Kolton Schmidt is a Barrhead hometown rodeo celebrity after having competed in the 2024 Calgary Stampede Rodeo.
This is the first year team roping is included in the rodeo line-up of events.
Schmidt is a world class competitor who is having a really good year in team roping.
“Thanks for all the support and hopefully we keep doing good,” commented Schmidt.
The Team Roping event at the Stampede was held on July 10.
Schmidt and his partner, Logan Spady of Alliance, were ninth on the roster to compete.
Schmidt rode his famous new bay mare, Rihanna, registered as Carters Won Time Out.
He has been riding Rihanna in his competitions, who has contributed to his successes in 2024.
“We are excited about her,” commented Schmidt.
In the 2024 rodeo season Schmidt has won at three rodeos already, Hand Hills Lake Stampede, Guy Weadick Days in High River, and the Stavely Pro Rodeo.
He has also won co-champion recognition at the Grand Prairie Stompede and the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo in Utah.
Schmidt has won two Wrangler National Finals Rodeo championships in 2020 and 2016.
In 2023 Schmidt placed 42nd in the world standings.
He earned $44,704 in 2023 and has a career total earnings of $570,472.
Although Schmidt lives in Oklahoma now, he competes as a Barrhead competitor.
Team roping is when two cowboys work together as a team to rope a steer by it’s head and its legs.
Each rider has a role within the team to get the steer roped as quickly as possible.
The header rider focuses on roping the steer’s head and then turns the steer away from the heeler.
The heeler rider’s job is to rope both of the steer’s legs in a tiny window of time.
It is a timed event that requires the steer to be roped and brought to a stop before the clock stops, all within seconds.
Both the riders and horses have to be agile, intelligent and in sync to have a success run.
