For most of the history of the Old
West, farmers and ranchers lived far from
one another and were busy tending
their crops and animals. Annual fairs
and rodeos were the one time each
year when the entire community could
come together. “When you go to Calgary
during the Stampede, the entire city
shuts down. The community embraces
the celebration of its western heritage
and the cowboy lifestyle,” explains Paul
Whitaker, a Colorado educator whose
entire family hails from Calgary. “Every
year, I looked forward to the rodeos and
rides with my uncles and cousins. It was
all about the family experience.”
What makes the Calgary Stampede
so unique are the chuckwagon races
that started in 1923 and quickly became
the event’s largest attraction. The
chuckwagon played an important part
in the settlement of the West during the
era of trail drives and cattle ranching on
the open prairie. It was a mobile kitchen,and Canada performing as a trick roper
in a western show. When he came to
Calgary in 1908, he knew he had found
the perfect location. However, Guy didn’t
have the money to put on such a grand
exhibition, so he went to work seeking
financial support. By 1912, he had the
backing of the Big Four, a group of the
most successful ranchers in Alberta, to
launch the first Calgary Stampede. It
didn’t become an annual event until 1919,
when Weadick was called back to put on
the Stampede again to celebrate the end
of World War I.
A contestant takes part in barrel racing.
The Duchess of Cambridge, shown here with
the Duke, traded in her tiara for a cowboy hat
when they attended the Calgary Stampede.Actually, this IS
my first rodeo!myfirst rode