Calgary Herald from Calgary, Alberta, Canada • 10

SPORTS D4 CALGARY HERALD Saturday, November 6, 1996 RODEO FIGURE SKATING Barrel racers still glow from financial benefit Robinson in medal shootout today 1 j. 7' vote of cowboys in July and won their support. Getting equal money took a little morelegwork. The first step came last year at the Canadian finals in Edmonton, when barrel racers were given an equal shot at the same prize money as other rodeo competitors. Until then, they were eligible for only about half as much money as the men.

The final coup came last summer at the Calgary Stampede, which offered the single biggest prize in rodeo a $50,000 bonus round for each of the major rodeo events, except barrel racing. Stampede officials told Wilson if she wanted the same money for barrel racers, she'd have to raise it herself. So she did. Though she'd taken on the director's job on the condition she'd never have to ask for money, she went out and found $100,000 in corporate sponsorships. For her efforts on behalf of women in rodeo, Wilson this year became the first woman to win the Guy Weadick Award, named for the Stampede's founder.

John Higgins, former general manager of the CPRA, acknowledges the changes were overdue. "It's probably a move that we should have made years ago, to include them as equals," Higgins said. "I think people get stuck on what they feel is tradition, and think if you try to change part of it, you're losing a grip on that tradition." Rayel Robinson of Sundre, a top barrel racer whose husband Bruce is a top calf roper, credits Wilson and new, forward-thinking CPRA board members for the gains. The Canadian Press EDMONTON Monica Wilson and her barrel-racing colleagues work in a world where bucking change is as much a tradition as bucking broncs. While they impress audiences with their horsemanship, speed and daring, their efforts to gain equality in professional rodeo have long failed to impress Canadian officials.

But all of that changed in the last year as barrel racers, led by Wilson, won: the right to vote as members of the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association. formal recognition as a major rodeo event. equal prize money in the biggest bonus round on the Canadian pro circuit. "It's been a long road," says the soft-spoken barrel racing director, who lobbied CPRA colleagues and rodeo officials until they relented on both the voting and prize money issues earlier this year. "It seems like we've been in the Dark Ages I called it the 1950s." Wilson, a 44-year-old rider from the southern Alberta town of Cardston, is competing this week in her fifth Canadian Finals Rodeo.

Barrel racing the only women's event in rodeo is a timed ride around a number of strategically placed barrels. "I think the thing that bothered me most was not being able to vote," Wilson said. "I had to get a full member (a man) to make the motion that barrel racers be allowed to vote. I couldn't even do it myself." The question was put to a general notary 1J ri.u GRACE UNDER PRESSURE: Kris Wirtz and Kristy Sargeant perform a lift in the pairs free skate on their way to placing fourth in the pairs competition at Skate Canada in Kitchener, on Friday night. Frank Gunn, Canadian Press since I can remember." Former Canadian champion Josee Chouinard, at this meet as a spectator, tried to cheer up Humphreys.

"Josee said, 'You look like you think it's the biggest competition of the But, you know, everything to me is big and it's just frustrating when you don't do what you can do things that should be fairly simple for you." irtljfE My a7 a I I Skate Canada on TV 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on CTV, Ch. 3 "The door was wide open and I just shut it." On the Axel, "I just blanked, or something. There obviously was one second of self-doubt.

I haven't missed that Great lest of all p)i i leases including freight and taxes', there's absolutely nothing more to pay. The Canadian Press KITCHENER Jennifer Robinson will shoot for a medal in the women's free-skating final this afternoon, while Susan Humphreys attempts to rescue some semblance of satisfaction from her Skate Canada International experience. Robinson, the Canadian champion from Windsor, was fifth and Edmonton's Humphreys was ninth and last after the women's short program Friday night. Irina Slutskaya of Russia got top marks despite a fall, Yulia Voro-bieva of Azerbaijan was second and Tara Lipinski of the U.S. was third.

Robinson two-footed a triple Lutz landing and put a hand to the ice to steady herself on another jump, but with most skaters erring in one way or another, she still had a podium place within her grasp. "I was pretty impressed with the way I skated," said Robinson. "I rocked." Robinson was 21st at the 1996 worlds so was encouraged she was a position ahead of Ukrainian Elena Liashenko, who was 12th at the '96 worlds. Humphreys botched a triple Lutz and crashed on her double Axel, a jump she usually aces. "It's pretty hard to be the worst of the worst," she said.

"I was nine out of nine and nobody skated really well. IN BRIEF MONTREAL Ex-champ found dead Former Canadian boxing champion Mario Cusson was found dead at his home in Montreal's east end on Thursday, the Journal de Montreal reported. He was 35. A police spokesman said the case was considered a suicide and released no details. The Canadian junior lightweight champion from 1982 to 1985 was separated from his wife for the last two years and had recently lost a job.

Cusson had two memorable bouts with Dave Hilton Jr. before crowds of more than 18,000 at the Montreal Forum in December, 1984 and March, 1985. He had two children. CINCINNATI: Bengal vows to play again The collision with a teammate that knocked out Scott Brumfield and left him temporarily unable to move won't keep him from returning to pro football, he says. "I'm living a dream right now playing in the NFL," the Cincinnati Bengals' lineman said Friday.

"It'll take more than that to turn me away. It's something that was a freak accident, a one-in-a-million thing." Brumfield, at six-foot-eight, 320 pounds, the biggest Bengals player, was motionless on the ground for 20 minutes after the collision with tight end Troy Sadowski in Sunday's game at Baltimore. MONTREAL" Chapdelaine is new coach Former CFL receiver Jacques Chapdelaine has been named head coach of Laval University's football team, replacing Mike Labadie, who resigned last week. Chapdelaine, 35, who played seven CFL seasons with four teams, was hired away from Bishop's University, where he had been offensive co-ordinator for the last five years. Laval (1-7) recently completed its first season of varsity football at its campus in Ste-Foy, near Quebec City DENVER: way may not play John Elway may be on the sidelines Sunday when the Denver Broncos play the Chicago Bears if there is any doubt about his injured hamstring, coach Mike Shanahan said.

Shanahan said he had doubts about the quarterback after practice. "He's got to be able to feel he can play without reinjuring his hamstring," the coach said. "Until we get closer to game time, I don't think we'll know for sure. If I've got doubts, then he won't play" If Elway doesn't play, he'll be replaced by Bill Musgrave, who would be making his first start in his six-year career. NEW YORK: Bochy top NL manager Bruce Bochy, who guided the San Diego Padres to their first postseason appearance since 1984, was voted National League manager of the year on Friday with a narrow victory over Montreal's Felipe Alou.

"It's a big moment for me and I'm proud to accept it," Bochy said. Bochy, at 41 the youngest active manager in the major leagues, finished with 76 points, two more than Alou and seven more than Tony La Russa of the St. Louis Cardinals. La Russa was listed on 25 ballots, Alou 24 and Bochy 22, but the San Diego manager had 10 first-place votes' to eight for Alou and seven for La Russa. Bochy became the first San Diego manager to win the award.

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