Gleichen barrel racer to compete at Calgary Stampede

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

One of Canada’s top barrel racers, hailing from Gleichen, will be competing in the Calgary Stampede Rodeo, July 3-12.

Reigning Canadian champion and ranked among the Top 30 barrel racers globally, Jayden Wilson is gearing up to tackle the event as yet another rodeo along her annual circuit. 

“This is my first Stampede. It is very exciting, I feel like, especially growing up, I think the Calgary Stampede is a big deal for anyone. Everyone in North America seems to know about it,” said Wilson. “Especially when you grow up just down the road, we have gone to it every year for as long as I can remember to watch. To get the opportunity to go compete at it is pretty exciting.”

Wilson explained as a Canadian, the threshold to receive an invitation to compete at the Stampede is a high bar to clear. Only the Top 4 in the country recognized within the year will be invited to Calgary. 

For this year, the standings were taken from 2025 Canadian pro rodeos following the conclusion of the Canadian finals. Winning those, Wilson received an automatic invitation to the Calgary Stampede.

She described the feelings as being “surreal,” having worked her whole career to achieve this.

“My whole family comes from horses and rodeo. My mom’s a barrel racer, my dad was a saddle bronc rider, and my sister is also a barrel racer,” she added. “It is just something that we have always done, and growing up, I think I started when I was eight or nine actually rodeoing and then moved up through the junior, the amateur rodeo, and then now the pro rodeo ranks.”

Wilson began participating in rodeo sports when she was in grade school, taking part in gymkhana and similar events around Strathmore prior to starting with barrel racing.

Now 28 years old, she competes all across Canada and has expanded her reach into parts of the American rodeo scene.

“I went down to Texas in the winter for a few of the big Fort Worth and San Antonio rodeos I qualified for … I went to a few in North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana – so I go a little bit, but mainly I focus on Canada,” she said. “I feel like I have a lot of faith in my horse. He is who I have run for four years now, so that helps a lot but I’m sure when I get (to Calgary), there will be come nerves. Everybody I talk to says there is not really any stage quite like Calgary when you actually get there.”