Canada’s Grady Quam and Tyce McLeod have silently been chipping away at the Maple Leaf Circuit standings, now moving inside the top three as they close out their 2024 partnership.

Currently, Quam is $2,391.64 behind the No. 1 header Levi Simpson, sitting third in the heading standings with $16,851.69. McLeod is second with $16,200.28 in season earnings, just $3,043.05 shy of the No. 1 heeler Logan Cullen.

“If you asked me or Tyce how it’s been, we wouldn’t tell you it’s been that great, but we’ve just seemed to hit at least once a week in a good spot,” said Quam, 24, of Crossfield, Canada.

Regardless, Quam and McLeod kept sound minds to push through the season.

“We never got too down, and we never got too up,” continued McLeod, 27, who hails from Waldeck, Saskatchewan. “We just kept moving forward, basically.”

The Season

Quam and McLeod’s season started off strong in the Maple Leaf Circuit, pocketing a total of $3,826 a man. They placed at rodeos like the West of the 5^th Pro Rodeo in Rimbey, Alberta; Broncs & Honky Tonks Spring Rodeo in Medicine Hat, Alberta; Kananaskis Pro Rodeo in Coleman, Alberta; and the Drayton Valley (Alberta) Pro Rodeo. 

“The start of the year was really good,” McLeod said. “We placed at about every rodeo until Grand Prairie (Stompede in Alberta). It was going good, and then we got flagged out on a crossfire at Grand Prairie to win it.” 

Quam and McLeod both began the year with earnings from the 2023 Maple Leaf Circuit Finals. Heading for Brooks, Alberta’s Devin Wigemyr, Quam pocketed $2,728. McLeod, the 2021 CFR champ, won $2,216 heeling for Clay Ullery of Valleyview, Alberta. 

“Last season was kind of a tough season for me,” Quam said. “We actually finished really strong there at the end which allowed me to go to No. 1. I missed the last steer to win the average and the year-end at the circuit finals. I always seem to be top three in the circuit. I like those little rodeos.” 

Tough Times

Though the team was picking up checks at various rodeos, they encountered difficulties that hindered them from being consistent, like Quam catching his hand in his dally at an Ariat World Series of Team Roping event on the heel side and some horsepower issues on both ends. 

“His hand was bothering him for a couple of weeks, and we just never really got the train back on the tracks,” McLeod said. “I thought I was heeling good. I was riding my good sorrel horse, and she started stepping by the corner a little bit, so I feel like I dropped the ball a couple of times.” 

With fewer rodeos and not as much traveling as many pro rodeo athletes see in the States, Quam found that when they began rodeoing more and traveling across the border, he didn’t have the time at home to get in the practice pen. 

“You’re gone some weeks, but you usually have Monday to Wednesday or Thursday at home to go practice,” Quam said. “This year, we didn’t [exactly] rodeo hard down south, but we went to all of the duck-off rodeos that we could. Just rodeoing every day and, after Fourth of July, it gets quick.”

Not being able to head home as often as Quam is used to made it difficult to work on fixing his horse and his handles. 

“It’s different for me to not be able to go home on Monday and fix and really grind it out there,” Quam said. “My horse got a little quick and I started handling a little different. It just put a pause in the roll. When we were going everywhere, my horse got a little tight. Instead of riding, I was trying to beat him and I kind of changed up my handle and messed with the run for a little bit.”

The Breakup

As their partnership ends after a slow season and some mistakes, Quam will head for Logan Groves and McLeod with heel for Brody Groves. 

“At the end of the day, we couldn’t really get anything rolling,” Quam said.

Despite the challenges, Quam and McLeod both see the good in the season they had.

“When we split, we were fourth in Canada,” McLeod added. “It’s not like we had a terrible year.” 

Goals

With just a few weeks remaining in the Pro Rodeo regular season, Quam and McLeod are both looking forward to qualifying to compete at the 2024 Maple Leaf Circuit Finals with the opportunity to set themselves up for a successful start to the following season. 

“The Maple Leaf is pretty important up here, strictly for the fact that the Maple Leaf Finals pays so good, and it counts for the following season,” Quam said. “When you have a chance, that head start on the next year means so much.”

As they continue with their new partners, Quam and McLeod both have their goals lined out for the final stretch.

READ: Brady Tryan and Calgary Smith Put Together Record-Breaking CFR

“I’m grateful that I’m in a good spot to make both finals,” Quam said of his chances of qualifying for both the Maple Leaf Circuit Finals and the Canadian Finals Rodeo. “My goal is to finish out the year as strong as I can. My partner Logan has a slight chance at making the CFR, so hopefully I can finish strong for him and get him here. That would be an end goal. Hopefully I can win the average at the circuit finals and hopefully go back to Colorado Springs’ [NFR Open].”

McLeod is going to battle out for the No. 1 spot in the heeling standings and continue his circuit triumph. 

“The goal is to go into it leading it because they take the year-end winner there,” McLeod said of qualifying for the NFR Open. “I’ve been to the circuit finals in Florida and then I went this year in Colorado. You can win a lot of money at that deal.”

Maple Leaf Circuit Standings (as of Aug. 13)

More on the Maple Leaf Circuit

• Kash Bonnett and Logan Spady Secure Spots Among Maple Leaf’s Top 3
• Levi Simpson and Logan Cullen Make $6K in Lucrative Maple Leaf Circuit Weekend