Calgary Stampede

[BigSky56]

Anybody going I sure enjoy the chuckwagon races and the stockdog events. I will miss it this year. danny

[Canuck Bob]

I'm a Calgarian. I like the horse pulls. Grandpa was a teamster and used draft horses until his death. Something nice about being able to talk to your farm machines.

It is a big Wild West show come on up and have a party. Bring liver pills!

[brno602]

I like to see the Chucks and Bull Riding,but the midway is the same as it has been for the last 35years! Great weather for it so far +30°C.

[roughcreek]

I have fond memories of the Stampede. Last time I was there was 1958 as a member of the High School Band. We marched in the parade and had a drill routine we did in the arena. Then watch the Rodeo (favorite was the chuckwagon races) and then hit the midway. Ahh, what a time.

[jeepnik]

Never been, but that's one of my wife's and I's retirement plans.

[2571]

Use to watch Olympics on CBC TV (I live less than a mile from Canada). Used to like their Calgaray Stampede commerical:

Two Zulus in tradional red garb out in desert. Old man listening to ground. Young guy lays down his spear, puts his ear to ground, obviously hears something. Asks (with subtitles) "Water Buffalo?" Old man shakes his head 'no'. Young guy jibbers, 'antelope?'. Old man stands upright, shakes his head from side to side, points his spear west and eventually says in his native language, "Calgary Stampede", smiling. No subtitiles for this but you can understand what he has said. Information about upcoming CBC coverage then appears on screen.

Kinda cute.

Gotta go some year.

[madman4570]

Never been, but that's one of my wife's and I's retirement plans.

Also, If you do one of those Backcountry horseback riding ventures including riding through Banff National Park (suggest you practice your horsemenship and get over any vertigo.
Otherwise you can get really flustered when that special butt headed guy shows up (ya know the one wearing sneakers and no hat when told to wear boots/hat etc.Then when your looking down about 3000ft on a trail almost wide enough for your horse on steep loose rock the sneaker no hat guy thats right behind you has his horse rushing/spooking your horse.
(no place to get off even if you drop your hat,except over the edge! Your just thinking if my horse starts going over can I jump to the inside of the cliff wall.

[COSteve]

I've only made it up there twice in the last 14 years but both times we had a great time. First was time in 1996 and the the kids were young. The chuck wagon races and bronc riding were the kid's favorites. The last time we went it was just the wife and I as the kids are grown and gone. Good old fashioned fun.

[samb]

Danny, I caught the chuckwagin races Friday and Saterday night as well as the rodeo Saterday. Weather finally turned nice, it was a blast here is a link to some pictures in the local rag.
cheers,
Sam
http://www.calgarysun.com/news/Stampede ... 14831.html day6

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/Stampede ... 26041.html day 7

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/Stampede ... 40376.html day8

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/Stampede ... 50621.html day 9

[Canuck Bob]

The Chucks are great fun and I enjoy the rodeo too. Bull riding still amazes me. I wouldn't mess with one of those critters without my 444 let alone climb on top of one.

My favorite is the heavy horse pulls. My grandfather was a fine teamster and it brings back memories of him talking to his horses. Farm machinery you can talk to and knows its way home while you nap in the wagon and if left alone in a field makes its own replacements. And we think microsoft invented voice recognition!

[samb]

I think you have to be playing a few cards short of a deck to mess with those bulls too, Bob. One of the guy's I work with has a cousin in a wheelchair from a bad landing.....after a bullride.

[BigSky56]

Thanks for the pics Sam. danny

[samb]

Danny, my pleasure glad you enjoyed them. Here's hoping you can make it next year.

[horsesoldier03]

Wow, just checked out the pics and also noticed that they have had 6 horses die in the Stampede this year from what I understand. Does anyone know the circumstances?

[brno602]

At the start the weather was nice but we have not seen the sun for a week But what bothers me, Bue from Montana did not win the bull riding second year he finished second.But Southerland took the Chucks ya hoo good old Alberta guy from G.P guy.I think he has done it 6 times now?
Dam that hail was bad I have the insurance company coming out to look at the roof! and I am not even in city limits!

[brno602]

I think you have to be playing a few cards short of a deck to mess with those bulls too, Bob. One of the guy's I work with has a cousin in a wheelchair from a bad landing.....after a bullride.

I have a younger family member okay I am his uncle that was a bull rider I am glad he met a girl that talked some sence into him!!! Now I know they are mean but my dream job next to Alberta Rat patrol would be rodeo clown! for some reason bull's single me out but I am fast very fast for a old man(41) and have fun with them
Done it all my life once thought I gave one a heart attack but thats a long story I really thought the bull was dead what would I say to the rancher oops.

[samb]

Here is what i found on a horse website called thehorse.com ;

On July 15 a chuchwagon race outrider horse became the sixth equine to die during the Calgary Stampede in Alberta, Canada. The annual event features rodeo-style competitions and livestock exhibitions, including the GMC Rangeland Derby chuckwagon race, which pits four teams of horse-drawn wagons against each other in a series of elimination races over several days. Each team consists of four wagon horses and four horses carrying outriders.

On July 11 a Quarter Horse suffered an apparent cardiac episode and died during a team cattle-penning event. July 12, a bucking horse was euthanized after breaking his back when he continued to buck after his rider came off in the saddle bronc riding event. Two Thoroughbred horses used in chuckwagon races died the same day in unrelated incidents. One horse died after suffering an apparent cardiac episode during a routine training session. The other, an outrider horse, was euthanized after breaking his shoulder during the race.

Another horse died July 14 after competing in a chuckwagon race. Initial necropsy results indicated that an abdominal rupture caused the horse’s death, said Stampede Spokesman Doug Fraser.

Fraser said the sixth equine death occurred when a Thoroughbred suffered a catastrophic injury to his right front leg during a chuckwagon race. Veterinarians on the scene examined the horse, assessed the injury, and euthanized the animal.

Some Canadian animal welfare advocates are calling for a ban on the chuckwagon races, claiming they put too much stress on the horses that compete in the events.

Fraser said he could not offer an explanation for number of deaths this year. "The fact is that we just don't know," he said. "To have six horses die in one year is extremely rare and upsetting."

[samb]

Bob and Brno, we need to meet at Tim Hortons for a coffee followed by a Levergun shoot.

Brno and Danny I need some Elk calling lessons I was successful drawing a Bull in wmu 408. Gonna start scouting next week.

[brno602]

Bob and Brno, we need to meet at Tim Hortons for a coffee followed by a Levergun shoot.

Brno and Danny I need some Elk calling lessons I was successful drawing a Bull in wmu 408. Gonna start scouting next week.

That would be a good idea as I see lots of us Canucks are from Alberta and the Calgary or Southern Area.I cant help much with the Elk calling never done it but here them whistle all the time wile Fishing in 304/308 Near Chainlake in Sept.
I still cant believe I did not get my Antlered Mule Deer this year.
I have pestered Elk in Banff with my calling though
But a bit off topic 20 years ago I was going Grouse hunting I was on the road from Bragg Creek to Millervile when two monster Elk walked across the road I slowed down to let them Cross but one was so worked up he took a run at my truck! just droped his head and cam strait at us for no reason, never seen anything like that before. Of coarse having a huge bumper and 6000lbs of Steel behind it and 400 Hp, I freaked my best friend out when I just gunned it strait at him!Challenge me will you? was my thinking.
Off course he jumped into the ditch chicken lol, but dam that was fun! They where both 6 or 7 point bulls.

[brno602]

Here is what i found on a horse website called thehorse.com ;

On July 15 a chuchwagon race outrider horse became the sixth equine to die during the Calgary Stampede in Alberta, Canada. The annual event features rodeo-style competitions and livestock exhibitions, including the GMC Rangeland Derby chuckwagon race, which pits four teams of horse-drawn wagons against each other in a series of elimination races over several days. Each team consists of four wagon horses and four horses carrying outriders.

On July 11 a Quarter Horse suffered an apparent cardiac episode and died during a team cattle-penning event. July 12, a bucking horse was euthanized after breaking his back when he continued to buck after his rider came off in the saddle bronc riding event. Two Thoroughbred horses used in chuckwagon races died the same day in unrelated incidents. One horse died after suffering an apparent cardiac episode during a routine training session. The other, an outrider horse, was euthanized after breaking his shoulder during the race.

Another horse died July 14 after competing in a chuckwagon race. Initial necropsy results indicated that an abdominal rupture caused the horse’s death, said Stampede Spokesman Doug Fraser.

Fraser said the sixth equine death occurred when a Thoroughbred suffered a catastrophic injury to his right front leg during a chuckwagon race. Veterinarians on the scene examined the horse, assessed the injury, and euthanized the animal.

Some Canadian animal welfare advocates are calling for a ban on the chuckwagon races, claiming they put too much stress on the horses that compete in the events.

Fraser said he could not offer an explanation for number of deaths this year. "The fact is that we just don't know," he said. "To have six horses die in one year is extremely rare and upsetting."

I know not good for the press but shi* happens they think one horse broke it's own back just like shooting a bow without a arrow as no rider was on the horse.
I like the Chuck's but think it would be better if only three raced at one time?
The Stampede is the big pay day for most with $100,000 at stake so all the animals are pushed a bit harder and it gets the most press around the world.
But no different than the running of the bulls in Spain it's all about how much press the event gets.
If the Young man that lost his life in B.C last week in a local rodeo bull riding would have happened two weeks earlier I don't think it would have been on news but since it happened close to Stampede it was all over the news.

[BigSky56]

Sam do you get to hunt during the rut, and are you going to day hunt or camp out in the bush our early rifle season starts 15 sept in the bob marshall wilderness been thinking about going this year. danny

[samb]

The area I drew in is for Sept 17th till end of November, from what I've researched on the net the last two weeks of September should be rut. Do you agree? If so I'll get to hunt the rut.

My little brother thinks we should use horses out of a camp we can reach by road and hunt for a week. I think he is probably correct. I've only been on one pack hunt so not sure if we could handle a pack train. It might be easier to camp where we can have road access and hunt on saddle horses. Gonna get maps and try toget some guidance from our butcher who use to hunt that area, to figure out what draws in the hills to focus on.

[BigSky56]

Sam The rut usually starts the 1 week of sept it is based on the shortening of the daylight if there is cloud cover the cows go into estrus if there isnt any cloud cover the rut can be delayed, it is in full swing by the middle of sept. danny

[samb]

Thanks Danny, I have to bid my September schedule by tommorrow so I'll ask for the 17th of September and later off, I have Vacation the last four day's of Septmber so I'll ask for the last two weeks of the month off. Hopefully that will make it easier to get an Elk.