Guenthner finishes sixth in PRCA world standings

Lakeland College alumnus Scott Guenthner finished sixth in the 2017 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) world standings after a strong showing at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

The steer wrestler from Provost, Alta., finished fifth in the aggregate standings at the national competition in Las Vegas, NV, in December 2017 and placed second in the 2017 Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) standings in steer wrestling.

“It was pretty good. It was a life-long goal to make it there. The atmosphere (in Las Vegas) was unbelievable and the support you get from your friends, family and sponsors - it's hard to explain,” says Guenthner about his first national competition experience.

Even though he was late to the game, Guenthner was born to be a steer wrestler. His dad, Ken, was a former Canadian champion steer wrestler, and under his example he fell for the sport. “It's a fun sport and I enjoy it the most. It requires less practice and I like the elements in it.”

The livestock production alumnus began his rodeo career at Lakeland. Prior to rodeo, he played hockey and volleyball in high school. He joined the college’s Rodeo Team in 2010 and made it to the Canadian National College Finals Rodeo each year in calf roping, team roping and steer wrestling. He won Cowboy of the Year in his first year.

“I was definitely new to the rodeo circuit when I went to college and that’s where they helped me learn and develop my skills, on top of multitasking school and other responsibilities. I developed the mindset to rodeo. Trying to ranch and rodeo – it taught me to focus on things and still succeed in life and achieve goals,” he says.

Guenthner quickly moved through the amateur ranks and joined the CPRA in 2012, and then the PRCA in 2013. He continued to win and improve and climbed the rankings. In four years he climbed from 97th (2013) to 31st (2016) in the world standings.

In 2017 alone, he went from 20th in the world standings to eighth just after the summer. In the CPRCA competition, Guenther won the Hanna Indoor Pro Rodeo, and Guy Weadick Days Rodeo in High River, and co-championed the Broncs and Honky Tonks Spring Rodeo in Medicine Hat and the Lea Park Rodeo in Marwayne. In international competition, he won the PRCA Rodeo in Montana, Yellowstone River Round-Up in Montana, Eastern Montana Fair Rodeo, Gem State Stampede in Idaho and Spokane Interstate Rodeo in Washington.

When he isn’t on the circuit, which takes up nine months out of the year, Guenthner is working on his family’s ranch – a cow/calf and feedlot operation – with his father and two sisters and their husbands. His wife Becky is a laboratory x-ray technician.

With the support from his family, Guenthner added he plans on making it to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in 2018 to bring home a buckle.