The Calgary Stampede at 100

I think I have a good reason to be proud … I’m an honorary Calgarian.  That’s what I became after reciting the oath and receiving my “White Hat.”  The hat is not only an enduring symbol of the Wild West and the cowboy but also of the Calgary Stampede which celebrated its 100^th Anniversary this past July.  The tradition of the “White Hat” ceremony, begun in 1950 by Mayor Don McKay, is still the official welcome to visitors to this day.

For those who don’t already know it, Calgary is the breathing heart of Western Canada, a place where prairie meets mountains, located just north of Montana in the province of Alberta.  The city has over a million inhabitants; however, that population practically doubles every July when the Stampede rides in to town.  The annual event is the largest rodeo in the world and as such the city is consumed by it.  In 2012 over 1.4 million people attended the 100^th anniversary of the event, a new record.  It was an anniversary filled with excitement, emotion and a little controversy.

I had decided that I wanted to visit Calgary for the Stampede and to revisit Banff National Park, only two hours away by car, where I’d spent time some 30 years earlier. I found Calgary to be a cosmopolitan city that had rolled up its sleeves for this annual event. I’d never been to a rodeo and for this year’s centennial the city was going all out. Everyone was super excited and I witnessed how this excitement found its way into every nook and cranny of the city. Restaurants and bars had special Stampede menus; nearly everyone was dressed in their best Western gear including (of course) white hats, jeans belted with big buckles, chaps and cowboy boots.   And, naturally, everyone was out to have a great time, including myself.

I planned my arrival around the final days of the Stampede so needless to say everything was revved up to high gear.  A group of us began in Rope Square for a breakfast of bacon and pancakes and a good old fashioned Hat Stomping Competition.  Also taking place in the square was the flapjack flipping competition. Afterward, we headed for  some Bloody Caesars, Canada’s answer to the Bloody Mary, to wash down that breakfast, then waited for the official opening parade of old time rigs down 9th Avenue to Stampede Park, the venue built by the city in 1999 to house the yearly extravaganza. The lucky folks in the rigs, singers and musicians on floats and various and sundry cowboys all promenaded to the park for the day’s rodeo followed by the cheering crowd.

The Stampede is Calgary’s banner event, consisting of the rodeo, an agricultural fair and a huge midway with attractions, concerts, rides and tons of food.  Held every July for 10 days, it’s attended by people the world over well as numerous Canadians and incorporates historical elements, including First People (native Indians) in ceremonial dress, chuckwagon races, the Canadian Mounted Police, marching bands and a spectacular show featuring the Young Canadians and a headliner.

A Little History

Guy Weadick, a famous cowboy and vaudevillian in the traveling Wild West shows, had a vision to start this event in 1912. The first Stampede was called: “Frontier Days and Cowboy Championship Contest.”  Guy got together a team of investors that included Pat Burns, George Lane, A.E. Cross and A.J. Maclean (known as The Big Four) to bankroll it.  When World War I got in the way for a few years after that the second Calgary Stampede didn’t materialize until 1919.  But it wasn’t until 1923 that the Stampede morphed into what it is today.  That was the year of the first chuckwagon races, the focal point of the rodeo, midway attractions and other communal activities which all figure in the big event today.

The Rodeo

The Calgary Stampede is the world’s most lucrative tournament style rodeo, offering over $2 million in prize money. As such, it is the World Series of rodeos and contestants must qualify for a chance to compete. The chuckwagon races are the centerpiece to bull riding, saddle bronc and bareback bronc riding, tie down roping, steer wrestling and barrel racing.

We were lucky to have the opportunity to go backstage during the action and catch the cowboys up close.  As with anything competitive, from behind the scenes things are more frenetic and less controlled then they are out front. You could see how passionate they were about what they were doing but you could also see the agony involved in participating.  Some competitors were icing themselves, dressing wounds with gauze bandages and just coping with the pressures involved in this high stakes, high stress sport.  Many participants hail from pure bred rodeo families so this is the life they’ve always known and they thrive on the activity and the awesome power of the competition. Their injuries are just a by-product. From the stands watching the bull riding and the bronco activities as a spectator all you see is the excitement and total control.  This is a show after all.

The Chuckwagon Races

The chuckwagon races are the most exciting and controversial part of the Calgary Stampede.  Each chuckwagon, reminiscent of a food truck, is driven by two riders and pulled by four horses. A horn blares and each of the 4 chuckwagons in a total of 9 heats must complete a figure 8 around a barrel, then race along a track that circles the center of Stampede Park.  These races are held every night of the Stampede with the winning finalists competing on the last night for the big purse. They are the highlight of every evening and anyone who comes to the Stampede must experience at least one night watching them and rooting for a favorite team.

The Controversy

At this year’s Stampede a surprise chuckwagon crash left three horses dead.  Animal rights groups called for doing away with the races vehemently complaining that they’re inhumane.  The teams, who are often full families that own and train these horses, contest this claiming the animals are meticulously cared for and that most of them live long lives. We visited behind the scenes the day after the tragedy and spoke with well-known chuckwagon racer and third generation champion, Rick Frasier, who was noticeably saddened by the controversy.  Rick talked candidly with a tear in his eye confirming that these thoroughbred animals are often destined for the slaughterhouse after three years of running.  The races give them a new lease on life allowing them to live well into their years and do what they love – run.   They are treated royally by their owners and also develop a sense of being part of a team since they run in groups of four. To me this year’s incident seemed an unfortunate anomaly that could not have been predicted.

The Grandstand Show

At the end of the day, The Calgary Stampede is really a good old country fair with a unique Canadian style.  The Royal Mounted police started off the competitions in full regalia.  We watched the parade of Mounties from the Clubhouse restaurant above the grandstand and enjoyed a bird’s eye view of this pre-show to the rodeo events.  When the rodeo concluded there was the phenomenal finale, the Grandstand Show, featuring numerous big top acts brought in from around the globe as well as the Young Canadians, many still in grammar school and studying the performing arts in Calgary. This was their chance to strut their stuff in the big show. The show, which gets bigger and better each year and (purportedly, this Centennial year) cost over $17 million to produce, is manned by volunteers who work all year long to make it the powerhouse that it is. This includes everything from choosing musical numbers, choreographing routines and making costumes and elaborate sets to getting a featured performer, this year Canada’s own international country star, Paul Brandt. And let’s not forget the staggering display of fireworks when the curtain went down.

After the show was over we walked out in awe of Stampede but didn’t want the night to end so we headed to Nashville North on the midway to celebrate 100 years with all the Calgarians and tourists.  It was the last night and everyone was in party mode enjoying a good old fashioned hoedown with live country music and dancing the two-step.  The exhilaration of the 10 days of events was finally over and the 100^th Anniversary was a milestone.  As an honorary Calgarian, I experienced all the excitement of the Calgary Stampede and saw my first live rodeo. I spent two full days seeing all the shows and enjoying some of the top restaurants in Calgary.  Would I do it again?  You bet!  And since I have my White Hat stashed away in a safe place, I’ll be ready.