Dream come true

This year, our family had planned the holiday of a lifetime — two days at the Calgary Stampede followed by a camper van in the Rockies, the Rocky Mountaineer to Vancouver and a short stay there. A lifelong dream of mine was to see the Stampede.

A week before we left, I saw the extent of the floods on the U.K. news and was sure that a small part of this dream holiday would not be happening. Coming from an area of England badly hit by flooding in 2007, I could not see how Calgary could recover in time for the Stampede. I saw that the plans were to continue with the Stampede “Come Hell or High Water.” I thought “yeah, right.”

We arrived on July 5 in torrential rain and I really did think that was it. A couple of days relaxing by the (indoor) pool was in order.

I was amazed when we got to the park on Saturday. It looked like it had not been affected by the flooding, even though I knew it had. We had a fantastic two days at the Stampede. The rodeo, the atmosphere in the park and the city, the chuckwagon racing and the amazing evening show more than lived up to expectations. Calgary, you can be proud of your achievements.

I know there are lots of people displaced by the flood. From personal experience, I know it can seem to take ages for people to make progress putting their lives and property back together. But if the effort shown for the Stampede is followed through with the residents, I could think of no better place to be at such a time.

Calgary, I wear my Hell or High Water shirt with pride and I raise my Smithbilt to you all.

Peter Loomes, Sedgeberrow, Evesham, Worcestershire, U.K.