We Called It. 2018 IS Scott Guenthner's Year
We Called It. 2018 IS Scott Guenthner's Year
When Scott Guenthner took home the title at the Ponoka Stampede in July, we started asking ourselves: could this be his year? We're not asking anymore.
When Scott Guenthner took home the title at the Ponoka Stampede all the way back in July, we started asking ourselves if this could be his year?
We're not asking anymore.
Guenthner was impressive all year long on both sides of the border and when the curtain came to a close on the regular season, it was no surprise he was No.1 in Canada and the No. 3 man in the world. What was equally impressive though, was his ability to handle the pressures at the 2018 Canadian Finals Rodeo.
You see, Guenthner admittedly tends to have trouble in the early rounds of the event he's now qualified for five times. That was looking like the case this year as well, until this round four run:
From there, the Guenthner we knew was back. The 3.7-second run won round four, then he followed up with two 3.6 second runs to split second in rounds five and six - securing his first Canadian steer wrestling title in a tight race with Stephen Culling.
"It was a tough week, at the start I definitely was down in the dumps and wanted to go home," admitted Guenthner. "Then to come back and finish it up was bitter-sweet. Now I get to be a Canadian champion."
That ability to come back from some tough performances may say more about Guenthner's mental game than any "smooth sailing" CFR ever could. We're sure Guenthner would have loved to win every round but, in a sport where you tend to lose more than you win, we think his ability to shake off the bad days and still come out with a win makes him a force to be reckoned with.
A force we'll see under the bright lights of Las Vegas very soon.
"I'm coming in in a good spot this year, so I think I have a good shot at being the world champion but I'm going to have to bear down, it's the top 15 guys in the world," said Guenthner.
We've said it before and he didn't let us down, so we'll say it again.
There comes a time in some lucky competitors careers where nothing seems to be able to stand in the way of collecting a paycheck. Guenthner seems to be on a roll that can’t be stopped by tough draws, the tough early rounds at CFR, and all of the variables that inevitably pop up throughout a steer wrestling run.
With that in mind, could this be the year he wins the world title too?