Nick Tetz has dreamed of competing in his hometown rodeo ever since he was a little buckaroo.
The 24-year-old bull rider accomplished his goal on Friday when he nodded his head in the chutes before posting a score of 84 points aboard Ramblin Man on the first day of Pool A action at the Calgary Stampede rodeo.
“I finally get to compete at the Calgary Stampede,” said the born-and-raised Calgarian, who grew up in the southwest neighbourhood of Haysboro. “I grew up watching it since I was four years old.”
His performance on Friday was good enough to put him in fourth spot behind Utah cowboy Hayes Weight (86.5 points on Sky Fall), Wyatt Gleeson (86 on Down with the Devil) of nearby Sundre, Alta., and Mason Moody (85 on Fallen Angel) of Letcher, S.D.
“It’s always a little nerve-wracking competing in front of your hometown crowd,” said Tetz, who has two more chances on Saturday and Sunday to show off his skills at the Stampede. “It’s definitely one that you want to make sure you do good on. It also kind of adds a little fuel to the fire when it is a hometown crowd like that.”
In addition to competing at the Stampede, Tetz has also been showing off his immense bull-riding talents at the 2024 Cody Snyder Charity Bullbustin’ event at the Grey Eagle Resort and Casino on the Tsuut’ina Nation.
After sitting out the first night of Bullbustin’ action due to nagging injuries to his free-arm shoulder and hand, Tetz finished atop the standings two nights in a row. Following a thrilling 88-point ride atop a rank bull named Emerald Inn on Wednesday night, he posted an equally impressive score of 87 on Hanna Motors Broken Halo 24 hours later.
“I’m just having fun riding bulls right now,” said Tetz, who also made the finals of the Ponoka Stampede on Canada Day in addition to winning the Wild West Professional Bull Riders (PBR) event in Ponoka the night before. “I just keep running my hand in the rope and just trying to do my job on everything that I do.”
When Snyder first saw Tetz compete five or six years ago, he didn’t know much about the multi-sport athlete who rose up through the minor hockey ranks until accomplishing one of his career highlights of playing for the Calgary Royals at the 2016 Mac’s AAA Midget Hockey Tournament (now known as the Circle K Classic).
“I knew about him, he was a AAA hockey player – a really good hockey player,” said Snyder, who has ran his event in Calgary for 25 years. “It’s quite the crossover for a kid to come from the city of Calgary to end up being a bull rider. It’s kind of unheard of. He’s turned into one of the best bull riders we’ve got. He’s a natural athlete. He works hard at it and he’s got a great attitude.”
While he’s enjoying his first go-round at the Stampede, the 2022 PBR Canada national champion also has a soft spot for competing at the annual Bullbustin’ spectacle.
“At a bull riding like this, it’s hard not to have fun,” Tetz said. “It’s, shoot, 10 minutes, maybe eight minutes to mom and dad’s house. I’ve been staying there for the week.
“It’s pretty nice to wake up at whatever time and not have to worry about driving or anything like that. I leave 10 minutes before I get here. I just get to show up, relax, sleep in my old bed and get to see my family and everything like that because I don’t get to see them too much.”
Being so close to home, Tetz will have support from his mom and dad June and Bruce, his sister Raylene and his fiancée Madyson Hagan as well as several of his old hockey teammates.
“A couple of them have been messaging me on Instagram asking, so I’m sure a couple of them will show up,” said Tetz, who’s happy his immediate family can get to see him doing what he loves. “They don’t come and watch very often. It was pretty special.”
Competing in Pool A during the day at the Stampede until Sunday, Tetz will also take part in the final two Bullbustin’ performances on Friday and Saturday.
“The gear might be a little wet and sweaty, but it’s always fun,” he said. “It’s just fun when you’re just rolling and going to the next one. You can’t overthink everything too much. Those are the best times when you just get to have fun like that.”
Since three of his biggest fans won’t be in attendance this weekend, Tetz is riding with a bit of a heavy heart.
“It kind of sucks this year, I lost both my mom’s parents (Boris and Gloria Gregorchuk) this winter,” said Tetz, whose aunt Colleen Brandt also passed away two years ago. “Stampede was her time. She always went and watched the parade every year and they would go and watch the chuckwagons every single year. It’ll kind of be special. They’ll have the best seats in the house for it all and they won’t have to pay for it.”
If everything goes according to plan, Tetz will qualify to compete in the Stampede rodeo finals on July 14 during Championship Sunday.
Before that, he’ll turn his attentions to competing for the Arizona Ridge Riders at the first event of the 2024 PBR Camping World Team Series season at the inaugural Wildcatter Days in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
“I’ll fly down to Oklahoma City Thursday and then we’ll ride Friday and Saturday and then I’ll either catch a red-eye or I’ll fly out at 6 a.m. out of Oklahoma City and get back for the Sunday in Calgary,” said Tetz of his ultimate plan of action.