hospital, and office for cowboys and
ranchers. “It’s an amazing and thrilling
thing,” Whitaker recalls, “watching four
wagons each pulled by four horses racing
side by side.” After circling the track, the
teams unhook their wagons and set up
camp. The first to make a fire wins. The
original race offered $275 in prize money.
Now, nearly a century later, teams
compete for more than a million dollars!
The Calgary Stampede takes great
care to honor not only cowboy and
frontier traditions, but also those of the
five nations of Treaty 7, with exhibitions
that aim to preserve and promote the
legacy of the indigenous people of
Alberta. One of the biggest attractions is
the Elbow River Camp showcasing tipis,
organized powwows, arts and crafts,
and the re-enactment of the traditional
lives of the five nations. Each year, a
princess is selected to represent Treaty
7 as part of the Stampede’s royalty. Also,
the very best indigenous racing teams
in North America demonstrate their
horsemanship skills in a high-adrenalin
competition. In the relay race, riders
each have a team of three horses they
swap between at intervals throughout
the race, riding bareback (without a
saddle) around the track against four
other riders. “A race based on tradition,”
notes Kristina Barnes, communications
manager for the Stampede, “this sport
Treaty 7 refers to an agreement made between the Canadian government and several Plains First Nations groups.