The sky’s the limit for Keenan Reinhardt, if there is a limit.
The stratospheric Cochrane cowboy has bucked his way into the 41st annual Canadian Finals Rodeo this week (Nov. 5-9) at Edmonton’s Northlands Coliseum.
He enters the big show as 2014 season leader in Canadian Pro Rodeo Association novice saddle bronc standings. He also topped the all-around and saddle bronc categories in Foothills Cowboys Association 2014 final standings to go with the coveted Calgary Stampede bronze for winning the novice saddle bronc title there this summer.
The kid is on fire. And he’s riding that flame right into the heat and light of the national pro rodeo championships. You’d think that’s an awful lot of pressure for a 20-year-old cowboy in his second season as an elite novice pro.
“It hasn’t really set in yet,” Reinhardt admits. “The advice I got is you hope the pressure doesn’t hit you until afterwards and the nerves don’t get to you.
“At the end of the day I know if I do my best and the horse does his best, that’s all I can do. So I’m not feeling too much pressure.”
With nerves of steel, he’ll be challenging the best bucking stock CFR contractors like Outlaw Buckers, Big Stone Rodeo, Vold and Kesler can coax into a chute. He has a fairly deep book on the buckers he’ll be climbing on.
“The horses I’ve seen. They’re all good horses,” Reinhardt relays. “There are a couple of horses that have been to the CFR numerous times before and one or two have maybe gone to the NFR (National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas). The competition has been pretty strong this year.”
He’s been preparing for the CFR since his last event, the FCA Cowboy Classic Finals Rodeo in Red Deer on Thanksgiving weekend.
“Feeling healthy. Been working out the past few weeks to stay in shape and prepare,” he says. “Just been healing up and getting ready.”
He joins Cochranites Tanner Milan (steer wrestling) and Beau Brooks (bull riding) at the CFR.
