Claresholm’s Shaya Biever smashes record in breakaway roping

By Barb Poulsen – Canadian Professional Rodeo Association
Yeah, that was a thumbs up.
No fist pump. No loud “Yes!” No thrown hat. Just an almost invisible thumbs up. That was the understated reaction from reigning Canadian Breakaway Champion, Shaya Biever as she set a Canadian record with a brilliant 1.6-second run to win the Daines Ranch Rodeo in Innisfail, Alberta and eclipse the former mark – 1.78 seconds established by Kendal Pierson in 2021, also at Innisfail. (Times were recorded to hundredths of a second that year.)
She reflected on the run that netted her $1861.20.
“The only things that were going through my head were, Wow that’s a long way for me and Wow that was fast. Most of the really fast runs I’ve made I’ve drawn a really good calf, one of the ‘doozies’ people might say, and your shot is right there out in front but that one (the Innisfail calf) was really strong in the pen and he came out and I saw my shot but it was lot further away than I’m used to,” said the 24 year-old Claresholm cowgirl.
The shot, as long as it was, was perfect; her horse Bullet, executed the perfect stop and the veteran cowgirl knew she’d been fast.
“I was thinking I was probably under two seconds. It was a that-feels-good moment.”
It was seconds later as she slowly rode to the other end of the arena that she heard she had just roped in 1.6 seconds.
“I kind of knew that it was a Canadian Professional Rodeo record but to be honest I was still wrapped up in the moment that I had actually thrown that fast.”
That was when Shaya Biever gave the little thumbs up victory celebration. The gesture was like the run itself. If you blinked you likely missed it. Coupled with a 5-6 split for $915.33 at the Stavely Pro Rodeo, Biever will vault from 22nd in the early season standings into the top 12 conversation.
With the season in both Canada and the U.S. now in full swing, the likable southern Alberta hand sees her Innisfail success as a definite confidence boost.
“Wintertime is when everybody goes to work on everything they think they need to fix for the next season. I stayed rodeoing through most of the winter which was a bit of a different aspect for me. I wanted to solidify all the work I had done and went back to my original game plan and stuck to what I know how to do. This run will give me that confidence boost to be able to finish off the rest of the season doing everything the way I know how to do it.”
So now Shaya Biever has a Canadian title and a Canadian record. That almost warrants two thumbs up!