The following web story has been updated with the corrected spelling of Ryder Topolinski’s last name.
A Grande Prairie teen made his mark over the weekend, winning the novice steer riding competition at the Calgary Stampede.
Ryder Topolinski said he came into the 2026 event thinking “I was going to win,” and focused on each round individually through the three-round junior competition, which wrapped up on Saturday, July 11.
“I knew once I got on the road, I had to do my job and I did and everything worked out real good,” Topolinski said.
He said the bovine athletes he competed on played a key role in his success, adding that in the opening round Thursday he rode one he had previously found success on at other rodeos.
The young competitor said one of the highlights was representing not just Grande Prairie but the Peace Country. He also offered advice for young athletes hoping to compete.
“Just give 100 per cent effort and don’t quit,” he said. “You’re going to go through slumps and you just have to get through.”
“Work on little things like dropping your arm and just using the proper technique and it will all come around.”
Topolinski won the event with an aggregate score of 239, posting scores of 79.50 Thursday, 76.50 Friday and 83.00 Saturday.
