A local athlete can now claim the title of Calgary Stampede Champion, twice over.

Darcy Brown along with his penning teammates Robert Brunneau and Harvey Penner competed last week in the Calgary Stampede an event referred to as The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. With competitors from all over the world, the title of Stampede Champion comes an understanding of skill and prestige.

Brown along with two teammates from Alberta captured first place in 14 Class Champion cattle penning and then won first place with Bruneau and Penner to win the title of Open Class Champion. And according to Brown, the Open Class Champion is the most coveted, ‘the Open is ‘The One', that's the prestigious one. That's the one everybody wants.’

Team penning is a fast-paced event, where a team of three riders on horseback has 60 seconds to separate three specifically identified cattle from a herd of 30 and get them into a pen at the opposite end of the arena.

Brown and his teammates enjoy the challenge of the event. The event is based on skill level and similarly rated riders compete. It takes teamwork and a plan on how to get the cows you’ve been assigned. ‘You gotta be riding in under 30 seconds usually to win it, so it's something. It's fun, it's fast and fun fun, fun.’

The passion for penning for Brown is all due to wanting to connect with his teenage daughter. ‘It started with my daughter who wanted to ride, and then I wanted to do what she wanted to do through her teenage years. I started traveling and we started competing together. We went out to Alberta to the Canadian Nationals; she won that year. A few years back I won the Canadian nationals as well, but that's how it started. I started riding with my daughter. She's kind of quick and I'm hooked. I'm just I absolutely just love the sport.’

Brown has had successes in the past with his penning. He’s competed in the Canadian Nationals and made the top 20 in the Stampede in 2018. That same year he also headed to Texas and placed 13th in the World Finals in 2018. With the Stampede being canceled in 2020, this year was long-awaited. Brown says, ‘this was my year to win it.’

Receiving the buckles as he won the events at this year’s Stampede was one filled with emotion for Brown. ‘My faith is really tight to what I do. So, I try really hard to be an example of what that should look like. To be a believer, to be a competitor, regardless of what people think of that.’

Brown is thankful and acknowledges deep respect for his wife and her willingness to let him compete to the level that he does. And winning the title of Calgary Stampede Champion was the culmination of many years of hard work. ‘When you get an accomplishment like that and you know that you've done it right; you've worked hard, you're actually not taking any corners. You've not slandered people, just everything you've done, you've done it well, it’s overwhelming.’