Zeke Thurston (born July 15, 1994) is a Canadian professional

rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...

cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaquer ...

who specializes in

saddle bronc riding Bronc riding, either bareback bronc or saddle bronc competition, is a rodeo event that involves a rodeo participant riding a bucking horse (sometimes called a ''bronc'' or ''bronco'') that attempts to throw or buck off the rider. Originally ba ...

. He is a three-time (2016, 2019, and 2022)

Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is the largest rodeo organization in the world. It sanctions events in the United States and Canada, with members from said countries, as well as others. Its championship event is the National F ...

(PRCA) World Champion saddle bronc rider.

Early life

Thurston was born on July 15, 1994, in

Big Valley, Alberta Big Valley is a village in central Alberta, Canada that is southeast of Red Deer. It is located south of Stettler and north of Drumheller on Highway 56 in the County of Stettler No. 6. History Ranching era Big Valley Alberta began to be ...

, Canada. Thurston attended

Sheridan College Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning (formerly Sheridan College of Applied Arts and Technology) is a public polytechnic institute of technology located in the west-Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada. Founded in ...

. His father,

Skeeter Thurston Skeeter Thurston is an American-Canadian former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in saddle bronc riding. Rodeo career He was a six-time qualifier for the National Finals Rodeo. He was also a five-time qualifier for the Canadian Finals Rod ...

, was a six-time

National Finals Rodeo The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) is the premier rodeo event by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). The NFR showcases the talents of the PRCA's top 15 money-winners in the season for each event. The NFR is held each year in the fi ...

(NFR) qualifier. Thurston graduated from Sheridan College.

Professional career

Thurston competes in the PRCA circuit. In 2016, he won the Saddle Bronc Riding World Championship at the National Finals Rodeo. He beat Jacobs Crawley by less than $3,000. He solidified his crown by winning the Average at the 2016 NFR as well as his first NFR go around. In 2019, Thurston won the Saddle Bronc Riding World Championship for a second time. On his way there, he broke the yearly earnings record for the event. Thurston also earned $347,056 which was more than Ryder Wright's earnings of $284,938 in 2017. Thurston said he wanted this second championship even more than the first one. Thurston also became the first competitor since 2011 to win both a PRCA world championship and a

Canadian Professional Rodeo Association The Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) is the governing body of professional rodeo in Canada. Its championship event is the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) held every November. History The Canadian Professional Rodeo Organization was f ...

national championship the same year. Thurston got his first NFR round win, in round 6, of the 2016 NFR by making an 88.5 point ride on the bucking horse Black Hills from C5 Rodeo. He also won rounds 6 and 9 of the 2018 NFR. He also won rounds 1,7 and 9 of the 2019 NFR to capture his second world championship. His round 7 victory fell just half a point shy of the 93 point arena record set by

Billy Etbauer Billy Etbauer (born January 15, 1963) is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in saddle bronc riding. He competed on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) circuit along with his two brothers, Robert and Dan. H ...

. Thurston was riding Northcott Macza's "Get Smart" when he made his 92.5 point ride. Thurston came just one point shy of the all time world record saddle bronc ride with an 94 point ride. He rode aboard one of the Calgary Stampede's broncs, Special Delivery, at the 2019 Hardgrass Bronc Match in

Pollockville, Alberta Pollockville is an unincorporated community in southern Alberta in Special Area No. 2, located east of Highway 36, northeast of Brooks Brooks may refer to: Places ;Antarctica *Cape Brooks ;Canada *Brooks, Alberta ;United States * Brooks, ...

. He is also a three-time winner of the $100,000 prize at the

Calgary Stampede The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition, and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year and featu ...

. At the 2022 NFR, Thurston won the saddle bronc riding average for the second time in his career, which included winning Round 4. He would also win the Top Gun Award for the first time in his career by winning the most money in one event by any NFR contestant. He also won his third PRCA saddle bronc riding world championship.

Personal life

Thurston resides in Big Valley, Alberta, with his wife Jayne and their 2 children. His interests include ranching, roping, deer hunting, and fishing. He continues to play amateur hockey since childhood.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thurston, Zeke 1994 births Living people Saddle bronc riders