Day Two Calgary Stampede

After studying the booklet of all the events going on at the Calgary Stampede we went back to enjoy our second day there.  We took the train again but it was family day and you could get in free before a certain time so even though we parked at the furthest north & west stop on the line there were no seats so we stood up the whole way downtown – getting more and more crammed together at each stop.  We visited with a man on the way down who worked as security in the Chuckwagon race arena so he filled us in on some “local knowledge” things about which stop to catch the train at the end of the show and which side to stand on to get off without getting trampled with all the people.

   We got there about 11 am so we could get in our seats to see a free show called “Tails” which was new this year for the 100^th anniversary at noon.  It was in a different arena from the two we had already seen events in. 

The only way to describe it would be a pageant - with live horses and people and dancing with a live band and music and a narrator who was part of the story.  There was also a HUGE screen on the one end of the arena with video projected on it.  All quite spectacular - which told the story of three horses that met on the plains but then went on to lead different lives – one an Indian paint horse, one a cowboy ranch horse and one a farm work horse. In the end they all “met” together at the original Calgary Stampede 100 years ago.   At the beginning of the show they were each one ridden by a girl whose hair and color of costume actually matched the horse.  There was an amazing rope trick performer on his horse,

Indians dancing

and one scene with the farmers had a whole wagon come in with square dancers and they performed. 

All in all it was over an hour long entertainment extravaganza.  There was even a guy who rode a buffalo with a saddle on it. 

All of the animals were trained to perfection.   The light was not very good so Steve isn't super happy with the pictures but I made him include them to tell the story!

    When that was over we found our way to a nice food court type area that was inside and air conditioned and shared fish & chips lunch.  Again we visited with the people we shared the table with.  They were both from Calgary and were very helpful with suggestions on what not to miss.

    Steve wanted to watch the Cowboy Up Competition which is kind of extreme trail riding with obstacles that is timed.  It is kind of a new thing I guess - only dreamed up as an event in 2010 so he went there while I went to the art and quilt show. The art show was very nice and the artists were actually in their booth – some even working on a painting or creation so you could visit with them.  The one bronze casting artist had the clay statue he makes first and you could pre-order the piece for about 30% off (still in the $1000’s of dollars range) what it would cost when it was a finished bronze.  I had never seen that before so that was interesting. The quilts were pretty but most of them were hung very high up so you could not see the details.  There were all kinds of arts & crafts like at the state fair – some better than others as usual!    

I found my way back to meet Steve at the Cowboy Up arena and watched the final competitor.  It was very funny all of the things the rider had to do with his/her horse.  They had obstacles to walk over and jumps. 

One of the funniest ones was to stop the horse and jump off in front of a building that looked like an outhouse where the cowboy opened the front door while the horse had to stand there and not move.  The cowboy ran out the back door of the outhouse and picked up an umbrella and had to get back on the horse with the umbrella open.

And then this one where the cowboy had to get his horse to stand still while he stood up on the saddle and bonged this drum hanging up there. 

Needless to say the horses had to be very well trained and calm.  The winner was the one who did this all in the fastest time. 

We watched some of the finals of the team penning again.  It was much more interesting because the people around us actually did the event in different classes and so they knew some of the riders and really got involved in screaming and cheering.  One lady right in front of us had come in #22 in the field and only the first 20 teams get to compete in the actual stampede.  One of the guys on one of faster teams riding actually was using her horse in the competition that night.  She had bought it from him and had been using it but he thought her horse could help his team win.  So she was beside herself with nervousness – like when your kid is competing in their sport – I am sure you can all relate to that!  They actually ended up with a really good time – so that was fun.  This is a quick visual lesson on luck in team penning when two cows with the number you are supposed to get come out at the same time and the rider can drive them down to the pen together!

Then we wondered down the midway and had to share the “fair food” corndog for dinner on the way to the “chucks” as they call the chuckwagon races.  Four wagons race in race in 9 different heats.  Each wagon is pulled by a team of 4 horses and has two outriders on separate horses. 

They all kind of do a little parade into the arena first to show off or get the horses psyched up or something.


They have to start in their lane in the arena and the horn sounds one of the riders throws the stove in the back of the wagon and the driver takes off in the wagon around a figure eight with two barrels in the arena and then out of the arena around race track & the back stretch racing – all four wagons going full out and then back around the final curve to the finish line back in front of the stands in the arena. 

They show the racing on a jumbo-tron when they are out of the arena.  The whole time an announcer is calling the race like at a horse race track.  Needless to say it is very exciting.  The 36 wagons race every night and on Friday they take the top 8 total times which are only separated by seconds and those eight race in 2 heats of 4 and the final 4 wagons from the semi –final race on Sunday for the finals.   It is a really big deal and they can win lots of money.  It seems to be quite a family tradition thing as there were lots of brothers and fathers and cousins and son-in-laws in the contestants.

After the wagon race is over they move in this giant stage using tractors to pull it for the Young Canadians evening show.  This was an amazing show of acrobats on bicycles and motorcycle jumping and musical dancing numbers with a 70 or 80 member group of kids from age 10 to young adult. There was also a couple who performed on those long fabric scarf things – unbelievable feats of balance and strength.  Just the stage itself was a wonder to behold as it dropped and changed shapes and had different platforms for each act.  This all ended in a fireworks show.  We left a bit early at the beginning of the fireworks because we has seen it the previous two nights at the other locations and we wanted to beat the crowd to catch the train home.

We found our way to the first stop of the the train slick as a whistle and were lucky enough to get a seat for the trip home getting back to the trailer around 12:20 about 14 hours after we had left that morning.  This retirement/vacationing is not for the faint of heart!!