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CALGARY – Beloved Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has accepted an offer from the Calgary Stampede to be their 2013 parade marshal.

Hadfield, who took command of the International Space Station in March, will end his five-month journey on Monday.

Speculation that Hadfield might head to Calgary in July for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth started Wednesday night, after an exchange between him and the Calgary Stampede on Twitter.

During the Twitter conversation, Stampede organizers asked Hadfield what he thought of “sitting in a horse saddle at full gravity,” to which Hadfield replied “Space suit, white hat, cowboy boots – I’ll be ready to ride anything that stays below 8km a second.”

On Thursday, Doug Fraser with The Calgary Stampede confirmed to Global News they had extended an invitation to Hadfield to be the parade marshal in 2013, and even posted an official invitation on YouTube.

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WATCH:

Bob Thompson extends an official invitation for Chris Hadfield to be the 2013 Calgary Stampede Parade Marshall.

Shortly after, Hadfield tweeted that he’d be “thrilled” to be the Stampede parade marshal, and said it is an incredible honour.

“Going from zero gravity to horse-back is going to be a huge adjustment, but I’m up for the challenge.”

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“We are thrilled Commander Hadfield will be leading our 2013 Stampede Parade,” said Thompson, in a statement. “Commander Hadfield is truly a Canadian icon, a Canadian hero. He’s done remarkable work sharing experiences from the International Space Station and creating a community to celebrate and behold our planet. I believe that parade goers will join in on the opportunity to recognize and celebrate this incredible Canadian, especially so soon after he returns to earth.”



Feb 12th: Calgary at night, shining in the foothills of the Rockies. Nose Hill Park really stands out. twitter.com/cmdr_hadfield March 15th: Calgary in the snows of early March. Time for a warm wind from the Rockies? . twitter.com/cmdr_hadfield April 15th: Calgary AB, glowing up into space, early on Sunday morning. twitter.com/cmdr_hadfield May 9th: @calgarystampede I would be THRILLED to be the Stampede Parade Marshall! A great reason to come back to Earth! . May 7th: Good to know that after 5 months, my Sokhol pressure suit still fits. It's what we wear in the Soyuz. High fashion. twitter.com/cmdr_hadfield Chris Hadfield served as Calgary Stampede marshal in 2001. Calgary Stampede

The Calgary Stampede runs from July 5th – 14th, 2013. Hadfield is somewhat of a veteran marshal, having served the role back in 2001 as part of a group.The Calgary Stampede runs from July 5th – 14th, 2013.

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