To anyone else, it would have been a hindrance. Zeke Thurston opted to see the moment as an opportunity.
After qualifying for the short round at the Hardgrass Bronc Match in Pollockville, Alberta, Canada, July 27, riders were given the choice of picking which horse they would match up with for the finals based on their finish in the opening round.
Because the Big Valley, Alberta, native tied with three other competitors for fifth in the first go, Thurston got a late pick, leaving him with some of the less desirable horses in the championship pen.
“I just decided I needed something that was going to have a little wow factor to it,” Thurston said. “There were three or four bareback horses that were in there and we haven’t really seen them in the bronc riding much, but they’re outstanding barebacks, so I picked one of them.”
His choice – Calgary Stampede’s Blasting Sand, a horse that hadn’t competed in saddle bronc riding since 2022.
It turned out to be a pretty smart pick.
The matchup resulted in Thurston registering a 91-point ride, lifting him to an aggregate total of 178 on two head. That number edged out Ben Andersen and Dawson Hay who each tied for second at 177.5 points. The win is Thurston’s third victory at the annual event, his first since 2021.
“It’s no secret Calgary Stampede brings some of the best bucking horses and they’re deeper than anybody else. It’s just a tight little pen, there’s a big crowd and just so much energy,” Thurston said. “The horses perform outstanding, and the bronc riders ride well all the time there. It’s just a really fun, exciting event and it’s one you can’t wait to get to and you’re always excited to go to. I’ve just been lucky to draw good horses at it and put together some good rides.”
The outcome continues a run of high-quality riding for Thurston in the last week and a half.
Along with the victory at Hardgrass, which netted him $11,523, he also captured the win at the Fiesta Days Rodeo in Spanish Fork, Utah, and picked up checks at Ogden (Utah) Pioneer Days and Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days. Combined, those four rodeos paid out more than $31,000.
It’s a huge boost for the nine-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier and two-time defending PRCA World Champion, who came into the weekend sitting sixth in the PRCA | RAM World Standings.
“Every bit helps. A hit like that’s pretty good,” Thurston said. “Before I went up there to Pollockville, I think I’d won $16,000 for the week, so to suddenly have another $27,000 or $28,000, that’s not too bad.”
Courtesy of PRCA
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