Calgary's Nick Tetz stays hot, earns massive Stampede payday as bulls rule Day 2

Nick Tetz might well become a household name among Calgarians when the week ahead is all wrapped up.

Yes … the young bull rider is just that hot.

So sizzling, in fact, rumour is that after his fourth win this week in the city — with Saturday’s go-round victory at the Calgary Stampede — the home-town Flames want him riding shot-gun with Jonathan Huberdeau.

“Maybe … I don’t know (if I can play) at that level,” said Tetz, who was actually a pretty good puck player as a member of the Calgary Under-18 AAA Royals back in 2016-17.

“One of the cool experiences I got to have last year with the (Professional Bull Riders’) Arizona Ridge Riders is to go and skate with the ASU Sun Devils,” continued the 25-year-old Calgarian. “Everybody on the Ridge Riders knew I could play hockey, but I don’t think they thought I was actually that good. And so they seen the video that came out and were like, ‘Man, you’re actually pretty good at hockey.’”

Turns out he’s pretty dang good at bull riding, too.

And Calgarians are finding that out first-hand at events across the city.

Tetz followed up three straight nights of winning Cody Snyder’s Charity Bullbustin’ at Grey Eagle Resort and Casino — Wednesday, Thursday and Friday — with a whopping $23,250 first-place prize in the Stampede’s bull-riding performance Saturday.

The rookie Stampede participant was the only cowboy to stay on after 11 efforts on Day 2, including one re-ride by Red Deer’s Ashton Sahli, as the bulls ruled the ring.

“Nothing,” said Tetz, when asked what seeing all the riders before him get bucked off did for his motivation to take home Saturday’s entire purse. “The job stays the same. It’s bull riding. If you’re riding 50 per cent of your bulls, you’re doing a really good job. So you try not to pay too much attention.

“But I knew Ashton got a re-ride there, so I knew there was still one left after me. I’m getting married to fiancée (Madyson Hagan) in August, and Ashton’s one of the groomsmen.”

Tetz’s successful ride was a healthy effort, to boot — a sparkling 85.0-point show aboard Home Alone to pocket all the day-money.

And he heard it from the fans in the GMC Stadium grandstand, as they went wild for the home-town hero.

The fact it was his just his second-ever ride at the Stampede made it even more impressive.

But he insists there’s no secret to the sudden success on home turf.

“Honestly, it’s for me, I thrive when I’m getting on bulls all the time and I don’t got time to think about it — and that’s what this year has been the last little bit,” Tetz said. “We’ve just been rolling, going from bull ride to bull ride and rodeo to rodeo. You get bucked off one, but you’ve got another one the next day, and it just makes it way easier to stay positive and not get down on yourself when you’re able to go all week and just keep getting on.

“It’s been a good week in my home town — that’s for dang sure. I can’t complain about it. I’ve been able to draw some really good bulls and capitalize on opportunities.

“It means the world,” continued Tetz of winning at the Stampede. “I think for anybody, it means that much. But for me, growing up watching this rodeo and getting to come and watch every year and growing up only 15 minutes from the grounds, there’s no real words to describe it.”

The cash total helps describe just how hot he’s been.

But even with the sharp Bullbustin’ performances and Saturday’s spotlight moment at the Stampede amounting to $40,000-plus in four days, Tetz insists the real reward isn’t the material gain.

“I’m not going to worry about the money,” Tetz said. “When it hits the bank account, it hits the bank account.

“It’s not necessarily for the money — it’s just because I love to ride bulls. The money is a plus that we’re able to make.

“I’m just here riding bulls and having fun — and that’s all it is,” added Tetz. “It’s always a little nerve-wracking competing in front of your hometown crowd. You want to do good. 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 home-town crowd like that.

“But there’s no pressure for me. This is just what I do for a living. And I’m lucky enough to be doing what I love.”

BULLBUSTIN’ WIN

Donnie Rutherford of Australia rounded out the 2024 Bullbustin’ event Saturday with a win. The visit was his first to the event, and he capped it at Grey Eagle with a score of 88.5 — the top score of the entire five days of Bullbustin’ — on a bull named Langhan Kid.

tsaelhof@postmedia.com

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