Outlaw Comes Home to the Calgary Stampede

When John Anderson decided to donate the original Outlaw painting to the Calgary Stampede, it was more than an act of generosity—it was a homecoming. The painting, created by Montana artist Don Oelze for the 2010 Calgary Stampede Poster, captures the power and spirit of one of the most legendary bulls in rodeo history.

“My dad was a really philanthropic guy, and he always liked to give back to the community,” said Anderson. “One night I was looking at that painting, it was a few days after our daughter Reagan Rose was born, and my wife and I said, you know, it belongs at Stampede. The Stampede does great things for me, so I’m the kind of guy that says, hey, you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.”

The Calgary Stampede bull, Outlaw, was famous for his intelligence and power. Of the 71 riders who tried, only one ever stayed on for the full eight seconds. “He was the first animal to ever close the New York Stock Exchange — and the first time it was done outside the U.S.,” said Jessica Smallman, Collections Specialist for the Calgary Stampede. “He had a bell around his neck, they opened the chute, and he rang the bell to close the Exchange.”

The painting now joins the Stampede’s growing art collection, which has flourished since the opening of the Sam Centre in 2024. Outlaw will be on display at Sam Centre’s Branded: The Art of the Calgary Stampede Poster exhibit until January, before taking up a permanent home at the Nutrien Western Event Centre.

For Smallman, donations like this are becoming increasingly common—and deeply meaningful. “Since opening Sam Centre, more and more people have come forward wanting to donate their Stampede artifacts,” she said. “It’s amazing to see the community help us preserve the spirit of the Stampede for future generations.”

That spirit of giving runs deep at the Stampede—from art donations like Outlaw to the generosity of community builders Alan and Shelly Norris, who are matching every donation up to $25,000 this upcoming Giving Tuesday (Dec. 2) to support the Calgary Stampede Foundation's youth education programs.

It’s this collective generosity that keeps the Stampede story alive and reminds us that the heart of the Stampede beats through the people who give back—shaping the stories yet to come.