80 Years of the Calgary Stampede Crown

The tradition of the Calgary Stampede Royalty was born from a moment of pure spontaneity in 1946. Stampede Arena Director Jack Dillon saw 20-year-old Patsy Rodgers lead a string of horses to the river for a drink when he realized he’d found exactly what the Stampede needed: an ambassador who could carry the spirit of the Stampede beyond the grounds. Rodgers became the first Stampede Queen, eventually headlining at Madison Square Garden as “Miss Canada” and turning a single season into an 80-year legacy.

For the more than 275 women who have worn the crown since, the role of Stampede Royalty has been a turning point that has shaped their confidence, careers and lives.

"I thought I was very shy. I was terrified of talking," recalls Cindy Sergerie, the 1976 Queen who is now marking 50 years since her reign. Not caring much for the spotlight, she was drawn to the program’s equine focus. "The thing that drew me was that it was about horses. I would do anything to be on horses," she says. What she found instead was what she calls "the best women's youth development program in the entire world." The shy girl who just wanted to ride ended up in a 'surreal experience,' discovering a bravery she didn't know she possessed. "It changed me completely. Changed my whole life, the direction I was going," she says.

The impact was so profound that she encouraged her own daughter, Tara Sergerie, to run many years later. Today, they share the unique bond of being 'Royalty Alumni Sisters'.

By 1997, when Holly Cartwright was crowned Queen, the role had evolved into a high-stakes masterclass in public relations. "A lot of people always misunderstood what the role really was and how much public relations and communications it really is," she says. "People go to school to get these skills."

The role was defined by connection and the lasting impression of a first encounter. Once, during a pancake breakfast, Cartwright met a little girl who looked at the crown with wide-eyed wonder. Years later, Holly discovered that the girl had grown up to be a cousin through marriage, and she had never forgotten the moment they met. "When I look back now," Cartwright reflects, "sometimes I’m amazed at all the things we did."

Today, the modern Royalty is defined by the partnership between the Stampede Princess and the First Nations Princess.

2016 First Nations Princess Vanessa Stiffarm saw the crown as a platform for a mission. When she ran, her sister was only three years old. "There wasn't a lot of Indigenous women representation," Vanessa says. "I just wanted my sister to have someone to look up to who looked like her. That really carried me forward."

Stiffarm sees the role as a continuation of the vision set by Stampede Founder Guy Weadick, which was putting on an authentic Western show that respected and included First Nations people. "The program has evolved over time, but it's [still] a program that builds up women," she says. "The opportunity is real, and so many doors open. There were so many things [I did] that I never would have imagined."

To celebrate 80 years of these stories and the women who lived them, Sam Centre’s new exhibit in the Ross Glen Gallery, Centre Stage: The Story of Calgary Stampede Royalty, invites visitors to step behind the crown and explore a legacy that continues to shape the Stampede today.