Shaya Biever is the 2023 Canadian Finals Rodeo Breakaway Champion and overall Canadian Champion following a consistent three rounds of competition in Red Deer, Alberta, Nov. 1-5, and a total of $32,444 won throughout the year.

For Biever, who competed as a WPRA Resistol Rookie in the United States for much of the year, being able to win the title in Red Deer—less than 3 hours from her hometown of Claresholm, Alberta—is a fairytale ending to her year.

“You can’t write it any better than this,” Biever, 23, said.

Canadian Finals Rodeo breakaway play-by-play

Stopping the clock in 2.5, 2.3 and 2.8 seconds, respectively, Biever topped competitors including No. 1 WPRA breakaway roper Shelby Boisjoli. Biever earned a total of $6,333 in round money and $7,599 for her aggregate championship.

“This year I adopted the mentality—see your start and rope your calf,” Biever explained. “Do your job and let everything else lay where it may.”

It was a short start inside the Westerner Park arena, meaning Biever and gelding “Bullet” had to be ready to roll when the chute opened.

“Bullet does well everywhere, and he runs so hard,” Biever said. “He’s good in a small building because if you miss the line a little, he still covers a lot of ground, stays consistent and is never short.”

Biever described her first run as “late off the barrier,” but when her calf stepped right, it became an easy shot.  

“My second calf was really great,” Biever said. “I drilled the barrier, and my shot was right out in front of me. It felt really smooth and was my favorite run of the CFR. In the final round when I was leading the average, I didn’t try to change anything. I just wanted to do my job and rope my calf as fast as I could. I had to take an extra swing, but it all worked out.”

Biever credited her success to the momentum and confidence she built throughout the year rodeoing both in Canada and the United States, saying that this time at the CFR was much less nerve wracking than when she qualified in 2022.

Biever’s Resistol Rookie of the Year race concluded with her sitting No. 2 among her peers with $30,700 in earnings. She was No. 38 overall in ProRodeo breakaway standings.

“I want to tell people that it all works out the way that it should, eventually,” Biever said. “Keep working hard, keep your goals in mind and be consistent. Be dedicated and know it’s all going to work out the way it should. Don’t let the highs get too high and the lows get too low.”

Biever plans to compete in winter rodeos down South and shape her 2024 plans around ProRodeo.

Canadian Finals Rodeo Breakaway Results

Editors note: breakaway ropers only competed in Rounds 4, 5 and 6 at the 2023 CFR.