The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth kicked off Friday, July 3, with a record-setting parade — an estimated 315,000 spectators lined downtown Calgary, the largest crowd in the parade’s history.
By the end of the day, total Stampede attendance for the year stood at 187,542, building on the 32,024 guests who turned out for Thursday’s Sneak-a-Peek preview. There was a robust 155,518 who made their way to the grounds on Friday, with thousands taking advantage of the Parade to Park promotion, where people could get in for free from 11 to 1 p.m.
It was also the start of the Rangeland Derby and the annual Calgary Stampede rodeo.
At GMC Stadium, the rodeo delivered a stacked opening performance with more than $2 million in money on the line.
RODEO PHOTOS BY SEAN LIBIN / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
Garrett Shadbolt (Merriman, Nebraska) topped the bareback riding with an 86.5-point ride on Expose Not, worth $7,000. Stetson Wright (Milford, Utah) led saddle bronc with a 90-point score aboard Perlich’s Killing Time, while Cooper James (Erda, Utah) won bull riding at 87.5 points on Alberta Prime Devil’s Advocate.
In the timed events, Carstairs, Alberta’s Kyle Lucas and Haven Meged from Miles City, Montana, tied atop tie-down roping at 7.8 seconds. Jesse Brown (Baker City, Oregon) and Bridger Anderson (Carrington, North Dakota) shared the steer wrestling lead at 4.4 seconds. Payton Scalzo (Stephenville, Texas) won breakaway roping in 2.6 seconds, with Nanton’s Jenna Dallyn finishing second and collecting $5,000. Heidi Gunderson (Murdock, Minnesota) posted the day’s only sub-17-second barrel racing run at 16.94 to collect the day. Ponoka’s Taylor Manning and Gleichen’s Jayden Wilson finished second and third, respectively.
Under the lights at the Rangeland Derby, Jamie Laboucane claimed the lead in chuckwagon racing (1:10.98), edging defending champion Chanse Vigen by just 0.08 seconds, while Poitras Relay led the Enmax Relay Races.
Saturday, July 4 keeps the momentum going: Pride Day takes over Nashville North from 2–6 p.m., the Coca-Cola Stage features Sea of Lettuce, Dax, PVRIS and All Time Low, and A$AP Rocky headlines the Scotiabank Saddledome.
The Big Four Roadhouse brings Colin James at 9 p.m., with agriculture events, the Midway, and rodeo action running all day at Stampede Park.
