Why did a horse trot into the Winnipeg Art Gallery? Well, that is thanks to one of the Grey Cup’s oldest traditions. Tuffy Nuff the horse, the mascot of the Calgary Stampeders, made his grand entrance to the gallery Thursday evening. “It’s been awesome. Winnipeg has been outstanding,” said Tuffy Nuff’s rider, Steve Sommerfeld, chair of the Calgary Grey Cup Committee. “Just been phenomenal. Looking forward to a great, great week.” Tuffy Nuff’s visit to the gallery is part of a nearly eight-decade-old tradition. “It kind of goes back to 1948 when we had a bunch of people from Calgary load up on a train,” Sommerfeld said. When they got off the train, a Stampeders fan rode a horse right into the lobby of Toronto’s Royal York Hotel. “That tradition has continued on. This is the 77th year,” Sommerfeld said. Along with Tuffy Nuff’s art gallery appearance, the horse also made a stop at a Legion for a pancake breakfast.
