By Jeff D'Andrea

Byrne receives his ‘biggest honour’ at Clunie-Cooper PBR’s

May 9, 2015 | 10:58 PM

Canadian bull rider Shay Marks from Sunnybrook, Alta., took the Clunie-Cooper Memorial day two championship with 163 points, but that didn’t damper the weekend for Prince Albert’s Tanner Byrne.

On Day One, Byrne finished the highest with 176 points including a 90-point ride on Rockaholic. That score turned out to be the best single-ride of the weekend.

But Byrne was more excited about the other award he was presented with, the Max Clunie Ring of Honour. Max passed away in a 2011 plane crash with fellow rodeo enthusiast Wade Cooper and others, who the event is named after. Byrne is the fourth recipient of the award after brother Jesse won it last year.

Both Byrne and Rusty Clunie, Max’s father, were emotional during the ceremony. 

“It’s the biggest honour that I’ve gotten in my life,” said Byrne. “That means the world to me. I don’t know if you’ve seen me when they gave it to me, I couldn’t hold my composure anymore,” said Byrne. “Max would be my brother-in-law now, we all went through everything together.

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“To have an award in his name itself, it’s huge.”

Byrne said heading into the event that he’d want nothing more than to win it in front of the hometown crowd, which backed him throughout the weekend.

“It was tons of fun, the hometown crowd was 100 per cent behind me,” said Byrne. “It’s cool to be able to come back to places like this at home and see my friends and everybody.”

On day two, Byrne finished with an 84.5 on bull Despicable Me in the long-go, before being bucked off in the short-go by Proline Power, falling just short of a weekend sweep.

Scott’s farewell

Prior to Day 2 of the Clunie-Cooper Memorial, the Byrne bullriding/bullfighting family were tributed. After bullrider Tanner Byrne was introduced, his bullfighting brothers Bo and Jesse quickly followed. His cousin Scott received a warm ovation after it was announced he would be retiring and this would be his last event at the Art Hauser Centre.

When Tanner was asked if Scott ever had to come in and save him after a wreck, Tanner buried his head in his hand.

“Many, many times,” he chuckled. “I usually get in a few wrecks like I just did a little while ago.

“Without those guys, there’s no way we could do what we do. It’s amazing.

“They’re all my family too, so that’s pretty cool.”

Their 95-year-old grandfather Marvin Byrne also received a great ovation after it was announced he served the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II.

Halfway through the event, Rusty Clunie was presented with a trophy for his part in the 10 PBR’s Prince Albert has hosted.

jdandrea@panow.com

On Twitter: @jeff_dandrea