The Calgary Stampede has a new First Nations Princess who was selected on Oct. 26, from a field of seven outstanding contestants for the 2026 pageant which made for a hard choice for judges.
Raegan First Rider, a jingle dress dancer from the Kainai Nation, was selected to succeed Pacey Strangling Wolf, who is also from the Kainai Nation.
The win was the ultimate birthday gift for First Rider, who will turn 20 this week.
“I’m feeling every emotion right now. I’m so proud and honoured, and I cannot wait to see what this year is to bring. So, thank you for crowning to me today and deciding that I was fit for the role,” she said.
“It means so much to me. I have been inspired by so many past princesses, and to be able to now fit in these shoes and inspire more is such a surreal feeling. I want to thank my late grandfather. This is for him. This is something he wanted me to do. So this one’s for you, grandfather.”
She said her regalia reflected both her mother and father—and her dreams of being a Disney princess as a young girl.
“My design is a split design, so half of it is pink and the other half is purple. Those are some really special colours to me, because of my dad and my mom. They love those colours, and I always felt inspired to dance,” said First Rider.
“Dancing has always been my biggest strength, my biggest passion. I may not like to talk a lot, but I dance, and that’s how loud I can get, and how loud I can make these jingles sound.”
The other contestants included Antaya Cardinal from the Siksika Nation, Reanna House from the Stoney Nakoda Nation, Gracie Wolf Tail from the Piikani Nation, Tianna Crowchild from the Tsuut’ina and Siksika Nation, Kiara Big Old Man from the Siksika Nation, and Tylie JimmyJohn from the Stoney Nakoda Nation.
First Rider offered her congratulations to her fellow contestants, saying that they were all winners for stepping up to compete and represent their nations.
“Everyone’s a winner in my heart. All these girls were awesome. I got six sisters through this. They weren’t just my friends. We’re family, and everybody’s a winner, truly,” she said.
As part of her reign as the 2026 Calgary Stampede First Nations Princess, First Rider said that she wanted to be a voice for her people.
“I want to fight for everyone and make sure everyone’s voice is heard, no matter how far, no matter how small. I want not only Treaty Seven as a whole, but as a First Nation person. I want to be able to have everybody’s voice heard, and I want to travel far and touch the souls of many,” she said.
“I plan to touch every rez child’s heart. I want every kid to look at me and feel inspired. I want every older generation to feel inspired.”
First Rider said that she looked up to Strangling Wolf’s reign during 2025.
“Pacey was amazing, and those are some big cowgirl boots to fill. So I hope I can fill them.”
Ambassador for the Calgary Stampede to millions, literally
Vanessa Stiffarm, 2016 Calgary Stampede First Nations Princess, Elbow River Camp Coordinator, and winner of a Tourism Calgary White Hat Award for Exceptional Service, said that the First Nations Princess contest has really grown over the years.
“We’ve been doing this for the last 60 years, and we’re gonna go on 61 years,” she said.
For historical context, the Calgary Stampede First Nations Princess contest—previously known as the Calgary Stampede Indian Princess contest—has existed for longer than the Calgary Tower.
“It’s basically a full-time job. It’s a lot of work. We usually rough estimate between 150 to 200 events just during the 10 days. They usually estimate between 350–400 throughout the whole year. They go all over, not just Calgary, but Canada. We’d like to make sure that they have that voice sharing First Nation culture with the world,” said Stiffarm.
She said having the Stampede Princesses put on equal footing was important for First Nations, but also for the Stampede.
“I think it’s very important they’re seen as equals, and that’s what they are. I love watching Pacey and Breanna’s relationship over the past year, and especially so proud of Breanna for learning Blackfoot, having that confidence to say Pacey’s Blackfoot name that is just a relationship that kind of carries on, not just through their year, but they’ll continue to be great friends even after,” said Stiffarm.
One of the things that First Rider said she was excited to discover was who would be paired with her as the 2026 Calgary Stampede Princess—set to be crowned on Nov. 1.
“These girls are all older than me, and I don’t have a blood-related older sister, so I’m so very excited to finally—so super excited to see who this sister is I get—and this journey we get to have together,” she said.
