RODEO NOTES: Stampede brought bull-rider a wife and son 'Calgary'

The Calgary Stampede has been life-changing for Texas bull-rider Chase Dougherty.

Not so much in the wallet … yet.

But certainly in finding a lifetime partner and starting a family — with a little boy he and his wife named Calgary.

“Me and my wife, Kara, met here in 2019,” said Dougherty, happy to tell his love story.

“The Stampede is what brought us together,” continued the cowboy. “She was doing sports med here — she was an intern, hanging out and watching. And I had a shoulder brace back then and was going in every day to get work done. But I was chicken — wouldn’t get her to help me. I’d just get some big ol’ hairy guy.”

With his courage not nearly as high as when he’s getting on beastly animals, Dougherty caught some destiny on a night out to another iconic city venue.

“Ranchman’s — that’s really where it all started,” said Dougherty, with a pretty grin. “That’s officially where we met. I was scared to go talk to her at the Stampede — she’s a pretty girl. I just got lucky that she happened to be there at Ranchman’s just hanging out with some friends.

“It was fate — pretty crazy.”

It was actually Kara — herself from Southern California — who got the ball rolling, although Dougherty himself isn’t sure even today if it was wittingly or not.

“Another girl asked me where the bathroom was, so I told her,” Dougherty said. “Kara must have seen that, because then she walked up to me and asked where the bathroom is.

“That’s when I said, ‘I’m going to get her,’” continued Dougherty. “I said to her, ‘I’ll tell you where the bathroom is if you come back and dance with me,’ thinking she’ll never come back. But sure enough, she did — and it’s been history ever since.

“We got married 11 months later. And then nine months after we got married, we had our first boy — and we decided to name him ‘Calgary’ because that’s where we met.

“This is where it all started for us.”

Calgary, the kid, isn’t with the couple on this trip to Calgary, the city. The two-year-old is back home in Texas right now.

“We wanted to bring him,” Dougherty said. “But he’s kind of a little hellion, and we weren’t sure how he was going to take these long, hot, sun-on-your-face days. And we really wanted to enjoy being here by ourselves and reminisce about what we started here. So we decided to leave him with Grandma.

“And hopefully, I can keep kicking butt riding bulls and come back in the next couple of years and he can come with and appreciate it more when he’s older.”

So far, so good in the kicking-butt department …

At least on the bulls at this Stampede.

Dougherty rode Smoke Bomb to a sparkling 87.5 points and a victory during Thursday’s first go-round of Pool C for $9,083 and added another $2,200 Friday after staying aboard Toothless Smile for a 77.5.

Friday’s winner was Kansas cowboy JR Stratford with an 88 on Smart as a Rock.

A ride Saturday in the final go-round of the pool should advance Dougherty onto Showdown Sunday.

Win or lose, there’s likely a trip to Ranchman’s in his plans in the next few nights.

“It’s our place, and it works either way (for celebration or to drown our sorrows),” added Dougherty.

“But it really is my fairy-tale story. I’ve always wanted to be able to ride bulls and win a gold buckle and have a family doing it all at the same time.

“God’s really blessed us.”

So has Calgary.

ORIN ON TOP

Manitoba bareback star Orin Larsen is a Stampede veteran.

He figures nine- or 10-timer.

“Calgary’s seen a lot of me, fortunately for me,” said the product of Inglis, Man. “But I haven’t got the big cheque yet.

“Gotten close a few times. Hopefully this is the year.”

If he rides like he did Friday, it might just be.

Larsen rode Barcelona City to 88 points and the $7,000 first-place payday on Day 2 of Pool C competition.

That’s locked the Canadian — a many-timer at the National Finals Rodeo, as well — into second among bareback stars here after two rounds.

The top-four money collectors, of course, advance to Showdown Sunday, where Larsen knows he’ll be cheered on from afar.

“You bet your ass Manitoba knows what the Calgary Stampede is — and they’re huge fans of it,” added Larsen. “I’ve got a big fanbase out in Manitoba that I’m grateful for. Manitoba is rodeo.”

AROUND THE CHUTES

Texas roper Quade Hiatt and Missouri’s Tom Crouse had matching 7-flat trips to top the tie-down roping event Friday. It’s wide open in the race for the four tie-down roping berths to advance to Showdown Sunday with only Saturday’s go-round to decide them. Only $8,000 separates the top roper in Texas veteran Cory Solomon and the other nine Pool C competitors … The fastest barrel racer of Day 8 was Oklahoma’s Leslie Smalygo in 17.06 seconds. That topped fellow Americans Jordon Briggs and Summer Kosel — both with 17.15s runs — for the $7,000 first-place prize … Oklahoma’s Tyler Pearson put together a quick bull-doggin’ trip of 3.7s to become the best steer wrestler on the second day of Pool C competition. Hawaii’s Trisyn Kalawaia holds down the top money through two tight go-rounds with $10,750, but it’s hardly safe yet to guarantee a spot on Showdown Sunday … Saskatchewan cowpoke Davis Young dominated the junior steer riding for the second-straight day riding to a splashy 80-point score. The final round on the steers goes Saturday, after which a champ will be crowned.

tsaelhof@postmedia.com

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