Calgary Stampede

Everybody wears cowboy hats!

The Rodeo is the best.

There was a young lady who came to the US to teach for a couple of years, She lives in Calgary and wants me to visit her sometime and has said that we would go to the Stampede. She told me that I would absolutely love it. I hope to go sometime.
Of course I want to see her again. She is one of my best friends.

I’ve always hated being in crowds but I make an exception for the Stampede. It truly is the greatest outdoor show on Earth.

I especially enjoy the carnival foods-corn dogs, donnairs, cotton candy-but my favorite attractions are the vendors selling their wares in the Roundup Centre, the Coca-Cola Stage and the Grand Stand Show.

But we were visiting friends in Calgary who INSISTED. More cowboy hats than Texas. And an AMAZING little device that makes tiny doughnuts. Yum.

And we watched a couple exhibitions that were remarkable, that really changed my mind about rodeos. I expected the macho BS of brutalizing creatures that had been purposely enraged for sport. I bet there was some of that too but there were also events where a human and creature interacted on this very intimate and personal way. Like where a dog divides up a flock of sheep and aims them into a pen. Or folks on horseback do all sorts of crazy stuff with another big herd of cattle. Or there was this elderly man, dressed entirely in black who showed a prize goat, paraded him around the ring, proud, their steps in sync. I can still see that guy.

Plus did I mention those amazing little doughnuts?