THE FIRST CALGARY STAMPEDE

The coronavirus pandemic may have led to the cancellation of this year’s Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, but we’re celebrating the Stampede spirit by sharing some favourite memories and photos from the archives. This instalment: The Stampede in the 1910s.

CHRONOLOGY OF CALGARY STAMPEDE 1884-1919

1884

■ Calgary organizes a society to sponsor an agricultural fair. Calgary, population 506, becomes a town.

1886

■ First fair is attended by 500. Population now 2,000.

1889

■ Society buys land for fairground, which now forms Stampede Park.

1908

■ Calgary hosts the Dominion Exhibition and builds new barns and the Industrial Building.

■ 1911

Parimutuel betting is introduced at the horse races. A new livestock and horse show arena is built.

1912

■ Calgary’s “Big Four” businessmen and ranchers — A.E. Cross, Pat Burns, George Lane and A.J. Mclean — agree to bankroll the 1912 Stampede for $100,000.

■ Guy Weadick presents the first Calgary Stampede. There are no loading chutes and no eight-second rule. Horses are saddled and mounted in the middle of the arena. If the cowboy can stay in the saddle, they ride until the horse quits bucking. This could take as long as 10 minutes.

■ Tom Three Persons, a Blood tribe cowboy, is the only Canadian to win a championship at the 1912 Stampede, riding the outlaw horse Cyclone.

1916

■ A model military camp and trenches are built as a special Exhibition feature during the First World War.

1916-17

■ The Exhibition features stunt flying exhibitions by American pilot Katherine Stinson, also known as “the Flying Schoolgirl.”

1919

■ The second official “Stampede” occurs. Weadick organizes a “Victory Stampede” to celebrate the end of the First World War. The Prince of Wales visits Calgary, buys a nearby ranch and hosts rodeo champions there.

— Chronology compiled by Karen Crosby, Norma Marr and Aimee Benoit

PHOTOS: CALGARY HERALD ARCHIVES A photograph of the 1912 Calgary Stampede parade — the first year of the event that became known as the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.

In a scary highlight of the 1919 Calgary Stampede, a Curtiss Jenny crashlanded on top of the carousel. First World War flying ace Freddie Mccall was giving a ride to the two young sons of Exhibition manager E. L. Richardson when the plane lost power. No one was injured.

GLENBOW ARCHIVES PHOTO NA-584-1 . Blood Indian Tom Three Persons won the bronc-riding championship at the first Stampede.

Sponsors of the 1912 Exhibition and Stampede: Pat Burns, George Lane, Archie Mclean and A.E. Cross.

Flores (Florence) La Due, right, with her husband, Stampede founder Guy Weadick, circa 1912.