Friday’s edition of the 2026 Calgary Stampede was a hit, with attendance remaining steady and the action at the grounds staying hot.
It was a blistering 28 degrees Celsius at the Stampede grounds on Friday, and it’s expected to be 29 degrees Celsius today, so if you’re headed down to the park today, make sure you take some water and be sure to find some shade every once in a while.
Still, the heat didn’t stop too many folks from enjoying the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, with 129,157 making their way to the Calgary Stampede. That brought the overall attendance to 1,135,671.
On the infield at the Calgary Stampede rodeo, once again, Kassie Mowry from Dublin, Texas, took home the top day money in ladies barrel racing, clocking a 16.73. In breakaway roping, Rylee George from Oakdale, California, was tops, cashing a $7,000 cheque for the day.
Zach Youngbloed from Iowa, Louisiana, had a 7.4 in tie down roping on Friday, to give him back-to-back wins in the event. Will Lummus from Byhalia, Mississippi, squeezed out a win in steer wrestling with a run of 3.6.
In the riding events, Mason Stuller from Hat Creek, California, edged out the second-place competitor by .5 aboard Great News in the bareback event. Ryder Wright from Beaver, Utah, climbed atop Daunting News and rode to a 90 in the saddle bronc event.
Finally, TJ Gray from Dairy, Oregon, took Wing It for a ride and scored an 86 to win the bull riding event’s top day money.
On the track in the Rangeland Derby, Chanse Vigen (VisitLethbridge.com) edged closer to top spot, locking up the fastest run of the night at 1:10.88. Jason Glass (Birchcliff Energy) was second, only two-tenths of a second behind.
Overall, though, the top three remain the same, with Jamie Laboucane doing enough on Friday to stay on top after Day 8 on the track, with a total time of 9:35.99. Vigen is two seconds behind, with Jason Glass another two seconds behind Vigen.
It’s shaping up to be a big showdown on Sunday.
Worth noting that 2026 Calgary Stampede Hall of Fame inductees were named, with Norm Cuthbertson, John Down and Davey Shields. Jr were named.
On the grounds on Saturday, the big highlight is the Alanis Morissette concert – you oughta know about that already. Apparently, there are a few tickets left.
At Nashville North, Chris Janson goes at 10:15 p.m., while at the Coca-Cola Stage, Ayra Starr begins at 9 p.m.
At the Big Four Roadhouse, the legendary country music star Tanya Tucker will hit the stage at 9 p.m.
