Author’s Message

To celebrate the incredible 100th anniversary of the one and only Calgary Stampede, I couldn’t resist revising and republishing my award-winning book of historical fiction which I 0riginally wrote for Alberta’s centennial in 2005.

The Stampede has great personal significance for me. I participated in four grandstand shows with the Young Canadians, played trumpet with the Stampede Show Band, and performed my History Wrangler Show on the Windows of the West stage two years in a row. I also undertook two days of book signing at the Indian Village in 2011, as a guest of the aboriginal illustrator Nathan Meguinis—also known as Traveling Rock—from the Tsuu T’ina Nation. Nathan’s illustrations feature on the cover and pages of my aboriginal-themed book, The Amazing Time-Travel Adventures of the Iron Crow Brothers and Bree Saint Marie, which was published in June of 2011. I am proud to help record the history of both Alberta and the Stampede—the greatest outdoor show on earth!

A highlight for me occurred when I was a young boy and Queen Elizabeth II, currently celebrating her 60th anniversary on the throne, opened the Calgary Stampede. Her Majesty then watched me and the rest of the Young Canadians perform in the grandstand show and, afterward, joined us on stage for a visit.

I sincerely hope you enjoy The Amazing Alberta Time-Travel Adventures of Wild Roping Roxy and Family Day Ray. I have woven more than 300 historical facts into the tale and am confident that your knowledge of Alberta history —particularly that of the first amazing Stampede back in 1912—will be greatly enhanced.

Best wishes and a big yee-haw!

Rob Lennard/The History Wrangler

Calgary, Alberta

March 2012