Well it is July and it is Calgary, Alberta...time for the Calgary Stampede ... the outdoor festival that traces its roots to 1912...which is ancient history in this area of Canada with the province of Alberta forming here in 1905.

I moved here in 1988 during the 1988 winter Olympics as a sales manager for a company that I worked for in Toronto...a hated easterner...though I was careful to point out that I was born in Winnipeg so I should be cut a break . I made sales calls dressed as I normally did in Toronto - slacks, blazer, dress shirt and tie. During the week I was told to dress western but that seemed to me to be silly at the time but in truth many people were in jeans, western shirt and cowboy hat.

That morning I had to call on an oilfield executive in his office....I entered the office and he was dressed in jeans, western shirt and cowboy hat....he immediately whipped out a pair of scissors, grabbed my tie, cut it in half, smiled and told me to come back when I was properly dressed...hahahaha

That was 25 years ago, it has not changed much since then...this is a city of 1.3 million people of all stripes and cultures but for 10 days we are cowboys...about at least a third of us anyway.

Here is a poem I wrote to describe the experience.

Stampeding

Beginning at dawn in early July,
griddles are hot and volunteers fry
pancakes and sausage with coffee for free.
it is part of tradition, in Calgary.

The streets are lined early with kids young and old.
Dressed western in denim, a sight to behold.
Marching bands, clowns, floats, native braid,
cowboys and horses in the Stampede parade.

Canada’s pride, uniformed in red serge,
The Musical Ride, does perfectly merge
horse and rider in color and sound,
visitors the world over, here can be found.

Corn dogs, french fries, pizza, candy floss,
barkers, lights and midway rides toss
screaming daredevils high up into the air
not for the faint of heart, so beware.

Livestock and craft exhibitions abound,
locations all over the park can be found.
Watch blacksmiths work iron heated red,
forming horseshoes and nails in a hot smoky shed.

Escape from the noise to the Indian village
and learn about the First Nation’s heritage.
Tasting bannock, made on open fire
watched by towering teepees that we admire.

An outdoor stage with grass, so sweet.
Drummers chanting and pounding a beat,
while dancers in beaded and feathered dress
circle the stage with the art they express.

On to the Grandstand and rodeo’s roar,
calf roping, steer wrestling, bronc riding, more.
The barrel racer, as she leans into the turn,
urging her horse for a faster return.

The rodeo clown draws laughs from the crowd
as the bull knocks over his barrel, so proud
of throwing his rider face down in the dirt,
The grandstand gasps, ‘Ohhh! That’s gotta hurt’.

A horn announces the start of the race,
chuckwagons fly at a furious pace.
Around their barrels and into the turns,
the inside rail is what each team yearns.

Outriders gallop through dust and the dirt
kicked up by wagon wheels as they flirt
with danger, rounding into home stretch,
looking for day-money, that first place will fetch.

For night on the town and a few yeehaws!!
Cowboys, Ranchman’s and The Outlaws,
Line-dance, thumbs in your belt tight
or two-step your partner, all through the night.

Watching the fireworks to end the day.
Time to head home and hit the hay.
But don’t think that this Stampede has been done,
Heck, there’s nine more days, this was just one!

(c) Lynxear 1998


Time to get outta here.....Yahooooooooooooooo!

That's a very nice quote. I'm gonna print it out and put in my room.