Bradi Whiteside had been leading the Maple Leaf Circuit for quite some time until Nanton, Alberta’s Lakota Bird swept into the top position.
Now, as of August 8, after placing at two rodeos in the Maple Leaf Circuit, Whiteside finds herself back in her No.1 spot with $8,906 in season earnings.
“I had no idea,” Whiteside, 22, said. “I guess I’ve been lucky enough to win at the circuit rodeos, chipping away here and there. I really don’t look at the standings just for the fact that I’m not going to be able to change it even if I were to. I’m just going to go out there and do the best I can do on the calf I draw, and it will play out the way it plays out.
Whiteside admitted that while her season hasn’t been without bumps in the road, but accepts the minor setbacks as part of rodeo and always looks forward to the next one.
“That’s what makes winning that much better,” Whiteside said.
Back to the Top
Whiteside recently laid down two 2.3-second runs that have shot her back to the No.1 spot in the Maple Leaf Circuit standings at Alberta’s Rockyford Rodeo and North Peace Stampede in Grimshaw.
Her 2.3-second run at Rockyford in late July put her second in the rodeo, adding $1,222 to her earnings.
“I knew I drew a little bit of a slower calf, so I wanted to see a little bit more on it,” said Whiteside, who trains client horses and starts colts for a living. “It all worked out for me.”
The following weekend—Aug 3–4—Whiteside had a one-swing 2.3-second run, this time to win the North Peace Stampede, worth $1,405.
“I drew a really slow one and I basically seen him all the way out,” Whiteside said. “Luckily, I somehow one-swung roped him. I didn’t really realize that I did because I think it happened so quickly. That was probably definitely lucky. It will probably never happen again.”
Bradi Whiteside’s Placings:
- North Peace Stampede, Grimshaw, Alberta: No. 1, 2.3-seconds, $1,405
- Rockyford Rodeo, Alberta: No. 2, 2.3-seconds, $1,222
- Benalto Stampede, Alberta: No. 7 (tie), 2.7-seconds, $310
- Daines Ranch Pro Rodeo, Innisfail, Alberta: No. 5 (tie), 2.1-seconds, $801
- Bonnyville Pro Rodeo, Alberta: No. 8, 3.0-seconds, $162
- Hand Hills Lake Stampede, Craigmyle, Alberta: No. 1, 2.2-seconds, $2,040
Thank you, “Teacher”
Whiteside’s breakaway roping success has a lot to do with her roping abilities, but she credits her boyfriend, Ben Bamford’s 16-year-old sorrel gelding, “Teacher” for her success. Teacher is a two-time Canadian Pro Rodeo Association Calf Roping Horse of the Year recipient and knows his way around the rodeo pen.
“I’m thankful that Ben lets me ride him,” Whiteside said. “I don’t really know what I would do without Teacher. He is the easiest horse I’ve ever roped off in my life. He scores like a rock, runs hard, stops hard. I don’t think I would probably ever be able to replace him.”
The two Whitesides share a rig, horsepower
The Whiteside sisters have built-in travel partners, which makes sharing horsepower simple, especially since both cowgirls are entered up in the breakaway roping and the barrel racing.
Whiteside graciously shares Teacher with her older sister, Kylie Whiteside (24).
“My sister and I both rope on him at basically all the rodeos,” Whiteside said. “She has a 5-year-old, but for the most part, we share. Honestly, it’s amazing. We split fuel costs and if I need a barrel horse to run, she lets me run hers.”
Though the traveling can be daunting and they might not always have success at every rodeo, the Whiteside girls find strength in each other to keep their spirits up while going down the rodeo road.
“I’m thankful for a great traveling partner, because if we’ve both had a bad day then the drive isn’t good, but if one or the other does good that usually helps cheer the other person up,” Whiteside said. “You’re happy for your sister to do good. You can’t be too down on yourself. It’s not your last [run].”
Whiteside is sitting No. 11 in the Maple Leaf Circuit barrel racing standings with $6,488 won.
Maple Leaf Finals or bust
Whiteside is aware of the opportunity that the Maple Leaf Circuit offers, since she qualified for the NFR Open in Colorado Springs, CO, in 2023. In 2024, she was invited to attend again as a roll-up, but passed since she hadn’t qualified in the barrel racing.
“I’ve been down to the NFR Open and that was one of the best rodeos I’ve been to,” Whiteside said. “I turned down the [2024] opportunity, which I kicked myself for because that same week I finished No. 2 at the Rocky Mountain Cup. But honestly, I’m a barrel racer at heart, so I figured if I can’t go down there and do both events, I’m not going to drive my butt off from Colorado Springs to get back for our Northern rodeos.”
Whiteside has big goals; qualify for both the Maple Leaf Circuit Finals and the Canadian Finals Rodeo in both the breakaway roping and barrel racing.
“Whatever happens is going to happen,” Whiteside said. “I’m going to do the best that I can to get there in both events. I’ve been to the Circuit Finals a few times now and it’s always a lot of fun to go to Regina (Saskatchewan). The Agribition puts on a great rodeo and there’s lots to do there. A ton of fans come and watch.”
2024 Pro Rodeo Maple Leaf Circuit Breakaway Roping Standings (As of Aug 8, 2024)
- Bradi Whiteside, Longview, Alberta, $8,906
- Lakota Bird, Nanton, Alberta, $6,273
- Darby Wilkinson, Arrowwood, Alberta, $4,702
- Shaya Biever, Claresholm, Alberta, $4,688
- Macy Auclair, Ponoka, Alberta, $4,350
- Jenna Dallyn, Nanton, Alberta, $3,952
- Jessie Armstrong, Big Valley, Alberta, $3,821
- Kendal Pierson, Wardlow, Alberta, $3,398
- Caitlyn Dahm, Destin, Florida, $3,243
- Quinn Leslie, High Nanton, Alberta, $2,717
At the time of this interview Whiteside finished roping in slack at the Field of Dreams Stampede in La Crete, Alberta, where she unofficially placed No. 6 with a 2.9-second run, worth $629, which counts for her Canadian Pro Rodeo Association standings and the SMS Equipment Pro Tour Standings.
In the CPRA standings, Whiteside is currently sitting No. 15 in the barrel racing with $13,871 and No. 8 in the breakaway roping with $10,421. In the SMS Equipment Pro Tour standings, she is sitting No. 19 in the barrel racing with 350 points and No. 24 in the breakaway roping with 315 points.
