This year, the cowboys had the big bull鈥檚 number.
Devil鈥檚 Advocate is an approximate 1,600-pound Brahma cross who likes to twist, turn, buck, kick and do everything bullishly possible to get the cowboy off its back in rodeo鈥檚 classic event, bull riding.
And six-year-old Devil鈥檚 Advocate 鈥� born and raised in the North Okanagan 鈥� has done it well.
At the 2022 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas, cowboys were 0-2 against the bull, meaning the riders did not make the mandatory eight-second horn. But at the 2023 NFR in Vegas Dec.7-16, riders went 2-2.
Jeff Askey, from Athens, Texas, rode Devils鈥� Advocate to an 85.5, good for second place in the go-round. Australian cowboy Ky Hamilton became a remarkable NFR story when he had the only qualified ride of Round 7, aboard Devil鈥檚 Advocate, scoring 88 from the judges to collect all the prize money 鈥� more than $99,000 U.S.
The day before, Hamilton had been taken to hospital for precaution after being thrown by a bull and was released the next morning, suffering only minor injuries. He then climbed aboard Devil鈥檚 Advocate, the 2022 Canadian Bucking Bull of the Year, that night.
Devil鈥檚 Advocate鈥檚 story begins on Westside Road in Vernon.
The bull was born to the Coyote Creek Rodeo Company, owned and operated by the Marchand family. Devil鈥檚 Advocate is a third-generation NFR bull, as explained by company spokesperson Chad Marchand.
鈥淲e purchased his grandpa from (Duane) Kesler Rodeo (in Alberta) way back when,鈥� said Marchand. 鈥淒evil Advocate鈥檚 father is out of that bull. He made the NFR, too. He was called White Devil.鈥�
The goal for Marchand and his family is to get bucking bulls ready for professional rodeo events.
鈥淭he last three-four years, we鈥檝e had a bull go every year (to the NFR),鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we鈥檙e always shooting for. Try to raise the best bulls we can. This bull (Devil鈥檚) has done lots already. Whatever he does from here is a bonus.鈥�
Devil鈥檚 Advocate was sold by Coyote Creek to Kesler Rodeo, who the Marchands have been dealing with for almost a quarter-century, and the bull turned professional at age four.
Since then, he has been Professional Bull Riders Canada Finals鈥� Bull of the Event. He鈥檚 won the Canadian Bucking Bull title, been to the Canadian Finals Rodeo, and has twice made the NFR. Cowboys have won go-rounds aboard Devil鈥檚 Advocate at both the CFR and NFR.
Devil鈥檚 Advocate has been ridden just five times as a pro, including twice in the past week at the NFR. Those will be Devil鈥檚 Advocate鈥檚 only two rides of the 2023 finals.
鈥淗e鈥檚 going to get a bit of a break now,鈥� said Marchand.
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