Calgary Stampede reveals 2025 poster, designed by 22-year-old artist

It was third time’s a charm for a young Calgary artist whose artwork was chosen as the 2025 Calgary Stampede poster.

Twenty-two-year-old Elora Kiddle has participated in the Calgary Stampede Youth Poster Competition three times and will finally have her signature on an iconic part of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.

The recent Alberta University of the Arts graduate captured the essence of barrel racing in her winning piece Grit to Greatness, which features barrel racer Kellie Jorgensen (née Collier) and her horse, Salty, during the 2021 Stampede.

“Just like the Stampede grew from dust into The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth, creating this piece meant pushing through challenges,” Kiddle said. “With every splatter and brushstroke, I felt like I was finding my own voice as an artist.”

The artist is a born and raised Calgarian who attends Stampede every year with her family and her twin sister, Emily, is in her sixth year as a trombonist with the Stampede Showband.

“The Stampede has always been a big part of my life. I got my first job in the grandstand, where I witnessed the energy and determination of the Rodeo every day,” Kiddle said. “I wanted to channel that same level of determination and excitement while creating this year’s poster. I’ve dreamed of this moment for years, and to see it come to life is something I’ll carry with me forever.”

She is the seventh winner of the competition and was awarded the the $10,000 Dustin Peers Memorial Scholarship.

Applications are already open for the 2026 competition. The deadline is Friday, Dec. 6.

Kiddle’s poster will join the previous six in a special exhibit at the Sam Centre from Nov. 6 to 10. She will be available to sign prints of her poster from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 7, 8, and 9.