Photo: Jim Stevens, vice-president, Indian National Finals Rodeo
By: By Sam Laskaris
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Windspeaker.com
Officials with the Indian National Finals Rodeo (INFR) have plenty to celebrate this year.
For starters, the association is celebrating its 50th anniversary. It was founded in 1976 and stages rodeo events throughout Canada and the United States.
And, for the first time, it will stage an event at Calgary’s GMC Stadium, a facility that annually hosts the famous Calgary Stampede.
The inaugural Calgary Stampede First Nations Rodeo & Relay is scheduled for June 13. The event is part of the INFR’s 2025-26 tour schedule.
“Competing at the Calgary Stampede grounds is second to none,” said INFR vice-president Jim Stevens. “It’s going to the biggest show in the world. It’s going to be awesome. It’s going to be exciting. I know that there’s lots of talk around and everybody is excited to see what is going to happen.”
Stevens, a member of Siksika Nation in Alberta, said three Calgary Stampede reps attended the INFR season-ending championship in Las Vegas last October.
“They sat down with us and said they would like to host a rodeo with us,” Stevens said. “So, of course, we agreed. Since last October we’ve had many meetings every month discussing it.”
Stevens said INFR officials were caught off guard when they were approached.
“It’s a pleasant surprise that they came to us,” he said. “It’s great. Everybody has a chance to put on one of these rodeos. But they’re not easy to put on. They’re big events. And then they have a lot of added money, which attracts all the cowboys from all over the world to come to these events. It’s a big undertaking.”
Stevens said the INFR and Calgary Stampede are sharing all the co-hosting responsibilities.
“We work together on the whole aspect of the whole rodeo,” he said.
Stevens is confident the co-hosts will put on a first-class event.
“I know it’s going to come off without a hitch,” he said. “There’s so many professional guys that are working on this that I don’t have a doubt in my mind it’s going to be one of the greatest Indian rodeos there is.”
And that’s why plenty of interest among participants and spectators is being generated.
“A rodeo this size, I’m going to guess it’s going to attract maybe 400-500 contestants,” Stevens said, estimating about half will be from Canada. “It is being held at the Calgary Stampede (grounds). So, of course, everybody is going to want to come.”
Stevens is also anticipating a large crowd.
“I’d love to see 20,000 people come out,” he said. “It is being well advertised and I’m happy with the results that we are seeing so far with the selling of tickets.”
GMC Stadium has about 17,000 seats. The facility can accommodate an additional 8,000 standing room spectators.
“I know that the Stampede is doing some great advertising,” Stevens said. “They’re encouraging new people to come. Just from the word of mouth that’s going around, I know that there’s going to be a lot of fans from Alberta that are definitely going to come. Everybody would love to see their loved ones compete at the Calgary Stampede (grounds). I mean, can you imagine how many pictures are going to be taken in that particular arena.”
All of the participants must have Indigenous ancestry. But Stevens is anticipating lots of non-Indigenous fans to join Indigenous supporters at the event.
“It will be a mix for sure,” he said. “This event, of course, is open to the whole world. We encourage everybody to come and watch and take part in our culture and see our professional cowboys. The relay racers are going to be there, too. It’s going to be a pretty exciting event to watch relay racing.”
Indian relay racing is considered one of the most exciting sports events around. Teams race around the track and exchange horses at high speeds between laps.
The event will also consist of eight other rodeo disciplines—barrel racing, bareback riding, breakaway roping, bull riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping and tie-down (calf) roping.
The evening will also include some cultural events.
“There will be dancing and drumming,” Stevens said. “And I know that they’re also going to have First Nations vendors inside the GMC Stadium.”
Joel Cowley, the CEO of the Calgary Stampede, is also anticipating next month’s festivities.
“This event will be a powerful celebration of Indigenous athleticism, horsemanship and culture,” he said. “We’re honoured to welcome these exceptional competitors to GMC Stadium and invite fans to experience an unforgettable night of sport, pride and community.”
While this is the first INFR event in Calgary, Stevens said a variety of tour events have been staged in First Nations surrounding the city, as well as in many of the larger First Nations in the province over the years.
Stevens said discussions have not taken place about whether this event would become an annual one.
“We haven’t got that far,” he said. “We’re going to get this one under our belt first. Personally, yes, of course, I’d love to see it as an annual event. But, no, we haven’t discussed that.”
More information on the event including ticket details are available at https://ag.calgarystampede.com/first-nations-rodeo-relay
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