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Hamilton Spectator
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Rodeo winners' circle filled with Albertans at Stampede
CALGARY - Albertans won three of seven events at the Calgary Stampede rodeo on Showdown Sunday. Breakaway roper Shelby Boisjoli-Meged of Langdon, saddle bronc rider Zeke Thurston of Big Valley, and steer wrestler Scott Guenthner of Provost all finished first in their events to take home the winner's share of $50,000. Boisjoli-Meged will go down in the Stampede history books as the inaugural winner of the breakaway roping event. As the first competitor out of the gates in the final round, she set the standard of 2.2 seconds that Texans Hali Williams (12.2) and Bradi Good (12.5) weren't able to beat as they were both penalized 10 seconds for breaking the starting barrier. Thurston added his fourth Stampede title to the three others he won consecutively from 2015 to 2017. He scored 92.5 points atop Virgil in the final round to beat fellow Albertan Dawson Hay of Wildwood for the top prize. Hay, the 2023 Stampede champion, celebrated his 28th birthday by earning $20,000 for finishing second after a 90-point performance on Yesterday's Delivery. Meanwhile, Guenthner added his second Stampede title to the one he won in 2023. Guenthner posted a time of 3.7 seconds in the final round to beat the clocking of 4.1 that 2022 Stampede champion Will Lummus of Byhalia, Miss., set earlier. Shortly before winning the steer wresting event, Guenthner also went up to the stage in front of the fans at GMC Stadium to accept the prestigious Guy Weadick Award, which is presented annually to the rodeo or chuckwagon competitor who best embodies the cowboy spirit and typifies the spirit of the Calgary Stampede. Nine competitors in each of the seven events qualified to compete on Sunday and only the top three from the first go-round advanced to the finals. The winner of each event was awarded $50,000, while the second- and third-place finishers received $20,000 and $10,000, respectively. Shad Mayfield of Clovis, N.M., won the tie-down roping title in a time of 6.8 seconds to edge out Tom Crouse of Gallatin, Mo. (7.3). Thanks to his 94-point ride atop Disco Party, Cooper Cooke of Victor, Idaho, won the bareback event. Weston Timberman of Columbus, Mont., finished a close second after his 92-point performance on Agent Lynx. Anita Ellis of Blackfoot, Idaho, won the barrel racing championship in a time of 16.956 seconds to edge out 2022 Stampede champion Kassie Mowry of Dublin, Texas, by .189 seconds for top spot. Wacey Schalla of Arapaho, Okla., was the lone bull rider to stay on for eight seconds in the final round. His score of 86 points atop Haunted Hotel earned him a $50,000 payday. Grady Young of Leader, Sask., and Trey Benton III of Richards, Texas, earned $15,000 each even though they were bucked off their bulls. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Rodeo winners' circle filled with Albertans at Stampede
CALGARY – Albertans won three of seven events at the Calgary Stampede rodeo on Showdown Sunday. Breakaway roper Shelby Boisjoli-Meged of Langdon, saddle bronc rider Zeke Thurston of Big Valley, and steer wrestler Scott Guenthner of Provost all finished first in their events to take home the winner's share of $50,000. Boisjoli-Meged will go down in the Stampede history books as the inaugural winner of the breakaway roping event. As the first competitor out of the gates in the final round, she set the standard of 2.2 seconds that Texans Hali Williams (12.2) and Bradi Good (12.5) weren't able to beat as they were both penalized 10 seconds for breaking the starting barrier. Thurston added his fourth Stampede title to the three others he won consecutively from 2015 to 2017. He scored 92.5 points atop Virgil in the final round to beat fellow Albertan Dawson Hay of Wildwood for the top prize. Hay, the 2023 Stampede champion, celebrated his 28th birthday by earning $20,000 for finishing second after a 90-point performance on Yesterday's Delivery. Meanwhile, Guenthner added his second Stampede title to the one he won in 2023. Guenthner posted a time of 3.7 seconds in the final round to beat the clocking of 4.1 that 2022 Stampede champion Will Lummus of Byhalia, Miss., set earlier. Shortly before winning the steer wresting event, Guenthner also went up to the stage in front of the fans at GMC Stadium to accept the prestigious Guy Weadick Award, which is presented annually to the rodeo or chuckwagon competitor who best embodies the cowboy spirit and typifies the spirit of the Calgary Stampede. Nine competitors in each of the seven events qualified to compete on Sunday and only the top three from the first go-round advanced to the finals. The winner of each event was awarded $50,000, while the second- and third-place finishers received $20,000 and $10,000, respectively. Shad Mayfield of Clovis, N.M., won the tie-down roping title in a time of 6.8 seconds to edge out Tom Crouse of Gallatin, Mo. (7.3). Thanks to his 94-point ride atop Disco Party, Cooper Cooke of Victor, Idaho, won the bareback event. Weston Timberman of Columbus, Mont., finished a close second after his 92-point performance on Agent Lynx. Anita Ellis of Blackfoot, Idaho, won the barrel racing championship in a time of 16.956 seconds to edge out 2022 Stampede champion Kassie Mowry of Dublin, Texas, by .189 seconds for top spot. Wacey Schalla of Arapaho, Okla., was the lone bull rider to stay on for eight seconds in the final round. His score of 86 points atop Haunted Hotel earned him a $50,000 payday. Grady Young of Leader, Sask., and Trey Benton III of Richards, Texas, earned $15,000 each even though they were bucked off their bulls. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2025.
Calgary Herald
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
RODEO NOTES: Langdon cowgirl wins historic first run of breakaway roping at Calgary Stampede
Day 1 of the 2025 Calgary Stampede rodeo welcomed the stars of breakaway roping to the main stage. Article content And the brightest in the much-ballyhooed debut was a home-town cowgirl. Article content Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, of Langdon, Alta., was all smiles after winning Friday's event and forever etching her name in the rodeo's record books. Article content 'I didn't really think about (making history),' said the smiling Boisjoli-Meged. 'But that is really cool to think about. And in terms of just having an event here … yeah … it's extra special for me. Article content Article content 'This is my hometown rodeo.' Article content Article content After decades of being featured at other rodeos across the continent and years of lobbying for it to become a staple here in Calgary, the news in March of its inclusion brought on a big hurrah. Article content It also came with the thumbs up it would pay out the same as the other events — a total prize purse of $310,250 — in the main rodeo. Article content 'It's unbelievable that Calgary added breakaway this year for us, and they went ahead and just added equal money at the very first one,' said Boisjoli-Meged, the reigning world champion of breakaway roping and wife of 2024 Stampede tie-down champ Haven Meged. 'Honestly, we didn't hear anything or know anything, and then all of a sudden, it was just like a phone call and then an announcement. Article content 'So they kept it really quiet, and then they surprised us with it. So we didn't hear we didn't know anything about it, and they just dropped it on us like a bomb. So it was crazy.' Article content Article content Boisjoli-Meged was the first call made by the Stampede when it officially became a main-rodeo event because she's the local talent. Article content Article content And obviously, the 27-year-old Albertan squeezed every ounce of being that hometown favourite with her winning run — 2.3 seconds for $7,000 aboard her 'good mare' Onna — in breakaway roping's historic call to 'The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.' Article content 'The nerves are kind of the same (as any other rodeo), because we do this all the time, but I think moreso just excitement and having my family here watching me is just a different kind of pressure,' said Boisjoli-Meged, who was cheered on by a bevy of loved ones, including mom Sherry — a once-upon-a-time Stampede princess — and dad Garth. Article content 'I fed off it, for sure. You know … whenever my family's watching me, I feel like I'm 10-foot tall and bulletproof. So having them all there backing me was just unbelievable.
