Westjet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech presents the bronze trophy to Noah Lee, who rode Whiskey at Noon for a score of 77, winning the Calgary Stampede Rodeo on Sunday, July 12, 2026. Brent Calver/Postmedia Photo by Brent Calver/Postmedia /Brent Calver/Postmedia

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For Noah Lee and Riley Duvall, winning the Calgary Stampede is simply in their blood.

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Kin before them have come here, rodeo’d strong and won the whole darn shootin’ match.

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So it’s no wonder the bull rider and the bulldogger did the same Sunday to become two of the seven victors hoisting championship bronzes at GMC Stadium.

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“My dad’s rode here, and he’s won this deal,” said a jubilant Lee, just moments after celebrating the Stampede victory in the marquee event of Showdown Sunday.

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“You know … all my whole family rodeos, and we all talk about Calgary,” continued Lee. “And so this is a very big one for me.”

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It’s big, alright.

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Noah Lee of Mineral Wells, Tx., won Bull Riding on re-ride bull Whiskey At Noon at the Calgary Stampede Rodeo finals on Sunday, July 12, 2026. Mike Drew/Postmedia Photo by Mike Drew

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The 18-year-old bull rider walks away with the 2026 title, the $50,000 champion’s cheque and a share of Stampede bragging rights with his father.

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Mike Lee was the winner of the same event here back in 2008 — the year his son was born — taking home $100,000 for his performance.

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“I’ve watched this rodeo since I was a baby,” said the younger Lee. “It was all pretty much dad that got me into bull riding. I grew up traveling with him, and I went down the road to the (Professional Bull Riding) events and all that stuff, too. So I’ve been around it my whole life, and this is all I’ve ever wanted, you know?

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“Like I’ve never wanted anything else other than bull riding and be good at what I do and have faith and be humble.”

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The young gun from Mineral Wells, Texas, is certainly all of those things, as he showed and spoke of after his triumph.

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“Be humble, courageous and confident,” said Lee, of the most important things his dad — at one point his rodeo travelling partner — taught him about life. “But don’t ever let your confidence be too big. Don’t be cocky. That’s, I think, probably the biggest thing.”

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Meanwhile, Duvall’s uncle, Roy, was not only a Stampede winner way back in 1967, he was the first-ever steer-wrestling champion here.

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“He’s watching right now, I promise,” said Duvall, of Showdown Sunday action having been broadcast by The Cowboy Channel. “All my uncle ever told me was just try hard and bear down, and that’s about all I ever do.”

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And now he, too, can share bragging rights from The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth, when he returns to Oklahoma.

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“Oh, yeah … for sure,” Duvall said. “Checotah will be having a party. I’m from the best town ever. They’re so supportive.”

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Duvall captured the championship Sunday with a quick 3.9-second run, setting the time to beat after 2024 Stampede champ Ty Erickson posted a no-time. He then watched fellow Americans Trisyn Kalawaia and Jesse Brown fall short of his standard with respective 4.1s and 5.3 shortcomings.

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“I liked my steer a lot,” Duvall said. “I knew if I could hit the barrier, I’d have a chance. But I really didn’t think 3.9 would win it, to be honest, but Ty had tough luck, Tyson and Jesse’s steers weren’t as good as mine, so it was just my day.”

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Earlier in the day, the 33-year-old Duvall advanced in the nine-man short-go round earlier with a 4.6s trip, matching Erickson in a tie for the final spot of the championship round.

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“When I drew that steer and the way it’s been going this week — I bulldogged better this week than I have all year for whatever reason — I had a good feeling coming in here,” continued Duvall. “The Calgary Stampede is as prestigious as they come, so to get my name out there with my uncle is exciting.”

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Lee got his name on the champion’s list with his dad by becoming the only bull rider Sunday to survive the requisite eight seconds in the finale — and he did that twice.

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The wee Texan, likely the smallest — at 5-foot-2 and 115 lb. — and youngest — just 18 years old — bull-riding champion in the long history of the Stampede, came out of the chutes first and rode Grand Funk along the gates in what was a strange trip. He was awarded 71.5 points or the option for a re-ride and took the latter.

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But then he watched as fellow Americans T Parker and Hayden Welsh and Canadian Garrett Green were bucked off respectively by Purple People Eater, Koulee’s Pet and All Gold Rolex, meaning he’d passed up the gamble that would’ve made him the champ.

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“I knew Hayden Welsh had a good bull, and I’m not that type of guy (to take a 71.5 if there’s a re-ride offered),” Lee said. “I want to win. I don’t want to win with a 71. I want to win with a 92. That’s just how I am … I believe I can do it every time.”

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He eventually did win aboard Whiskey at Noon on that re-ride, but not with a high score.

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It was a 77, with a similar trip to his original ride along the chutes and — again — with a re-ride on the table.

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But Lee turned that down happily to take the title.

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“Not the way I wanted to get it done but still got it done,” Lee said. “I was thinking the whole time, ‘Man, I drew the two biggest steers I’ve ever been on in my life.’

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“They just went down the pen and hopped and skipped and kind of tried to jerk me down, so I’ll just ride them up and downs like a steer, kind of,” added Lee. “That’s all you really got to do on them — just kept track the front end and keep going.”

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All the way to becoming a Calgary Stampede king, just like his dad.

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Bareback rider Bradlee Miller rode Stevie Knicks for a winning score of 92.5 in the final round of the Calgary Stampede Rodeo on Sunday, July 12, 2026. Brent Calver/Postmedia Photo by Brent Calver/Postmedia /Brent Calver/Postmedia

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MILLER WINS BAREBACK

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Bradlee Miller is a sucker for roughstock north of the border.

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After Sunday’s Stampede take of the bareback title, he’ll be loving the animals even more.

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“Oh, my gosh … these Canadian bucking horses are different,” said Miller, moments after posting a spectacular 92.5 — the week’s best score — aboard OLS Tubs Stevie Knicks to secure his first championship bronze in Calgary.

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“Just a different breed of animal,” continued Miller. “They’re still a horse, but they buck different, they feel different, and they’re ginormous — I don’t know what the heck you are feeding them up here, but they’re huge. Whenever their front feet hit the ground, you sure will know it.”

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With such a seismic score, Miller had to know he was in the driver’s seat of the event.

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But it wasn’t by much, with all three of his opponents in the finale also scoring in the 90s. Roedy Farrell and Luke Thrash were each 90.5, while Jacob Lees hit 91.

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So the $50,000 champ’s cheque went to Miller.

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“This is crazy,” added Miller, a 23-year-old native of Huntsville, Texas. “I’ve never won more than $2,000 in the Calgary Stampede. This is my fourth year here, and to get out of here with like 67 grand, I can’t believe this just happened.

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“You know … I come here the same goal every year. We go through these hot and cold spells, and the more experienced I’ve become, I get to where the hot spells are longer and the cold spells are shorter. I got really hot right before I came up here. I felt like I was riding at the very top of my game. I got here and won two go-rounds out of my pool and placed the other. I just felt on fire on that horse that I had in the finals the night beforehand, so you know that horse. If I would have drawn it three months ago, I’d have been nervous. But (Sunday), I got to go in with full confidence, with the momentum I had coming into it.”

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Zack Jongbloed from Iowa, Louisiana was the fastest tie down roper with a 7.4 second run at the Calgary Stampede Rodeo on Friday, July 10, 2026. Gavin Young/Postmedia Gavin Young/Postmedia

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JONGBLOED ROPES BRONZE

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No cowboy was faster roping a championship bronze Sunday than Zack Jongbloed.

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The 27-year-old from Iowa, La., had the two fastest times of the day in tie-down roping to score the Stampede title.

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He executed a 7.2-second run in the four-man finale after qualifying for the championship round with a 7.5s trip in the nine-man short-go.

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And, really, it was like that for Jongbloed all week long.

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“I started off the first run of my pool splitting the round (Thursday), so that kind of gave me some momentum,” Jongbloed said. “My horse (Gucci) worked great all week, and that really helped us a lot.”

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Helped him pocket the $50,000 first-place prize after the others in the tie-down finale — fellow Americans Brushton Minton, John Douch and Hunter Herrin — couldn’t be faster than him. Minton was the closest with a 7.8s job, while Douch slowed to a 10-flat time and Herrin recorded a no-time.

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“That’s awesome,” added Jongbloed, of becoming a first-time Stampede king. “It’s one of my favourite rodeos of the year, and I always look forward to coming. And to get the win against such an amazing field of ropers feels very very honoured.

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“It did it feel like a long-time coming … you know? We’ve come here several years, and it’s kind of got to be your day and your year to win it. And I’m super fortunate and blessed to do it this year.”

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CASPER THE BRONC CHAMP

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Wyatt Casper is another of Sunday’s Stampede champs to find — at long last — relief in victory.

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Like Jongbloed, he’s been here “several times”, so it was about time to raise the championship bronze in his event.

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He won the highly decorated saddle-bronc showdown, with a 90.5 score aboard Mary Lou.

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“I’ve been coming to this rodeo for a while now, and to finally get the win is just awesome,” said the 30-year-old cowboy from Miami, Texas. “I’ve never made the four-man round actually, so I made the short round a couple of times here but never have punched through to the four-man — and finally got it this year.”

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And, of course, he made it count for the $50,000 champion’s payday.

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Casper’s effort was just a half-point better than the one put on by fellow Texan Gus Gaillard aboard Exotic Warrior.

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“It’s crazy how much a half-point will make or break you nowadays,” Casper said. “And … yeah … there’s a lot of good bronc riders out here, and they’re fun to compete against. They make you reach down deep in the bag and pull out your best every time you nod your head, so that’s all you can do.”

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Fellow American Kade Bruno was 89 on Dandy Delight, while Canada’s hope and Alberta’s own Logan Hay posted an 82 ride aboard Frontier Acres.

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“I knew it was a really good chance,” Casper said. “Me and Kade Bruno, my traveling partner … I had a feeling that we were going to one-two in that round (earlier Sunday) and be both back in the four-man.”

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And it was Casper with the long-awaited victory.

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Saddle Bronc rider Wyatt Casper of Miami, TX rode Mary Lou to win the Calgary Stampede Final with a score of 90.50 on Sunday, July 12, 2026. Brent Calver/Postmedia Photo by Brent Calver/Postmedia /Brent Calver/Postmedia

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CHAMPION WINS WEADICK AWARD

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Richmond Champion was already a Stampede champion coming into the 10 days of The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.

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Now he leaves the event — and his rodeo life — as the Guy Weadick Award winner.

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The Stampede gave the 2017 and ’18 bareback title-winner here the prestigious honour for the 2026 edition, as announced Sunday.

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The award is given to the Stampede participant who best embodies cowboy spirit, recognizing overall ability, showmanship, character, sportsmanship and cooperation.

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In his last career run last Sunday, the now-retired rider posted a 90 score to earn the $7,000 day-money and go out a winner.

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“You can’t write this stuff, you know?” said Champion, who was fighting back tears following the last rodeo of his decorated 15-year career. “I knew it was pretty slim chances to make it back to Showdown Sunday, so I had pretty full intentions of (Sunday) being the last one. And if it worked out differently, then great.

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“I mean … in a perfect world, you get to be 90 and walk away a winner?” he added. “I’m barely holding it together.”

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CALGARY STAMPEDE RODEO

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Showdown Sunday — Day 10

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BAREBACK RIDING — brought to you by Bennett Jones

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bolded — 2026 Calgary Stampede champion

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LADIES BARREL RACING — brought to you by The Calgary Herald

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bolded — 2026 Calgary Stampede champion

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TIE-DOWN ROPING — brought to you by Halliburton

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bolded — 2026 Calgary Stampede champion

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STEER WRESTLING — brought to you by Plains

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bolded — 2026 Calgary Stampede champion

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SADDLE BRONC — brought to you by Cenovus Energy

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bolded — 2026 Calgary Stampede champion

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LADIES BREAKAWAY ROPING — brought to you by Imperial

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bolded — 2026 Calgary Stampede champion

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BULL RIDING — brought to you by WestJet

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bolded — 2026 Calgary Stampede champion

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