The Calgary Stampede and Exhibition
The Calgary Stampede and Exhibition is rich in tradition and it is also known for the cowboy atmosphere that takes over the city, everybody gets out the cowboy boots and Stetsons for the 10-11 days of good fun. This year (2006) it starts with the Calgary Stampede Parade on July 7th. Calgary's dedicated volunteers and community supporters present the world's largest western parade as the "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth" kick-off to the over 350,000 on-route spectators and a global television audience. In 1912 the great Stampede was born from the vision of Guy Weadick. Guy was a famous working cowboy and vaudeville entertainer featured in the traveling wild-west shows that were popular world-wide in the early 1900s. He was a man with a dream of celebrating the romance of the old west. The Stampede we enjoy today has evolved from Guy's vision. He was successful because he understood that as much as things change, we need to believe in the way things were. Every year, the Stampede reminds us that Guy was right; fundamentally we believe in the same western values today as our grandparents did in 1912. In the early 1920, the Exhibition part was added to the Stampede, giving western farmers and ranchers a showplace for their horses and cattle. This too was later expanded to take in all farm livestock, whether two-legged or four. This year, 2006, the agricultural portion of the Exhibition has been tagged "Ag-tivity Day in the City" to help celebrate Alberta agriculture. Cattle, canola, chicken and even egg producers will be on hand. You'll see beef on the hoof, enjoy some Alberta Beef and you can grab a "I Love Alberta Beef" bumper sticker. That should impress the folks back in Long Island, although perhaps you should exercise discretion in displaying in Texas cattle country! Every year there are hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world who come just for the Stampeded and Exhibition. Among those visitors are a number of RV Caravans that wind their way north from the USA on the long drive to Alaska. Some of these caravans have over a hundred units of every shape and size and their tour is timed to arrive in Calgary the day before the Parade which is always on a Friday and stay over the weekend, leaving on their trek Monday morning. A highlight of the show is of course the Rodeo. The Calgary Stampede's rodeo pays out some of the biggest prize money in the sport, always attracts the best riders and ropers from around the world and many of it's winners have gone on to win the National Finals Rodeo in the fall. Like any sport, rodeo has its fair share of spills and thrills, talented athletes and unsung heroes. Besides the saddle and bareback riding events, the bull riding is always a big attraction. Ladies have barrel racing competitions. For comic relief (except for the contestants) there's a wild cow milking event. Every evening there are the chuckwagon races, followed by the Grandstand Show. In case you are in the dark about rodeos, here is a little "Rodeo 101". There are two main categories of events, bucking and timed. Bucking is where most of the thrills, spills and crashes occur. Bucking events cover bareback and saddle bronc riding and bull riding. In all three events, cowboys hang on for dear life while trying to control the movements of their animal and themselves. Incidentally, the "spurs" the contestants were are nothing more than a smooth disc and have no effect on the animal. They wear them because the rider is judged on the smoothness of his ride and his spurring technique while he holds on to a saddle or rope with one hand. These account for half his points, the other half is awarded by how hard the horse or bull tried to buck him off. To complete the ride he must stay on for 8 seconds; that's a long time of the back of a bucking horse or bull. Barrel Racing, Steer Wrestling and tie-down roping are the timed events at rodeos. Steer wrestling and tie-down roping are both inspired by real work done everyday on the ranch. In steer wrestling, a hazed (slapped on the butt with a straw hat) steer is released from it's pen. When it reached the end of its head start, a breakaway cord automatically releases the barrier rope in front of the cowboy, allowing him to race after the steer on his horse. He eased down the right side of his horse, reaching for the steer. After he has grasped the horns, he leaves his horse (who's in a full gallop) and digs his heels into the ground to slow the animal. Using leverage and the momentum of the moving steer, the steer wrestler rolls the animal onto its side. Being quick and accurate with a rope aren't the only requirements in Tie-down Roping (also called Calf Roping but they are big calves!). A successful roper must also be an experienced horseman and a fast sprinter. After roping (throwing a lasso, again at a full gallop - every rodeo event is done at a full gallop!) the tie-down, the cowboy quickly dismounts while his horse backs up just enough to keep tension on the rope, runs to the animal, lifts and lays it on its side and ties any three legs together. Once he completes his tie, he remounts his horse and allows slack in the lasso rope, the animal must remain tied for six seconds. It is important to note that contestants are fined for any unnecessary roughness. For the final timed event, Barrel Racing, female contestants must circle three barrels in a cloverleaf pattern. Rider or horse can move a barrel, but is assessed a five-second penalty if either knocks the barrel over. The fastest time wins in this extremely athletic event for both horse and rider. The Chuckwagon Races were taken from the actual cattle drives, when the wagon would be loaded up, the tent taken down and the cook would drive his team up ahead of the drive to where the herd would be held overnight. Sometimes there would be two or three ranches driving together. The cooks would race each other to get the best spot to set up camp. The Chuckwagon Races at the Stampede are billed as "The Half Mile of Hell". Each chuckwagon has its driver, a team of four horses and four outriders (cowboys riding their horses.) That's four wagons, four drivers, 16 horses and sixteen outriders all vying for the same space next to the rail while racing at a full gallop around a half mile track. There's a very loud air horn blowing to start the race, there's an announcer going nuts over the PA system as he calls the race, the wagons and horses are thundering around the track and the crowd's on its feet at the finish screaming their heads off. Sound crazy? Yes. Exciting? You have to see it to believe it. There's nothing else like it. And in five minutes, the next race is off and running and it starts all over again! There are people who travel thousands of miles every year to take in "The Greatest Show Outdoor Show on Earth". They'll book their rooms for next year before they leave for home this year. It's enthusiasts like these, from far and near, that continue to make the Calgary Stampede and Exhibition what it is.
Other Horse Racing Articles
How to play Texas Hold'em Both variations of Texas Hold’em (Limit & No Limit) are played with a standard deck of 52 cards, what’s different about Hold’em is how players make their hands. In this popular version of poker, players receive 2 face-down cards – called the hole or pocket cards. These two cards make your starting hand. As betting rounds progress, up to 5 commun ...Horses - Seattle Slew In the short list of triple crown winners, this horse had to be one of the biggest bargains in racing history. We're referring to the puzzle of a wonder, Seattle Slew.The story of this horse is just another reminder of how weird the sport of horse racing can be and how unpredictable it can also be. All over the racing industry millionai ...Dowsing: The Fool-Proof Way to Access your Intuitive Powers Dowsing is a method for accessing intuitive knowledge and information through the use of a pendulum. In dowsing, we ask questions of our Higher Self, the part of us that is pure spirit, and thus infinitely wise. Depending on how you program it, your pendulum will give you answers by swinging in certain directions to tell you “yes,” “no,” or “u ...What Makes a Great Online Sportsbook All sportsbooks were not created equal. The Internet has given us unprecedented choice when it comes to betting on sports online. I am going to list a few of my must-have items for online sportsbooks. Does your current sportsbook have these features? If not, perhaps it's time to check around for a new sportsbook.Feature One: Security ...Texas Hold'em Strategy - Beginners Guide To Playing Like a Pro Texas holdem is a game where you can make huge amounts of money, if you have the right strategy.Players who expect to read a few books and become a successful player are going to end up disappointed.You can’t learn how to play successfully from books! Knowledge of the game is only part of the equation in becoming a successful play ...Cool Recreational Toys - Past, Present & Future Being a baby boomer, it hasn't been that long ago at least in my mind, that I was a kid and I think back to all the things that we had in the lines of recreation and fun. Boy, I remember waiting for school to get over for the year so we could get into some summer time fun.The first thing that comes to mind in the lines of early recreation ...Horse Racing and Seabiscut -- A Hope, A Prayer, and A Horse! Even though our lives progressively moves forward on occasion it has a way of working what seems to be in a backwards motion, yet in the end achieves the same results. I remember years ago when I started my bodybuilding career, I had no self- confidence, poor self-esteem, and an introverted personality. I couldn't fathom doing what others belie ...Class: It Tells All The word class, used by handicapper is no abstraction. The entire structure of thoroughbred racing is based on the differences in class between animals.In stakes races, for instance, apart from the penalties for prior wins, all entrants carry the same weight.In handicaps' anyone who's willing to pay the required fees and enters a h ...Kansas Casinos There are five Kansas Casinos gamblers can enjoy while visiting the state. Kansas casinos are located in Horton, Mayette, Powhattan, and White Cloud and tourists should make a point to stop in one or more of the Kansas casinos during their stay. Likewise, in addition to the five Kansas casinos, tourists may also enjoy paying a visit to Kansas' W ...Did the Sabbath Change to Sunday? In over 105 languages Saturday translates to Sabbath. In Italy it is called Sabbato, in Russia Subbota, in Portugal Sabbado, in Spain Sabado and in Poland Sobota. All of these names mean "Sabbath" or "rest day" in the various languages.The fourth commandment of the Bible says Exo 20:8-11 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six d ...Gambling Myths 101 Myths and rumors come with every gambling game. However undesirable, they can be a good source of recreation. The major cause of these beliefs and tales is the uncertainty related with gambling.Slot machines were first played in the late nineteenth century. Since then the machines have changed with more reels and increased number columns ...Professional Poker Player Skills What makes a poker a player a professional? Does it mean that by adding the word professional the person loses less money? Or does it mean that the player enter tournaments through out the year? If you are thinking about getting the word professional embossed on your 'poker resume', here are some skills that you should consider mastering. ...Jets vs. Redskins Preview After the Jets 16-3 loss last week to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a lot was talked about regarding the lack of production from the running game. Clearly for the Jets to compete this season, they will need a healthy Curtis Martin to return to the team, or a suprising emergence out of Cedric Houston or Leon Washington. Derrick Blaylock has been a di ...Angel to Angel Years ago, my minister spoke to us about how you could solicit the help of your guardian angels to help with conflict resolution. She told us stories about how she and others had successfully asked their guardian angels to speak to the enemy's guardian angel. The idea being that when you find yourself in an argumentative situation with someone ...Handicapping the Pacers Trade of Ron Artest - Current Playoffs Chances At this point the Pacers playoff hopes are definitely in jeopardy. Jermaine O’Neal and Jamal Tinsley are perennially injured. So far their season has been unimpressive with losses to some rather mediocre teams, including a 30-pt loss to the Bobcats. The road loss in Atlanta, where there’s as much atmosphere as a funeral, was the final straw for ...Father's Death Is Root Cause Of Simons's Procrastination! Simon admitted that he had a major problem with procrastination. And since his father had died of a heart attack nearly a year ago, the problem had become much worse.Frowning and fiddling nervously with his pen, Simon went on to tell me that he felt increasing pressure at work - and that meeting deadlines was getting harder and harder. ...Internet Poker or Welcome to the Crypt You know that our elected officials are not very bright.Prohibition and the Food and Drug Act should have taught us something. Apparently not!On July 11, 2006, one week following the day we celebrate our independence, the US House of Representatives passed H.R. 4411, "The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act."The law i ...Changing Attitudes Can Create A Positive Future From A Negative Past With shaking hands, Carla recounted the story of the car accident that had affected her life both emotionally and physically. As tears rolled down her face, Carla told me how her home and work life had been affected – and it was clear that depression was setting in.Carla and I were meeting in my office for the first time – and in front o ...Radio Control Cars - Which Type Is Right for You or Your Child? There are several factors to consider before choosing which type of radio control cars to buy. Don't just jump in head first.Making the correct choices, up front, can save you a lot of time and money down the road. Take a few minutes to read this helpful article so you can start out in the right direction.First, it is important to ...Gambling Abroad 101 The risk takers see no bounds. And so does gambling. The origin of gambling cannot be traced to one country or region in particular. Gambling is an age old practice. Though its concentration in the United States is higher, but its popularity is as evenly distributed as the water level. Betting in sports and the advent of international and nation ...Motivation: No Finish Lines There is a saying that goes something like “getting to the top is easy, the hard thing is staying there once you get there."There’s a reason the above statement is so true. It has to do with this interesting little quirk we humans have: our belief in finish lines. Deep with in our brains we have this belief that once we arrive, we can rel ...Putting His Thinking Hat On Provided The Right Anwsers! Running his own small engineering business had already brought David a small measure of success. And he had started the New Year determined that he would improve his company’s profitability by twenty per cent.However, David was also aware that he spent too much of his time working in his business rather than on his business. He knew tha ...The Search for God's Intention I believe in the source we refer to as ‘God’. This is the powerful Universal Energy from which all that is manifests. This energy is always there and is available to all. My God is the same as your God and everybody else’s God. However, we still try to categorize and define that energy in different ways, depending upon our belief system and reli ...Cat Litter on Mount Shasta Climbing Mount ShastaTopped by snow and glaciers, Mount Shasta rises up above everything else when you approach it from the north.As soon as I saw it, I wanted to be up there. We were coming south from Oregon, after driving across the country from Michigan. A detour to northern California before heading home seemed like a go ...Carlos Delgado: Model Ballplayer and Citizen In just his first season with the New York Mets, Carlos Delgado has immediately delivered for the Mets, providing solid offensive play for his team. Although he is in the middle of a 7 for 50 slump for the Mets, Carlos Delgado has still been providing the power numbers (15 HR’s) thus far. After hitting about .300 in the month of April, he has on ...
|
