BARRHEAD-A pair of County of Barrhead brothers, who also happen to be cousins, will be competing with and against each other at the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) next week in Red Deer.
The CFR is the national championship of the professional rodeo circuit in Canada. It is also the final event of the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA). It takes place Nov. 3- 7.
To qualify for the CFR, competitors must be in the top 12 money earners for the season.
The Branden’s and the Schmidts competed in about 25 Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA), down from more than 40 in a pre-COVID year.
Grady and Quentin Branden as well as Kagen and Tate Schmidt, all qualified in the team roping. Quentin also qualified in the steer wrestling event.
The Barrhead Leader reached Grady, Kagen and Schmidt after a training session at the Schmidt roping arena, while Quentin called later from Innisfail, where he is based.
Both the Schmidts and the Brandens have a long family history in rodeo and roping. Grady is the header of the duo, Quentin the healer.
Grady, 27, said both their parents and grandparents on both sides of the family are involved in rodeoing and specifically, team roping.
"I started roping when I was three," he said.
Quentin, 24, agreed, saying he really can't remember a time when he did not rope.
"It is part of growing up on a ranch in the western lifestyle. We’ve always been on horses, working the cows. Our parents and grandparents also rodeo, so it was natural that we got involved in it too," he said.
All the cousins roped throughout high school, competing on the provincial high school circuit while at the same time participating in amateur events.
Quentin also competed on the college and university rodeo circuit, while attending a school in New Mexico on a rodeo scholarship.
Kagen who will be 23 when the CFR begins, recalled winning the provincial Junior High School Team Roping Championship with his cousin Taylor in Grade 6.
The Brandens
Grady started to compete on the professional rodeo circuit in 2012. And while he and Quentin roped together on the ranch or while training, for the most part, when competing they roped with other partners.
"In 2008, as kids, we teamed up and were horrendous," he said.
In 2017, they decided to give it another go, and while they had moderate success, the brothers both agreed, to go their separate ways again, competing with different partners.
However, at the start of this year, Quentin found himself without a partner, so he called Grady and asked if he would like to team up once again.
"It turns out the break was good for us," he said, pointing to the team's success.
Another factor in their success this season is Grady's horse Junior who was named Best Heading Horse of 2021. The award is voted on by fellow CPRA competitors.
"We got Junior as a five-year-old and my wife, Katelyn and I finished (training) him. He is a very special animal," he said.
As previously mentioned, Quentin will also be competing at the CFR in the steer wrestling event.
"It is called 'Big Man' event because you got to get off your horse at a high rate of speed and throw it down on the ground," he said.
He added steer wrestling is something that all Brandens and Schmidts have to try, almost as a right of passage.
"I guess I'm attracted to the adrenaline rush of it," he said.
The Schmidts
Kagen and Tate are the youngest of the four cousins at 23 and 20, respectively. They are also the grandchildren of Leonard Schmidt, the patriarch of a talented family of ropers and a mentor to multiple generations involved in the sport. He also is the founder of the Schmidt arena. He passed away in 2019.
The Schmidt brothers, like the Brandens, while growing up roping together, they haven't done so competitively for several years. They are also both in their rookie season on the CPRA circuit.
“We are rookies qualifying for the CFR in our first year roping together, so it's pretty cool,” Tate said.
Kagen said they will likely all go to Red Deer together, something they have done for all but two events this year.
"It is lucky we all get along so well. It has been a lot of fun being able to hang out with each other. And the topping on the cake is how well all of us have done.," he said.
Tate added that he is sure that his grandfather watching over all of them,
"Before he only had a chance to watch us at the (Schmidt) arena, now he gets to be with us at all our rodeos."
The pair also wanted to thank their family, friends and people in the community for all their support.
