After 44 years the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) has a new home, it has moved from Edmonton to Red Deer for the 2018 season.

Westerner Park will host this event for the next ten years, this will be the first time that the CFR will not be held in Edmonton since it started 44 years ago.

Team Ropers Denver Johnson of Strathmore and Tristin Woolsey of Nanton will be competing in this years CFR.

Johnson and Woolsey have known each other for a while and decided to team up to see what they could do, "this is our first year roping together, we've gone to pretty well every rodeo that CPRA has put on," said Johnson.

With Northlands Coliseum closing recently the Red Deer District Chamber of Commerce partnered with Westerner Park and submitted a multi-year bid for the CFR.

This year will be the 45th CFR and will take place over a period of six days from October 30 to November 4, 2018. This year will see the addition of more evening performances as well cabaret shows will be added. There is also going to be a separate youth competition, where participants will compete for a portion of a $24,000 scholarship fund.

Johnson is happy to see the CFR coming to Red Deer, "I think its gonna be really good, its a lot closer for a lot of people around here, I think it'll be good for the city of red deer," said Johnson.

Red Deer Mayor Tara Veer said "We’re grateful for all the City of Edmonton and partners have built in the past, and we will do our absolute best to build on it, not only for this year but for the decade to come"

With the Rodeo in less than 2 weeks, Johnson and Woolsey are getting ready to compete at the highest level and hope to come out on top when the dust settles.