Calgary Stampede

The whole of Calgary is Stampede mad. It's the biggest date in the calendar. Everyone dresses in cowboy hats, boots, denim, big buckles and cowboy shirts. The locals assured me it goes back to normal after its all over!

I got up early. Queued for and hour to get into Stampede Park which is set up as a huge fun fair. In the hot morning sun I queued for another hour to get a ticket to the rodeo itself. This wasn't the big money day but there wasn't a spare seat in the house.

There were marching bands, fireworks and hula hoop performances before they got down to business. When the accrual rodeo started I was uncomfortable with the cruelty to the animals pretty quickly and couldn't stick it out to the end.

The first event was bare back riding. A horse is loaded into the chute. The rider mounts and secured on hand to the harness. A bucking strap is tightened around the horses mid section and the gate is opened. The terrified horse in obvious distress tries to kick the bucking strap off.

Next came the calf roping. A calf is released from a chute and runs across the arena chased by a cowboy on a horse. The calf is lasooed round the neck. The horse stops dead and when the rope tightens the calf is yanked to a halt flying off its feet and spinning in the air. Next it's hind legs are bound. once released the calf is chased out of the ring.

Before the break and the last I saw if the rodeo was steer wrestling. A steer is released from a chute presumed by to mounted cowboys. One keeps the steer on a straight line while the grabs the steers horn and jumps off the horse. Once off the clock doesn't stop until the prongs of the steers horns are stuck into the dirt which involves wrenching the steers head almost at 90 degrees to its body and twisting it off it's feet.

I'd had enough by then! It was good to go and see what it was all about but probably won't need to go again.