Cherie Copithorne-Barnes, First Vice-Chair of the Board at the Calgary Stampede, was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws (Hon. LLD) Degree by the University of Calgary in November 2025. A fourth-generation rancher and CEO of CL Ranches Ltd., Cherie has carried forward a 138-year family legacy, advancing sustainable beef production, strengthening the connection between agriculture and business, and helping shape national standards through her founding leadership with the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef.
 
We visited Cherie at CL Ranch to learn more about her life, her career in ranching, and the values that have guided her journey as an industry leader and First Vice-Chair of the Calgary Stampede.
 
Watch the full video to learn more about Cherie’s story.

Related Images

Download icon

Recent Stories

Behind the Crown & Leathers – Where Design and Tradition Tell Stampede Royalty’s Story

September 23, 2026

Every fall, finalists stand together in anticipation at the Royalty Crowning events, waiting to hear if their name will be called as the next Calgary Stampede Princess, or Calgary Stampede First Nations Princess. For the successful candidates, the moment marks the beginning of a year spent representing the Calgary Stampede, sharing Western hospitality, celebrating culture and building connections throughout the community.

Eighteen Months in the Making: Inside the Stampede Youth Poster Competition

September 23, 2026

When the 2027 Calgary Stampede Poster is unveiled this October, it will arrive as a finished image. What the reveal won’t show is the 18 months of training behind it — or the 30 young artists who went through the Stampede Youth Poster Competition together.

From Clinics to Competition: Young Riders Take on the 4-H Rodeo

September 23, 2026

For 69 young riders and ropers from more than 25 4-H clubs across the Prairies, the Calgary Stampede's 4-H Rodeo is a chance to sharpen their skills, learn from professionals and put what they learned to the test in events most had never tried.