Calgarian Nick Tetz finally gets his chance to compete at the Stampede

Nick Tetz has dreamed of competing in his hometown rodeo ever since he was a little buckaroo.

The 24-year-old bull rider accomplished his goal on Friday when he nodded his head in the chutes before posting a score of 84 points aboard Ramblin Man on the first day of Pool A action at the Calgary Stampede rodeo.

“I finally get to compete at the Calgary Stampede,” said the born-and-raised Calgarian, who grew up in the southwest neighbourhood of Haysboro. “I grew up watching it since I was four years old.”

His performance on Friday was good enough to put him in fourth spot behind Utah cowboy Hayes Weight (86.5 points on Sky Fall), Wyatt Gleeson (86 on Down with the Devil) of nearby Sundre, Alta., and Mason Moody (85 on Fallen Angel) of Letcher, S.D.

“It’s always a little nerve-wracking competing in front of your hometown crowd,” said Tetz, who has two more chances on Saturday and Sunday to show off his skills at the Stampede. “It’s definitely one that you want to make sure you do good on. It also kind of adds a little fuel to the fire when it is a hometown crowd like that.”

In addition to competing at the Stampede, Tetz has also been showing off his immense bull-riding talents at the 2024 Cody Snyder Charity Bullbustin’ event at the Grey Eagle Resort and Casino.

After sitting out the first night of Bullbustin’ action due to nagging injuries to his free-arm shoulder and hand, Tetz finished atop the standings three nights in a row. Following a thrilling 88-point ride atop a rank bull named Emerald Inn on Wednesday night, he posted an equally impressive score of 87 on Hanna Motors Broken Halo 24 hours later.

Doing double duty on Friday, he made his way back to the Tsuut’ina Nation after competing at the Stampede and kept up his hot streak by scoring 86.5 points aboard Smart Donkey.

“I’m just having fun riding bulls right now,” said Tetz, who also made the finals of the Ponoka Stampede on Canada Day in addition to winning the Wild West Professional Bull Riders (PBR) event in Ponoka the night before. “I just keep running my hand in the rope and just trying to do my job on everything that I do.”

When Snyder first saw Tetz compete five or six years ago, he didn’t know much about the multi-sport athlete who rose up through the minor hockey ranks until accomplishing one of his career highlights of playing for the Calgary Royals at the 2016 Mac’s AAA Midget Hockey Tournament (now known as the Circle K Classic).

“I knew about him, he was a AAA hockey player – a really good hockey player,” said Snyder, who has ran his event in Calgary for 25 years. “It’s quite the crossover for a kid to come from the city of Calgary to end up being a bull rider. It’s kind of unheard of. He’s turned into one of the best bull riders we’ve got. He’s a natural athlete. He works hard at it and he’s got a great attitude.”

While he’s enjoying his first go-round at the Stampede, the 2022 PBR Canada national champion also has a soft spot for competing at the annual Bullbustin’ spectacle.

“At a bull riding like this, it’s hard not to have fun,” Tetz said. “It’s, shoot, 10 minutes, maybe eight minutes to mom and dad’s house. I’ve been staying there for the week.

“It’s pretty nice to wake up at whatever time and not have to worry about driving or anything like that. I leave 10 minutes before I get here. I just get to show up, relax, sleep in my old bed and get to see my family and everything like that because I don’t get to see them too much.”

Being so close to home, Tetz will have support from his mom and dad June and Bruce, his sister Raylene and his fiancée Madyson Hagan as well as several of his old hockey teammates.

“A couple of them have been messaging me on Instagram asking, so I’m sure a couple of them will show up,” said Tetz, who’s happy his immediate family can get to see him doing what he loves. “They don’t come and watch very often. It was pretty special.”

Competing in Pool A during the day at the Stampede until Sunday, Tetz will also take part in the final Bullbustin’ performance on Saturday.

“The gear might be a little wet and sweaty, but it’s always fun,” he said. “It’s just fun when you’re just rolling and going to the next one. You can’t overthink everything too much. Those are the best times when you just get to have fun like that.”

Since three of his biggest fans won’t be in attendance this weekend, Tetz is riding with a bit of a heavy heart.

“It kind of sucks this year, I lost both my mom’s parents (Boris and Gloria Gregorchuk) this winter,” said Tetz, whose aunt Colleen Brandt also passed away two years ago. “Stampede was her time. She always went and watched the parade every year and they would go and watch the chuckwagons every single year. It’ll kind of be special. They’ll have the best seats in the house for it all and they won’t have to pay for it.”

If everything goes according to plan, Tetz will qualify to compete in the Stampede rodeo finals on July 14 during Championship Sunday.

Before that, he’ll turn his attentions to competing for the Arizona Ridge Riders at the first event of the 2024 PBR Camping World Team Series season at the inaugural Wildcatter Days in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

“I’ll fly down to Oklahoma City Thursday and then we’ll ride Friday and Saturday and then I’ll either catch a red-eye or I’ll fly out at 6 a.m. out of Oklahoma City and get back for the Sunday in Calgary,” said Tetz of his ultimate plan of action.

CALGARY STAMPEDE
BAREBACK
POOL A
Friday — Day 1
1. Leighton Berry (Weatherford, Texas), Special Delivery, 88.5 points, $7,000; 2. Nick Pelke (Mondovi, Wisc.), Shadow Warrior, 84.5, $5,500; 3. Kade Sonnier (Carencro, La), Bigtimin Houston, 84.0, $3,875; 3. Waylon Bourgeois (Church Point, La.), Cinchy Whitney, 84.0, $3,875; 5. Weston Timberman (Columbus, Mont.), Tootsie Roll 83.5, $2,000; 6. Cole Franks (Clarendon, Texas), Forgetful Nelly, 81.5, $1,000; 7. Cole Reiner (Buffalo, Wyo.), Lawless, 81.0, $0; 8. Dantan Bertsch (Ponoka, Alta.), Descending Rocket, 80.0, $0; 9. Mason Clements (Spanish Fork, Utah), Weary Joke, 78.0, $0; 10. Clint Laye (Cadogan, Alta.), Hot Shot, 66.0, $0.

BARREL RACING
POOL A
Friday — Day 1
1. Tiany Schuster (Krum, Texas), 17.54 seconds, $7,000; 2. Lisa Lockhart (Oelrichs, S.D.), 17.63, $5,500; 3. Jessica Routier (Buffalo, S.D.), 17.78, $4,500; 4. Taylor Manning (Yellowhead County, Alta.), 17.89, $3,250; 5. Britttany Pozzi Tonozzi (Lampasas, Texas) 17.93, $2,000; 6. Sue Smith (Blackfoot, Idaho), 18.48, $1,000; 7. Emily Beisel (Weatherford, Okla.), 19.24, $0; 8. Bailey Smith (Marwayne, Alta.), 20.98, $0; 9. Karli Cowie (Mankota, Sask.) 22.48, $0; 10. Ashley Castleberry (Montgomery, Texas), 24.33, $0.

NOVICE BAREBACK
Friday — Day 1
1. Jace Lomheim (Hughendon, Alta.), Getting Friskey, 78.5 points; 2. Denver Leitch (Grimshaw, Alta.), Forked Yuppie, 68.5; 3. Brady Schlesiger (Sturgeon County, Alta.), Favourite Bubbles, 58.5; — Rhett Tattrie (Hanna, Alta.), re-ride, bucked off;? — Chase McNulty (Biggar, Sask.), Guarded Night, BO; — Morgan Frail (Weyburn, Sask.), Get Across Betty, BO.

TIE-DOWN ROPING
POOL A
Friday — Day 1
1. Tuf Cooper (Decatur, Texas), 7.3 seconds, $7,000; 2. Chance Thiessen (Tuttle, Okla.), 7.4, $5,500; 3. Shane Smith (Wimborne, Alta.), 7.7, $4,500; 4. John Douch (Huntsville, Texas), 8.0, $3,250; 5. Logan Bird (Nanton, Alta.), 8.3, $2,000; 6. Kyle Lucas (Carstairs, Alta.), 8.4, $1,000; 7. Caleb Smidt (Bellville, Texas), 16.5, $0; 8. Marcos Costa (Iretama, Brazil), 17.0, $0; 9. Blane Cox (Stephenville, Texas), no time, $0; 10. Shad Mayfield (Clovis, N.M.), no time, $0.

SADDLE BRONC
POOL A
Friday — Day 1
1. Riggin Smith (Winterset, Idaho), Erotic Tango, 85.0 points, $7,000; 2. Sage Newman (Melstone, Mont.), Einstein Quest, 83.5, $3,812.50; 2. Logan Cook (Alto, Texas), Come Along, 83.5, $3,812.50; 2. Layton Green (Millarville, Alta.), Miscrient, 83.5, $3,812.50; 2. Sterling Crawley (Stephenville, Texas), Baby Kibitz, 83.5, $3,812.50; 6. Zeke Thurston (Big Valley, Alta.), Birch Bubbles, 83.0, $1,000; 7. Tanner Butner (Daniel, Wyo.), Double Red, 82.0, $0; 8. Lefty Holman (Visalia, Calif.), Amazon Hills, 81.0, $0; 8. Parker Fleet (Axtell, Texas), Exciting Bubbles, 79.5, $0; 10. Statler Wright (Beaver, Utah), Borderline Untimely, BO, $0.

STEER WRESTLING
POOL A
Friday — Day 1
1. Dalton Massey (Hermiston, Ore.), 4.7 seconds, $7,000; 2. Scott Guenthner (Provost, Alta.), 4.8, $5,500; 3. Don Payne (Stephenville, Texas), 5.0, $4,500; 4. Justin Shaffer (Hico, Texas), 5.3, $3,250; 5. Tucker Allen (Ventura, Calif.), 7.1, $2,000; 6. Stephen Culling (Fort St. John, B.C.), 7.3, $1,000; 7. Jacob Talley (Keatchie, La.), 9.5, $0; 8. Will Lummus (Byhalia, Miss.), 14.5, $0; 9. Nick Guy (Sparta, Wisc.), 15.5, $0; 10. Walt Arnold (Coleman, Texas), NT, $0.

BULL RIDING
POOL A
Friday — Day 1
1. Hayes Weight (Goshen, Utah), Sky Fall, 86.5, $7,200; 2. Wyatt Gleeson (Sundre, Alta.), Down With The Devil, 86.0, $5,700; 3. Mason Moody (Letcher, S.D.), Fallen Angel, 85.0, $4,700; 4. Nick Tetz (Calgary, Alta.), Ramblin Man, 84.0, $3,450; 5. Edgar Durazo (Moctezuma, Mexico), Late Nite Host, 78.5, $2,200; 6. Jacob Gardner (Fort St. John, B.C.), Whistleblower, BO, $0; 7. Tristen Hutchings (Monteview, Idaho), State Law, BO, $0; 8. Ashton Sahli (Red Deer, Alta.), Alameda Slim (re-ride), BO, $0; 9. Maverick Smith (Mountain Grove, Mo.), Skunk Ape, BO, $0; 10. Luke Mast (Hutchinson, Kan.), Devils Advocate, BO, $0.