YEE HAW!

Our home for the week is in the south east suburbs of Calgary. We are about 100 meters from a pub for John and Dave! A large Shopping Mall is just along the road, convenient for groceries. It's a five bedroom house. Three bedrooms, bathroom, lounge and kitchen on the ground floor and two bedrooms, bathroom, laundry room and family room with kitchen facilities in the basement. Homes with basements in Canada usually have small high windows and the ground floor is actually about a meter from ground level. 'Himself' and I elect to sleep in the basement. It's so much cooler there although the facilities are not as nice as the ground floor. Cooler is good for sleeping.

This morning is bright sunny and warm. We head off to the Calgary Rapid Transit station. This was also laid out and built for the '88 Calgary Olympics. It's much like the London Underground but not underground! It rattles along and  takes us right up to one of the entrants of the Calgary Stampede Showgrounds.

One of the Showground entrants.

First photo shoot!

        

     We all get hatted out! John comments was 'you realize we all look like total jackasses now.'

After  a while we decide to go through into the actual  Rodeo grounds. Here the lunch in the dining club  buffet is rejected for some more informal food. Hot dogs and fresh lemonade.

I really like this impressive poster

The Calgary Stampede was started in a ranch a few kilometers from Calgary 99 years ago in 1912. It was started by cattle Barons Guy Weadick ,George Lane, Alfred Cross and Archie McLean.

This is how it works-
*The Calgary Stampede Rodeo is a Tournament.
*Twenty of the world's highest ranked competitors have qualified to compete in each of the six major events - Saddle Bronc, Bareback, Bull Riding, Tie-Down Roping, Steer wrestling and Ladies Barrel Racing.
*Pool A competes July 8th to 11th and Pool B competes July 12th to 15th.
* Each day is a new rodeo with $17,500 in prize money in each event.
*The top four money winners from each of the two pools qualify for the finals on Showdown Sunday July 17th.
*The top two competitors from Wild Card Saturday will also qualify for Showdown Sunday.
*On Showdown Sunday the ten semi-finalists compete: with the four highest scores or the fastest times advancing to the Showdown Round.
*These top four contestants will let it all hang out for the top prize of $100,000 and the Calgary Stampede.

First Nation People entertain.

The Rodeo snacks arrive, Pretzels, mini donuts,etc

.....with the next generation.

Ladies Barrel Racing.

Bull riding

... and today's winners.

'Himself' on the gondolas all by himself.

The showground is busy with people enjoying all the rides. Nancy 'Himself' and me decide to cross the via the Gondolas. SCARY! I'm not too great with heights and had a bad experience up Grouse Mountains in Vancouver some years ago.

I think Calgarians must only drink cola and beer! desperate for a cup of tea we finished up in a Chinese noodle restaurant with green tea! The long passage way up to the restaurant is lined with posters advertising the Stampede since 1912 . Just a very few posters are missing and the space is offering money for the missing posters to hopefully complete the collection.