With a time of 3.4 seconds, Wade Sumpter, former Fowler High School graduate, swept the steer wrestling competition at the Calgary Stampede in Canada Sunday afternoon.

Sumpter's closest competitors put the pressure on with three identical, hard to beat times. Former Stampede champion, Curtis Cassidy of Donalda, Alberta, tipped his steer in 3.5 seconds as did Casey McMillen of Craig, Colo. Sean Mulligan of Coleman, Okla., ran his steer in 3.5 seconds but a broken barrier cost him a ten second penalty taking his score to 13.5.

Riding his main horse, Wick and with injured Calgarian cowboy, Lee Graves hazing, Sumpter wowed the crowd shaving a critical tenth of a second off his time and leaving Calgary with a $100,000 paycheck. "I don't know what you're supposed to do with money like that," Sumpter said, laughing. "I've never had it before."

Sumpter’s mother, Cindy, says, “This is a fantastic opportunity for Wade. The Stampede is a great rodeo and he’s had a great year.”

Known as the world's largest outdoor rodeo the Calgary Stampede is a 10-day event held every July in Alberta, Canada.  The top competitor in each event takes home $100,000 in addition to the daily money won throughout the week. Sumpter topped the week’s second qualifying series with $12,500.

Sumpter finished sixth last year in the World Standings and is currently in first place this year. Still on the road, Sumpter drove all night Sunday to another rodeo where as of press time he had won in the first round. Sumpter won’t be back home in Fowler until September.

To view a slideshow of Sumpter's winning click here. (Courtesy of the Calgary Sun)