Fort St. John rider to compete in Calgary Stampede

A Fort St. John resident and his trusty companion will be competing at this year’s Calgary Stampede.

Longtime rider Glenn Stewart and his 10 year-old stallion Genuine Jet Smooth have qualified to compete in the Calgary Stampede’s Extreme Cowboy Up Challenge taking place in July.

Glenn earned the qualification by winning last year’s event at the Calgary Stampede.

The event involves a variety of skills the rider and horse must execute, including jumping, riding through an obstacle course, galloping and even some bareback riding.

As someone returning to the event, Stewart feels he and his horse have an advantage over someone new to the competition. He says the crowd and atmosphere can be overwhelming for both the rider and animal and knowing what to expect is advantageous.

The competition has a prize of more than $5,000 and the Stampede is expecting more than 10,000 people.

Stewart and Genuine Jet Smooth will begin training at their riding school, the Horse Ranch, where he hosts riding clinics. Anyone interested can check out videos of Glen’s previous competitions can visit his website.