Calgary Stampede reverses course, awards Curtis Geiger his $125,000 50/50 winnings

Curtis Geiger will get his $125,150 Stampede 50/50 winnings after all. The Calgary Stampede reversed its earlier decision Wednesday, honouring the prize despite Geiger missing the organization's 48-hour claim deadline.

Geiger bought the Showband 50/50 ticket in July at the Stampede but was travelling in Greece when he learned of his win more than 30 days later. The Stampede initially denied the payout, citing a 48-hour deadline from the announcement date. Geiger said the rule was too restrictive and not transparent — the deadline appeared on a separate web page not on the official website, wasn't detailed in the FAQ, and wasn't printed on the ticket itself.

"We understand how the information available to Mr. Geiger could have caused confusion about the amount of time he had to claim his prize," Stampede CEO Joel Cowley said in a statement. "Mr. Geiger purchased the winning ticket, and based on our review, we believe the right thing to do is to honour that ticket and award him the prize."

Geiger said the reversal opens up possibilities — buying a home, taking a trip with his kids and mother. "You go from a high to an extreme low, and disappointment and frustration," he said of the initial denial, speaking to Postmedia during the dispute.