It may be many things to many people, but there’s no denying the Calgary Stampede — that 10-day Cowtown spectacle — is something to experience before you die. For those who have been, or locals who live it, no explanation is necessary. For the rest of you, take it from a city slicker who came to love his inner yahoo and to wear his white hat, buckle, and boots with pride. Here’s why:
The festival attracts millions of people, from Western Canada and beyond. Among them are party animals, herded through gates into wild nights at Cowboys, Nashville North, and other venues around town. They see the Stampede as an excuse to drink beer, dance on sticky floors, flirt with the opposite sex (in boots) and perhaps go home with them, wake up, hate themselves, and repeat it all the following day. Strangely enough, older celebrants don’t stray too far from the above, perhaps preferring smaller venues such as Ranchman’s or bigger concerts like the Round Up. It’s one of the world’s biggest parties, if you’re into that sort of thing, which the Stampede is more than willing to provide you an excuse to be.
Tips for a Stampede
Next, the Stampede is the World’s Richest Rodeo. Before I understood exactly what the rodeo is, how it works, and who’s behind it, I always rooted for bulls and horses. I’d yell at my TV set: “Throw that bastard off you and trample him in the mud!” I’m sure I’m not alone, but that changed when I decided to actually see what was going on for myself. Interviewing riders, judges, farmers, and vets, I found myself busting one rodeo myth after the next. No, the testicles of the animals are not strung up to make them buck. No, rodeo animals seldom get hurt and receive the best possible medical attention when they do. (Riders have the utmost respect for the animals and bear the brunt of the injuries.) No, the animals are never overworked, but are bred for their bucking ability and live out their days like champions in the pasture. And yes, it’s dangerous, as even a mechanical bull can snap your wrist. It’s always difficult to lift a veil of assumptions, but having finally learned more about the rodeo, I see a timeless confrontation between man and beast, in fierce but relatively harmless battle, catering to and supported by the very people who work with animals in their daily lives. Animal rights activists may still want to string me up by my testicles, but I’ll say this: go check out the rodeo, meet the people, see the animals, and form an educated opinion.
Finally, there’s Cowtown itself: Calgary. Over the years, I’ve visited the city during the Stampede, and I’m always impressed with the community spirit behind the event. The free pancake breakfasts. The parades. The exhibitions. The Young Canadians. The volunteers who make the event tick, taking unpaid leave from work in order to do so. “Any time you can give back to the community, and help them out a little bit, you get something out of it,” TV’s Mantracker Terry Grant tells me. He’s been a volunteer at the Stampede for years.
During my second Stampede, I was hell-bent on breaking in a pair of boots and never left the hotel without my white hat. Before that, the only time I’d ever dressed like a cowboy was at Halloween parties, but here I can slot right in. Boots make me stand taller, puffing out my chest. The cowboy myth (see Ranch Vacation, page 80) still holds power in our modern age.
Certainly there are those who avoid the Stampede like a warm pile of cow droppings, but there’s no denying the sheer energy that shakes up the city. Boots and hats are everywhere, kids have cotton-candy grins, the midway is buzzing. Like many items on the Great Canadian Bucket List, the Stampede is likely a saddle that fits some better than others. But as a true Canadian celebration of western roots and community spirit, you can’t miss it.
START HERE: canadianbucketlist.com/stampede