CALGARY – After 23 years in the saddle of the Calgary Stampeders’ touchdown horse, Karyn Drake has handed the reins to her daughter.

Drake galloped Quick Six down the McMahon Stadium sidelines in celebration of Stampeder touchdowns in over 200 home games.

The 51-year-old also performed in eight Grey Cups, albeit sometimes on a borrowed horse.

Her daughter Chelsea will carry on the touchdown ride ritual, as well as trotting the Canadian flag around McMahon during the pre-game anthem.

So the winds of change that swept through Stampeder football operations when general manager John Hufnagel stepped aside to let Dave Dickenson coach this season also extended to Calgary’s unique CFL tradition.

“It was just kind of a natural fit with having a new coach and I knew Quick Six was getting up there in age,” Drake said prior to Calgary’s home-opener Friday against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“I thought it was time to pass the reins down and have a new rider and get a new horse. When I started back in ’93, I was so excited to have this job. I didn’t ever imagine I’d be carrying it on this long.”

Karyn officially retired at halftime Friday with Chelsea, who turns 20 this year, taking over in the second half.

But Karyn and Quick Six squeezed in two last canters down the sidelines when Calgary scored a pair of touchdown late in the second quarter.

“The sight of Karyn racing down the sidelines after a Stamps touchdown is one of the most iconic traditions in the CFL,” Hufnagel said in a statement.

Karyn retired the current edition of Quick Six after a dozen years of Stampeder service to the Drake family ranch northeast of Calgary.

“Quick Six will be at home taking care of cows and going out for nice evening rides,” Karyn said.

Chelsea’s eight-year-old gelding Joker is the next version of the familiar white mustang and retains the showbiz name Quick Six.

“My mom has always been my role model so it means the absolute world to me, to have her by my side every step of the way,” Chelsea said.

“Every day she gives me just a little bit of advice to always smile, be kind to everyone, enjoy your fans and always look out for the cameramen on the sidelines.”

Karyn will still be a backup rider for Chelsea. She and Quick Six have worked Stampeder games in some of the worst Alberta weather.

“There was one Halloween game and it was minus-30 and we had a silver, heavy metal chest plate,” she recalled. “He looked like a warrior horse.

“We’ve rode in rain, snow and heat.”