ECA Review 2020-01-02

ECA REVIEW HANNA/CORONATION/STETTLER, AB January 2'20 5
FEATURE
Jace Thorsteinson
smiles for the camera
outside at the Stettler
Agricultural Society
Grounds on Sat. Nov.
23 during a team
roping jackpot.
ECA Review/T.Huxley
Save the Date
2020 Hanna
Farmers Bonspiel
Gadsby youth makes
impact on rodeo scene
despite brain injury
Terri Huxley
ECA Review
Most have heard the phrase
“Fall down seven, get up eight”.
Well for Gadsby cowboy Jace
Thorsteinson he has done
exactly that - and then some.
Although most days are spent
in the classroom while he
attends Lakeland College, the
18-year-old’s weekends are typically
spent in the arena
announcing.
In October, he was named
Youth Citizen of the Year at the
Stettler Awards Banquet for his
determination and enthusiastic
character that was proven to
have the crowd laughing within
minutes of his speech.
Thorsteinson began roping
and joining rodeos at the age of
nine through 4-H in the Halkirk
club.
From there he went after
more competitive jackpots as
the years progressed and his
skills developed.
He was getting prepared for
his first high school rodeo four
years ago when he had a headhorse
fall down on
Thorsteinson.
After being sent to the hospital,
it was determined he had
severe brain damage called a
shearing.
This happens when the
person hits their head
extremely hard followed by an
immediate stop which the brain
is still moving inside the skull.
“It bounced off all the sides
and in the CAT scan, little white
dots mean that area is dead and
my whole brain was pretty
much white,” he said.
Thorsteinson was out for five
months in recovery time and
found the strength to continue
as he set a goal of being able to
ride again.
“My injury happened on
August 26 and the first time I
rode was December 26 in the
Stettler arena. It’s a pretty cool
place.
“It all snowballed from there.
I had been doing good to get up
to the point of me riding but
then as soon as I did ride it just
took off.”
Soon after he was back on his
feet, he attempted to rope again,
only to find “it just wasn’t the
same”.
“I loved who I was hanging
out with before so I wanted to
figure out a way how to stay
with those kinds of people,” said
Thorsteinson.
Stettler was hosting a junior
rodeo at the time so
Thorsteinson was initially
going to judge the event but
instead was given the mic as he
had hurt his knee.
He asked the producer of the
rodeo if he could announce and
they were on-board with the
idea.
“It all just took off from
there,” said Thorsteinson. “So
I’ve been announcing for about
2 1/2 years as of now and yeah, I
love every day of it. It’s so fun -
like getting paid to talk, yes
please!”
Since he started he has
seen some of the largest
rodeo arenas in Canada,
including the coveted
Canadian Finals Rodeo
(CFR) in November as an
announcer for the Rising
Stars afternoon.
“CFR was amazing, it
was my second year
doing it and it was a
great honour the first
time and it was even
more of an honour to do
it again this year to get
the call back to go.
“It kind of reinsured to
me that well ‘you’re obviously
doing something
right’ if the CFR calls
you back again so that
was a pretty good
feeling.”
He worked alongside
some of the best people
in the business like Brett
Gardner and Dave
Paulson, gaining valuable
insight when it
comes to large scale production
and speaking.
Before CFR,
Thorsteinson had
announced at any level
like junior high, high
school, and college
rodeos.
As a first-year student
at Lakeland College, he
has big dreams to establish his
own space in the Heart of
Alberta where he can conduct
announcing clinics and host
jackpots or even a full rodeo.
He is at school for
Agricultural Sciences with a
major in Equine.
In the meantime,
Thorsteinson is working
towards announcing his first
pro rodeo as his next step.
Rodeo is not a new thing to
the Thorsteinson family as both
of the young cowboy’s grandfathers
used to team rope.
His parents help with the
Stettler Ag Society often by
helping organize events.
“It’s awesome because no
matter what avenue you want to
get into with the sport of rodeo,
you can get into it here in
Stettler,” said Thorsteinson.
“Hire me!” he joked.
DRY
STREAK
Teen Night: Tues Feb 25 @ 6 pm $15
General Performance: Tues Mar 3 @ 7 pm $15
Dinner Theatre: Fri & Sat Feb 28 & 29 @ 6:30 pm $45
Fri & Sat Mar 6 & 7 @ 6:30 pm $45
Brunch: Sun Feb 23 @ 12:30 pm $45
Sun Mar 1 @ 12:30 pm $45
Tickets on sale Tues, Jan 14 @ 7 pm at Castor Community Hall
Contact Don Sisson for ticket sales 403-323-0359
2019 BABY REGISTER…
to be published in the January 16 issue. Send information along with baby’s photo.
Please write your baby’s name on the back of the photo if mailing or dropping off.
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Postal Code:
Baby’s Name:
Name
Name
Born:
??, 2019
Parents:
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Ph:
January 15-18, 2020
$160.00 per/team
Contact Lee Quaschnick
403-854-8187 for more details
Email or drop off your
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drop off: 4921 Victoria Ave., Coronation
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