Calgary Stampede’s Hall of Fame Horse Grated Coconut Passes Away
The Calgary Stampede has lost a legend.
G-65 Grated Coconut passed away peacefully at home on the Stampede Ranch near Hanna, Alberta. The superstar bareback horse was a remarkable 27 years old.
“This horse truly lived a great life,” said Tyler Kraft, manager of the Stampede Ranch and Stock Contracting operations. “You don’t see many animals able to be that successful both inside and outside of the arena. I don’t think we will ever really know the value that he brought to the ranch. We can’t thank him enough for what he did for our brand.”
Grated Coconut joined the PRCA in 2002 and became a dominant force during his career.
Of his 114 total rodeo outings, 37 cowboys hit the dirt, 25 finished in first place, and 29 more finished in the money. If a cowboy was lucky enough to stay aboard for eight seconds, he usually cashed in.
Grated Coconut was selected for the Wrangler NFR from 2002-09. His prowess in the arena earned him six PRCA World Championships (2003-04 and 2006-09), tying with the great Descent. He also earned six Canadian Champion Bareback Horse titles (2003-05 and 2007-09).
“He was truly unbelievable. I had that horse in 2009 at the Calgary Stampede and the first jump out I got jerked down and ended up slapping him,” said Kaycee Feild, a five-time PRCA World Champion Bareback Rider. “I had a lot of respect for him, he was the real deal. I’d set my feet and it felt like I was standing up on him. I’ve never been on a horse quite like that.”
G-65 Grated Coconut is a testament to the Born to Buck Breeding program of the Calgary Stampede Ranch. His mother, Coconut Roll, was a 10-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier. His sire, Wyatt Earp of Northcott Rodeo, was voted Saddle Bronc Horse of the National Finals Rodeo in 1997 and 1998.
Grated Coconut’s longevity is a testament to the care he received throughout his life at the Stampede Ranch and along the rodeo trail. His legacy is a testament to his unique character, strength, and spirit.
Now, through his bloodlines, that legacy lives on with horses such as granddaughter Xplosive Skies, the 2023 Canadian and PRCA World Champion Saddle Bronc Horse.
Grated Coconut spent his final summer in 2023 doing what he’d done each year since retirement. Surrounded by his youngest offspring, the next generation of Born to Buck athletes, he roamed and grazed the wide- open grasslands of the 23,000-acre Stampede Ranch under the bright blue Alberta sky. It is there where he will be laid to rest, forever remembered, and honored as truly one of the best.
Courtesy of PRCA