Calgary Stampede | Don’t Miss This
Thank you for making Stampede 2023 one for the history books!
Rodeo
Call it a breakout moment in what many claim will become a superstar career. Beau Cooper was able to stand on the podium at the Calgary Stampede, with a $50,000 check above his head, and a championship bronze nearby.
The Grandstand was full of cheering fans to see a Canadian cowboy win the tie-down roping title, which hadn’t happened since 2014. Cooper, just 21, backed into the box in the Showdown Round and stuck a smooth 7.0-second run on his calf to take the big win.
“This is the greatest feeling in the world,” Cooper said. “There’s a reason you have bad days, so when you feel things like this, it lives with you forever. I’ll never forget this moment and everything that went into it. Crazy day.”
Cooper’s win wasn’t the only excitement during Showdown Sunday. Read the full highlights here and see the full results for each event here.
Cowboys Rangeland Derby
Last night was the official ‘Dash for Cash’ at the Cowboys Rangeland Derby, and the action did not disappoint!
It was Rae Croteau Jr. who had the fastest run of the night at 1:12.67, but it wasn’t enough to tip the leaderboards!
After 10 nights of racing, Layne MacGillivray won the championship, taking home a cool $50,000 and a brand-new GMC truck. Kurt Bensmiller held steady in second place, also taking home the safety award – best aggregate running time with no penalties – and $25,000.
If you missed the action, find the full results here.
Agriculture & Western Events
The final day of Stampede ended with highlighting some of the biggest steers and horses of the Brandt Agriculture Zone.
The Junior Steer Classic is a youth-oriented event for those aged nine-21, where winners receive scholarships to encourage the next generation of agriculture advocates. The steers are judged on their conformation (structure of the animal), muscle, condition and finish (the amount of fat) that will give the best cuts and quality of meat. The Grand Champion Steer was exhibited by Riley Bohrson from Olds, Alberta at a weight of 1,303 lbs. The Reserve Champion was exhibited by Emma Lees from Arcola, Saskatchewan and a weight of 1,320 lbs.
The BURNCO Heavy Horse Pull finished with some of the biggest and strongest horses yet in the Heavy Weight Division. The winning team was Duke and Hank owned by Keith Coombs from Sundre, Alberta with a pull of 11,000 pounds.