Grated Coconut: Born to Buck

Updated:

July 4, 2020

By Kathy Smith

In 2012, we presented the winners of Horse Community Journals' Third Annual Readers’ Choice Awards, honouring remarkable horses and horse people for their achievements and contributions to Canada’s horse industry.

Congratulations to our deserving winners, and thank you to everyone who nominated and helped make the Readers’ Choice Awards a success.

Originally published in 2012, this article features Grated Coconut: Born to Buck

Not many horses are fondly remembered for their ability to dump a rider in the dirt. But whether you’re for rodeo or against it, there’s no denying that Grated Coconut, one of the greatest bucking horses of all time, was a superstar.

Born in 1997, and bred by the Calgary Stampede as part of their “Born to Buck” breeding program, Grated Coconut’s pedigree is a who’s who of bucking horses. His sire, Wyatt Earp, who was inducted into the Canadian Professional Rodeo Cowboy’s Hall of Fame, was National Finals

Rodeo (NFR) Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year in 1996 and 1997, and Canadian and NFR Rodeo Champion in 1997 and 1998. Grated Coconut’s dam, Coconut Roll, has been a frequent champion at the Calgary Stampede, earning over $800,000 for her riders over the course of her bucking career. She is also the mother of several other successful bucking horses.

With his champion bloodlines, Grated Coconut’s greatness as a bucking horse was all but guaranteed, and despite his friendly, affectionate demeanor on the ground, as soon as he entered the chute, the 1600 pound stallion was all business.

A true athlete, Grated Coconut’s powerful, whirlwind bucks unseated many a seasoned cowboy and made him a favourite amongst rodeo riders. He was a four-time Canadian Champion, won six World Championships, and was six-time Canadian Bucking Horse of the Year. From 2002 until his final competition in the fall of 2009, he was bucked 112 times. During that time he carried 25 cowboys to win first, or a share of first, and on his back Davey Shields, Jr. earned a score of 95, and the $50,000 first prize at the 2005 Calgary Stampede.

Grated Coconut retired from rodeo work in 2010 and is now a Calgary Stampede foundation stallion, breeding with mares at pasture on the 22,000 acre Calgary Stampede Ranch to produce the next generation of bucking horse champions. Mad Money is a particularly successful Grated Coconut daughter, setting an arena record in 2010 with a 91 score.

“Grated Coconut’s offspring are the type of horses the cowboys love to draw and ride,” says Keith Marrington, Calgary Stampede Senior Manager. Now it is up to “the ‘Grate’ one’s” sons and daughters to carry on his legacy.

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