Stetson Wright headlines 210 top rodeo athletes competing for $2.1M at Calgary Stampede
All-around champion and 10-time PRCA world champ leads field of cowboys and cowgirls starting Friday at GMC Stadium.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
The Calgary Stampede Rodeo begins Friday, July 3, at GMC Stadium with 210 of the globe's top cowboys and cowgirls competing for a prize purse of more than $2.1 million. The 10-day event runs through July 12.
All-around champion Stetson Wright, 26, from Milford, Utah, headlines the field. Wright is a 10-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world champion with three PRCA world titles in bull riding (2020, 2022, 2025) and one in saddle bronc (2021). He added an all-around title in December at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, making it his sixth all-around championship.
Wright told reporters after the Sisters Rodeo in Oregon that he feels sharp heading into the Stampede. "I haven't felt this good going into the Fourth of July in a long time," he said. "I feel like I've been riding everything, and I feel like I'm on fire at a good time." He has pocketed $269,361 on the current rodeo season and is first in saddle bronc and second in bull riding on the PRCA's world all-around leaderboard.
Wright is chasing the roughstock triple crown—capturing world titles in saddle bronc, bull riding, and all-around. "The triple crown has been at the forefront of my mind for a long time," he said. "I may have never done it, but each year, I've gotten closer than I was the year before."
Four decorated brothers from Utah—Rusty, Ryder, Statler, and Stetson Wright—are all competing at this year's Stampede, adding to the draw. Each rodeo event carries a $50,000 payday. Kristina Barnes, director of agriculture and western events at the Calgary Stampede, said the lineup showcases proven champions, rising stars, and athletes with stories of grit and incredible comebacks.
