Stampede to Calgary
Saddle up for a wild ride at the Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth as the rodeo comes to Alberta
Clutching my cowboy hat tight as 16 horses thunder past at close to 40mph, I let out an involuntary “yee-haw!” to the night sky.
I’m front row at the Calgary Stampede, a 10-day festival held in early July in Alberta, Canada.
And I’m politely reminded we’re not in the States now and they shout “yahoo” in these parts, not “yee-haw”.
The Stampede is billed as the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth and regularly attracts more than a million visitors every year.
People flock here from all over the planet for a multitude of cowboy events guaranteed to get your pulse racing. Featuring the best of the very best, entry is by invitation only.
A rodeo – including bucking broncos and bull riding – is one of the most eye-catching spectacles. But I have been drawn in by the utterly bonkers world of chuckwagon racing.
This incredibly exciting event sees four cowboys perched somewhat precariously in each seat, on carriages pulled by a team of four horses on the muddy track.
Launched with the loud blast of a horn, outriders throw a barrel in the back of each wagon, a practice going back to frontier times, before the driver takes off at full speed and rides a figure of eight. Earlier in the day I was introduced to one of the riders, Lane Tournier, a 32-year-old cowboy following in the steps of his father, Lightning Luke Tournier.
Stroking the head of star horse Stitch, Lane says of the races: “It’s indescribable. To go out there with your four horses and the different things you’ve tried, that’s when I get my thrill.”
Fast-forward several hours and I marvel, with everyone else, as Lightning Luke lives up to his nickname and takes the win. This time I throw my hat in the air and, remembering the earlier advice, let out a loud “yahoo!”
Next day I’m back at the Stampede but this time it’s for the rodeo.
I take my seat and suddenly a horse comes bucking out of the pen with a cowboy holding on with just one hand, the other in the air.
He must stay on the beast for at least eight seconds while judges mark him out of 100, with half the mark coming from his performance and the rest the animal.
The seconds take an eternity to tick by but he does it... before being thrown off into the soft mud below.
Shocked at first, I am relieved when the cowboy gets up and strolls off as others on horseback arrive to calm the animal and take it away.
The next contender lasts only a couple of seconds and the one after
I can barely watch as his leg gets caught when he is thrown off.
But the really mad action takes place later on, with the bulls.
Earlier I took a tour behind the chutes and spotted a cowboy crouched down in prayer as he prepared to climb on to the back of a huge, powerful animal. I think I’d look to the heavens too.
Later the whole audience winces as someone is thrown from a bull. As far as sports go, this one leaves me breathless.
Over dinner at the Clubhouse Rustic Kitchen later, I chat to former Cowboy of the Year Jim Dunn, who tells me about his experience riding bareback. “As far as rodeos go, this is the biggest in the world. One time my wife told me she could have ridden the horse better than I did!”
While concerns have been raised about the animals taking part, volunteer Kirk Morre, an ex Mountie, tells me: “They’re like sports cars at 1,325lb. These cowboys will take horses others consider lame, they fix them up, they save them. They’re Olympic athletes and are treated as such. This is the World Cup, the Stanley Cup, the Super Bowl.”
After a day of watching the finest cowboys in action, I retreat to my base, the Marriott
Guests can choose from Deluxe Bedrooms, Superior Bedrooms, Suites or Family Suites, so there is something to suit all stays in the hotel.
The Deluxe Rooms are both elegant and welcoming, complete with luxurious marble bathrooms and exceptionally comfortable beds. Superior rooms come with the addition of either a bay window or balcony to enhance the already spectacular views of Killarney National Park. Executive Suites offer a spacious open plan living-room and bedroom while the Superior Suites come with an elegant entry foyer, separate living-room and secluded bedroom.
The Angsana
Hotel in downtown Calgary. I’m on floor 28 and have a wonderful view of some of the skyscrapers.
For dinner I enjoy a steak with an Old Fashioned whiskey cocktail to wind down after a thrilling day.
Next morning I am up early for the three-hour drive south. Leaving Calgary’s city life behind, I am soon surrounded by pancake-flat Alberta fields stretching as far as the eye can see to the soaring Rocky Mountains.
I am astonished to discover one peak is actually across the US border in Montana.
I arrive in the pleasant little village of Waterton Park, on the edge of Waterton Lake,
Spa, located in the hotel, is a haven for physical, mental and spiritual renewal. The extensive treatment list gives a fusion of techniques from the East and West designed to refresh and rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit.
The Vitality Suite is also ideal for relaxation after a round of golf, a ramble in Killarney National Park – or a show in the nearby INEC with a range of amenities to perfectly compliment your identity and stay in the hotel. Guests can take a leisurely dip in the vitality pool, refresh before clearing their minds with the infused Herb Sauna or Steam Room. For something a little different, the Ice feature and Kubledusche are fitting and invigorating finales to any heat treatment