Coconut Roll, a famous Calgary Stampede mare that bucked her way to the Canadian Finals Rodeo on 11 occasions and to National Finals Rodeo a total of 10 times, has died after chronic illness at the age of 20 years old.
The genesis of her “Roll” name was her mother Rolly Polly, and her father was famous bucking horse Wild Strawberry — themselves both selected many times for the U.S. and Canadian Finals.
Coconut Roll was retired after the 2010 Canadian Finals Rodeo, and returned to the 22,000-acre Stampede Ranch, where she has been buried with her own tombstone near the entrance gates.
A stampede release said that a couple of years ago, she developed Cushing’s disease — an overactive adrenal gland — and was being treated by stampede veterinarians. Her health and quality of life declined recently, and she was humanely euthanized on July 10 at the age of 20.
