A changing of the reins for Calgary Stampeders touchdown rider
Posted Jul 4, 2016 11:57 pm.
Last Updated Jul 5, 2016 5:23 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
There’s a new face riding “Quick Six” for the Calgary Stampeders, the long-time tradition of a horse galloping along the sidelines at McMahon Stadium is now a family tradition.
Chelsea Drake is taking over for her mother Karyn whose been circumnavigating the field after Stamps touchdowns for the last 23 years.
To top it off, Drake is also riding a new horse who’s also trying to get accustomed to the lights and sounds of a CFL game.
“It’s been quite a ride so far, I just have been at a loss for words. I can’t believe the day was on the 1st and I’ve been waiting for years while looking up to my mom,” said Chelsea Drake.
The 19 year old turns 20 later this year and has grown up with the tradition at McMahon.
“It’s quite special,” she said. “Ever since I was two, she would bring me to the games all the time and I was always her flag carrier.”
The elder Drake advised her daughter to always be kind, take care of her team, always smile and watch out for those cameramen on the sidelines.
“Be good to your fans and be overall a good person,” she said.
“To be able to work with the Stamps, being such an incredible organization and how they took care of my mom and how well they treated her, it makes me so proud to be part of the team,” she said. “I’m so grateful to be a part of it.”
“It’s going to take me some time, I have had some practice last year. My big game was the Halloween game and I would still get nervous each game. I don’t think it’s ever going to totally go away.”
Her big wish? The Calgary Stampeders can have another playoff run and she can take “Quick Six” on the road.
