Dustin Flundra - Calgary Stampede winner, rancher, and family man

Dustin Flundra, Twin Butte's 100 Grand Man
T. Lucas photos

Toni Lucas

On Sunday, July 13 at the Calgary Stampede Dustin Flundra from Twin Butte and Wade Sundell of Boxholm, Iowa matched each other with 89.0 points in the saddle bronc competition. In a showdown ride-off Flundra had the better ride, and walked away with the $100,000 prize. Flundra was competing in the "Wild Card" slot.

"It's a great day for the spectators that are watching the Stampede that day, but it's a little more nerve wracking for the cowboys that are in it," Flundra said. "With only taking two guys back out of 12 of us, any single one of us could be the winner, and essentially, it's the top 20 guys in North America. The horses and the bulls they put in there for us are not the ones that you want to get on all the time. They are harder, and they have tricks. If at all possible, you want to make it through into Sunday through your pool, but the nice thing that makes the Stampede what it is, is that Wild Card format that they have on the Saturday that gives you one more chance to get in there, and for me it worked out this time."

The tie between Flundra and Wade Sundell came down to a ride-off. "It was definitely exciting. You like to win it outright if you can. To get on two (saddle broncs) that quick is not easy. It's not easy any day, and that short a turn-around is tough on you physically, and mentally. You just got off, and you got to turn around and do it again, and you know it's for $100,000 and you got to start all over again. And do it all in five minutes."

For his winning ride Flundra pulled the horse Holly Blues. "Ultimately we are competing against each other, but more specifically we are competing against the horse that we have drawn."

Flundra talked about an event he was in in 2009, where he ended up second by half a point. "The whole thing running through my mind was just don't let me lose by half a point. I'd rather lose by a whole bunch than a tiny bit." This time roles were reversed. Flundra came out of the ride with 87.5 points while Sundell scored 86.0. "It was nice that it went the other way for myself, and I was on the receiving end, this time."

"This was my 14th year in the Open, and if we count novice, I guess I have been there the last 16 years," he said about being in the Stampede. "This is the first time I won the Stampede in the Open, I guess. I won it back in 1999 in the Novice." Flundra believes he won about $3,000 for that effort.

"Rodeo has been very good to me. I've had a lot of success, but I have never been sitting in July and have had a $100,000 in my bank account before," said Flundra. He said that the rodeo circuit is a tight knit group of people.  "We all know each other quite well, everybody that's there. We are all friends, that's one thing I would say is unique about rodeo from other sports is that we really and truly are friends. We've known everybody a very long time, and everybody is your friend. You would like yourself to win, but you are rooting for your friends at the same time, and wish them all the best, and hope they do good every time."

"Home is Twin Butte. Without a doubt that's home to me. That's were your friends are, and your family's at." Flundra is looking forward to August, when he will compete in the Pincher Creek Rodeo. "I get so much support. I wouldn't be the rodeo cowboy I am now without the support of family, friends and neighbours I have had that have helped me get there.  They have helped me get to where I am and achieve most of my goals. It's nice to come home and know that you always have that."

It will take a while for Flundra to make his way home. In the last few weeks he's been working the rodeo circuit, including Calgary Stampede, Maple Creek Saskatchewan, Morris Manitoba, Salinas California, Cheyenne Wyoming, and he was in Salt Lake City Utah on Wednesday, July 23, when this interview with him was conducted.

"As of right now, I am making the short round, but we will see what happens, there is a couple more sets of guys to go, yet. I won some money in Morris last week, and placed again in Salinas too." He admits that it is a hard schedule. "It's hectic, my schedule would drive most normal people crazy, I think. It's very, very busy. I go home, and it may be for two days, it may be for a week, an I am trying to get as much stuff caught up and done as I can." Around the rodeo schedule the Flundras operate a working ranch. "There's never any wasted time. I'm young, and I'm busy and I know that this is what I want to do. The way it is I have picked my lifestyle. I have made my bed, and I like to to sleep in it, and am not afraid to work at it."

 

Niki and Dustin Flundra on their way to Maple Creek

"I have been on the road, the life of a rodeo cowboy," said Dustin Flundra. His wife Niki Flundra (née Cammaert)  understands.  She is an internationally known liberty and trick rider that performs, and teaches. Dustin also teaches and holds one bronc riding clinic a year in Millarville during the May long weekend. "Not much moss grows under her feet," he said about his wife's busy schedule. "She's going to take a little while off, but she is already booked for a rodeo in Houston Texas for 12, 13 years. she is going to be back in Houston for March."

Together the couple have a three year old son named Ridge who is expecting a new sibling in December. "That's our Christmas present coming. It already was an exciting year, prior to Calgary, and now it's that much more."