The one constant for the Calgary Stampede’s Princess and First Nations Princess is that the expectations that they have pre-crowning rarely match the number of community events, speaking engagements, and the 10-day Stampede itself.

Without a doubt, being an ambassador for the Calgary Stampede is one of the busiest jobs in public relations and cultural education, which made the 2025 princesses Breanna Correia and Pacey Strangling Wolf the perfect choices for the now quickly ending royalty terms.

Correia, a Mount Royal University communications major, and Strangling Wolf, an educator who worked at the Strathmore High School, both spent their terms putting their skills to support the spread of Western and Indigenous cultures.

“It has been really fun. From the moment I got crowned, I never knew, I never expected what was to come—except for those 10 glorious days during Stampede—everything has been above and beyond what I expected,” said Strangling Wolf.

“There’s been so many opportunities that we’ve got to be a part of so many people that we’ve learned, got to know and learn from so many places, we got to visit so many new things. I’m just very thankful for this opportunity. We’re so excited that the next two set of girls get to experience what is to come.”

The Stampede applications for the next two princess contents are quickly coming to a close. The First Nations Princess content applications end on Sept. 23, while the Stampede Princess applications end on Oct. 1.

Strangling Wolf said even though the contests are closing quickly, it’s still plenty of time for young women to enter the contests.

“We just fact checked today, where I actually turned in my application the day of the deadline, so there was plenty of time for anyone to try it,” she said.

“This was my last year to run. I was super nervous, and I did not know if I was going to win or not, but it was just a great opportunity, just to even try to put my name out there.”

Learning more about themselves

Correia, whose dream is to one day be a public relations professional, said that getting to be a Stampede princess opened up opportunities for her to work towards that goal.

“Going on this journey has just been so incredible to me. There are people that are graduates of my program that are directly helping me learn along the way, and it has been just so cool to see that my first steps into that future world that I hope to get into have been so welcoming and encouraging,” she said.

“It was really cool that I got to do that with one of my favourite brands in the world. The Calgary Stampede has really supported me through so many different firsts in those arenas, including my professional arena. So, that’s pretty cool.”

She said that the bittersweet part of being a princess was that they would never get to experience the Stampede in quite the same way again.

Not that Correia is planning on stepping away from the Stampede anytime soon.

“Being the princess, we really did get the royal treatment this year, and it was such an honour to do it, especially alongside Pacey this year,” she said.

“I will go back to my volunteer committee, the Agriculture and Western Events Media Committee, and I will continue on as a horse coach and judge, and I’m going to probably buy myself a new horse to fill the time that I will have left after this. But I hope to one day work for the Calgary Stampede, or an organization that continues to promote our agriculture and Western way of life that really supports everybody in our community.”

Strangling Wolf said that she would also be continuing to volunteer with the Calgary Stampede on the First Nations Event Committee.

“It’s been such an amazing time, and I’ve had so many amazing opportunities with different aspects of the Calgary Stampede. You know, there’s more to it than just those 10 days and all the volunteers the committees really put on all their hard work, all their best volunteering, and do it on their own time,” she said.

“I want to be one of the volunteers that help out and to make it good. Every year it’s new. We want it to be new, fresh, and there’s always something for everyone during Stampede.”

Whoever is chosen for the 2026 title will represent the Stampede as an ambassador, and be a milestone member of the growing club of women who have become part of the Stampede royalty.

The upcoming year’s princess will be the 80th young woman representing the Stampede.

“My biggest word of advice to those young girls is be yourself and be confident. All us cowgirls, we’re all capable of this title. When you’re going to do it, I you want to be yourself. That’s really coming into it and speaking from your heart and being there to support a community that’s going to support you,” said Correia.

“I guess the best way to say it is you take out of it what you put in. So, put your all into it and just enjoy it.”

For more details on how to enter the Stampede princess contests, see corporate.calgarystampede.com/about-us/in-the-community/stampede-royalty.