeltzer moving him up to 12th place in the BRC National Standings.

It seems Grady Smeltzer wouldn't be content with the 12th place position, and considering there is a Rookie of the Year Award up for grabs at the BRC Finals this Season, he wanted to give himself a bit more cushion.

He would accomplish that on the second day of the three day run at the BAM Bull Riding (Bonnie Anderson Memorial) in Whitecourt, AB. In Round One of competition, Grady won first place on Meston Rodeo Co.'s The Mechanic with 80 points.

Smeltzer says "...I drew a little Meston bull that my brother (Griffin Smeltzer) got bucked off actually a couple years ago so I kinda had some insight as to what he was going to do, so I just knew I had to try my hardest to get him rode, and that’s what I did and managed to get him stomped." Grady ended up 2nd in the Average with another $1,150.00 in his pocket and more importantly, 380 points. Grady is now sitting 9th in the BRC National Standings and has a great lead for that Rookie of the Year title.

"I’d be so happy to win that, it means a lot. Especially just, just to be able to ride and be one of the top young guys coming up in Canada - it’s just awesome!" says Smetlzer of his position to win the first ever Rookie of the Year Title in Bull Riders Canada.

What are Grady Smetlzer's goals now that he's Top 10 in Canada? "...would be to win Canada. I would just be very happy to win the whole BRC Events, and it'd mean so much to me."

The Whitecourt Canadian Global Championship Round Two was won by Wyatt Gleeson from Sundre, AB. Wyatt wowed the crowd with a very impressive 85.5 point ride on Patterson Bucking Bulls' Cougar Express. "...just a really good bull of Trent Patterson's, said he’d just suit my style. He went around to the right really good kickin' and then back to the left and uh, felt good so I opened up a little bit and just got the job done."

Wyatt's job wasn't done yet. In Carseland, AB at the 1st Annual Aggie Days Bull A Rama, on the last day of the three day run, he would be the epitome of Cowboy. Wyatt would double enter, and end up getting on not just two, but FIVE bulls in one afternoon!

Gleeson took 3rd place in the Long Round with an 82 on Two Bit Bucking Bulls' J-Rip. But it was in the Canadian Global Championship Round were Wyatt would shine, and where double entering would really pay off for him. Wyatt won first and second place in the Canadian Global Championship Round, winning himself $3,600.00 for those two rides and 190 points.

"I seem to ride Jim’s (Thompson) bulls really good. They suit my style really good, and Jim always fires me up and sayin' I got a good one so it worked out really good. I got on a bull called Curious George and uh, that bulls got a ton of heart." says Gleeson of his first place 86 point ride on Thompson Rodeo's Curious George.

Double entries pay, and Wyatt is proof to that when he also won second place in the Canadian Global Championship Round on Two Bit Bucking Bulls' Black Sheep. "...ya I like Josh’s (Berezay) pen too, he’s always had great bulls and that bull made me really work for it. He’s a little bit of a handful but, he was a good bull too, so I was happy with it."

Wyatt would be happy with his winnings too. He took home the title of Event Champion, over $4,150.00 in prize money, and 650 points. Coupled with the points from his win the day before in Whitecourt, he is quickly moving up to the top and is now the number 3 man in the BRC National Standings.

Wyatt says he owes a lot of his success to working out and his travelling partners. He's been travelling with Cole Young and Justin Siemens and Gleeson says "...it's been a lot of fun and those guys really build me up, and let me know that I can ride anything and I think I'm King Kong."

Wyatt talks to us about his goals for the Season "...to be Canadian Champion. That’s first and foremost, that’s what everyone shoots for. I don’t see why I wouldn’t be able to win it. I feel like I’m the best bull rider in the country right now so, I’m looking forward."

Congratulations to Wyatt Gleeson on two wins in two days, and to Grady Smeltzer for his amazing weekend as well.

Enjoy these highlight clips from the weekend, and thank you to Grady Smeltzer, Wyatt Gleeson, Suzy Patterson, and Ashton Laughlin who shared their videos with us.

Best of luck to all the BRC Bull Riders...see you on the road!

Visit Bull Riders Canada website for full Event Results and current National Standings.