Ropers Deliver Under Pressure
Macy Young and John Douch knew they had to deliver quick times as the last competitors out of the gates in breakaway and tie-down roping, respectively, at the Calgary Stampede rodeo on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. Both succeeded, thrilling the crowd at GMC Stadium and securing their places on Championship Sunday.
Young, from Whitman, Ariz., recorded the fastest breakaway roping time of the day at 2.5 seconds. She had earned only $3,000 through the first two days of Pool B action, but her performance on Wednesday boosted her earnings to $10,000. “My game plan was really to back off the barrier and just run in there and catch him,” Young said. “I was off the barrier yesterday, went 3.2 and 3.2 today would have gotten me a good cheque. It was kind of unplanned to go at it like that, but it worked out.”
Cheanne McCartney of Oklahoma, who won Monday and Tuesday's go-rounds, finished second with a 2.7-second run. McCartney leads the standings with $19,500, followed by Young and Texan Jordi Edens-Mitchell with $9,000.
Tie-Down Roping Showdown
John Douch of Huntsville, Texas, also needed a fast time to improve on his $7,500 earnings. His friend and fellow roper Hunter Herrin told Douch he needed a 7.5-second run to advance. Douch beat that by one-tenth of a second, posting a 7.4 to win the round and boost his Pool B earnings to $14,500. “My buddy, Hunter Herrin, he told me when I rode in the box, I had to be 7.5 to move to the next round,” Douch said. “I go to rodeos every day of the week. You’re going up against the best guys in the world. There’s always going to be pressure.”
Douch, who has finished third in the tie-down roping finals twice, expressed his excitement: “I love this rodeo. I kind of always seem to do good whenever I need to. I’m pretty excited to finish out to see where it goes. I finished third year last year and I don’t want it to happen this year. I want to win first.”
Bull Riding Dominance
In bull riding, Texan Noah Lee and Idaho’s Tristen Hutchings made strong statements. Both had already secured spots on Championship Sunday, but they finished first and second on Wednesday to boost their earnings. Hutchings scored 87 points on Wild Time, and Lee topped that with 88.5 points on Special Opps. Lee now has $21,533.33 in earnings, while Hutchings has $21,033.33.
Texan Boudreau Campbell and Louisiana’s Dustin Bouquet tied for third with 84.5-point performances. Campbell earned $8,075 to lock down third place, ahead of Jorden Hansen of Amisk, Alta., who was bucked off Silver Creek and missed out on advancing.
