Airdrie’s Kyler Hooper has been riding steers since he was 10-years-old after growing up looking at pictures of his grandfather riding broncs and bulls.
“My grandfather is a pro rodeo judge and I have been interested in it pretty much my whole life,” said Hooper, 14. “When I was six years old I found out about the steer riding (event) and I wanted to get into it.”
Hooper’s grandfather, Lester Gurnett, rode broncs and bulls during his younger days, and now finds himself travelling with the CPRA, judging rodeos all over the province.
“When I first started he gave me a lot of tips and pointers, but now its just little things that I can be doing to make it look better,” Hooper said.
This year’s edition of the Calgary Stampede is Hooper’s third time riding at the big show. In his first appearance in 2009, he got slung out front of his steer and had his back stepped on.
In 2010, Hooper was jerked off the front of his steer very hard, making his Stampede visits painful to say the least.
Injuries are a part of most sports, but even more-so in rodeo where thousand pound animals can maim, something Hooper has come to terms with.
“The worst thing I did was broke both my arms,” said Hooper. “I was in a practice pen a few years ago and I just got off and landed wrong.”
Over his four years of riding steers, Hooper says he has learned the mental game of rodeo, especially at the Calgary Stampede where even the steer riding stock have a history.
“A lot of the cows here have a track record, and what they have done can get in your head,” Hooper said.
In this year’s edition of the Calgary Stampede, Hooper experience helped him to a 73 point ride on July 12, the only junior steer rider to make a qualified ride, sending him to finals on July 15, seeded second overall.
Unfortunately the steers won on July 15, bucking off the entire field of junior steer riders, relegating Hooper to a second place finish overall.
“It’s really exciting, every time I have rode here I have gotten better,” said Hooper. “This is the first year I have made the finals.”
Despite coming up short during finals, Hooper’s 2011 rodeo campaign has been bright, with an overall win at the Wildwood Bronc Busting rodeo in Wildwood, Alberta, and placing in 10 rodeos this summer, including the big show in Calgary.
Hooper will be continuing his schooling when he enters the arena of high school in Airdrie, attending George McDougall High School in the fall, but hopes to continue his rodeo career for years into the future.
“I have been to every corner of Alberta this year so far,” said Hooper. “I like seeing all the country, you get to see so many different people and make some friends.”
