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| Canada's Top 10 Summer Rodeos |  |
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Today’s modern rodeo actually started in the southwestern United States on Spanish-owned ranches in the 1700s and 1800s when vaqueros, or Spanish cowboys, passed on their traditions and equipment to American cattle barons and their cowhands. And when the cattle business boomed and long cattle drives took stock from distant grasses to Eastern populations, informal competitions developed to see which enterprise had the best ropers and riders—the roots of today’s rodeo events such as team roping and bareback riding. These days, Canada is home to a thriving rodeo scene and supporters can catch competitions across the country. What follows is a selection of the country’s top summer rodeos—some draw huge crowds, others give away huge prize money, some have maintained a hometown feel, others have maintained the tradition for nearly 100 years. CLOVERDALE RODEO & COUNTRY FAIR (May) Nothing makes for a great rodeo like wild buckin’ and the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair kicks off the summer rodeo season with some serious eight-second action. Held over the May long weekend in Surrey, British Columbia, Cloverdale is Canada’s fifth largest rodeo and brings the wildest new colts to the arena for some kicking and spinning that beats even the most gripping midway ride. But it’s not just the colts who are the stars; the rodeo is known to draw the sport’s top contestants—including Canadian and world champions—and the four-day event boasts BC’s largest parade and midway. Thigh slappers: concerts, agricultural exhibits and displays, Kidz Zone entertainment, parade and midway rides
Tradition plays a fundamental hand in rodeo and perhaps nowhere is this more the case than at the Handhills Stampede in the badlands of southern Alberta. Started in 1917, the three-day stampede is held at the end of May and is considered the oldest consecutive rodeo in Alberta. If Calgary and Cloverdale glitter with modern stadiums, celebrity-studded entertainment and record-breaking crowds, Handhills shines with a remote hillside rodeo that is as up close and personal as it gets. Boot Stompers: nightly chuck wagon and chariot races, cowboy cabaret, plates of steak and eggs at Western breakfasts INNISFAIL PROFESSIONAL RODEO (June) Mix five days of camping amongst Alberta’s prairie dust, summer rains and truckloads of some of the best cowboys around and you have the Innisfail Professional Rodeo. A favourite on the rodeo circuit, top riders, ropers and wrestlers come from all over western Canada and the US for top prize money—it’s one of Canada’s highest paid rodeos—and fans come for an atmosphere unlike any other—a rodeo campout on the Daines Rodeo Ranch near Innisfail that is pure no frills, all thrills action. Hat Wavers: nightly dances and a Saturday parade CANADIAN ROCKIES INTERNATIONAL RODEO (June) Where the Innisfail Rodeo’s vibe is created by its campout, the Canadian Rockies International Rodeo’s (CRIR) character is summed up by its ‘camp’ events. Deemed Canada’s largest gay rodeo, the three-day event adds to the fun of traditional events with popular competitions such as goat dressing and wild drag. But that isn’t all that is unique about the CRIR. Held in Calgary at the end of June, men and women compete in parallel events so it might be the only rodeo in Canada where fans can watch cowgirls tough it out as bull-riders or cowboys round the barrels for a change. Hoots and Hollers: cabaret, live music, olde tyme country carnival, nightly dances and a Saturday parade
For many, British Columbia evokes images of lush mountains and spectacular inlets. The heart of the province, however, is considered ranch country and is home to a legendary stampede. Established in 1920 and held over the Canada Day long weekend, the Williams Lake Stampede continues to be one of the country’s biggest rodeos. In addition to the seven sanctioned events, this four-day stampede celebrates the area’s way of life with a mountain race, ranch challenge and wild horse race. Thigh Slappers: kids' karaoke, barn dance, music performances, chuck wagon and chariot races PONOKA STAMPEDE (July) There are some rodeos that the top cowboys and cowgirls clear their calendars for and the Ponoka Stampede in Alberta is one of them. Every Canada Day long weekend, contestants make their way from as far as Colorado to south of Edmonton just to compete. Canada’s largest six-day rodeo, Ponoko is a big fan favourite too and resembles the Calgary Stampede in its younger days for its festive atmosphere, top-class competition, professional chuck wagon races and kids’ wild pony races. Boot Stompers: concerts and stage shows, midway rides, fireworks and parade, casinos, art show and dance CALGARY STAMPEDE (July) The granddaddy of them all, the Calgary Stampede hardly needs an introduction. The 10-day event is Canada’s largest rodeo and quite rightfully bills itself “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.” Attended by over a million visitors each year—many from around the world—the fever boils out of Stampede Park in downtown Calgary to take over the entire city in a frenzy of cowboy hats, Wrangler® jeans, country music and pick-up men. And the stampede isn’t a stampede without its signature event, the wild and woolly chuck wagon races. Hat Wavers: kick-off parade, top country bands, First Nations exhibits, agricultural contests and demonstrations, midway rides and much more
Alberta may be the capital of Canadian rodeo but bucking shoots don’t stop at provincial borders. The Manitoba Stampede—held in the community of Morris—is known affectionately as the “Big M” and is the only rodeo in the province that features on the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association circuit. In fact, for four days in mid-July, several thousands flock to the small town and watch as man and beast go head to head in six sanctioned events, as well as in crowd pleasers such as muttin’ bustin’, ride the hide and a kids' pig scramble. Hoots and Hollers: thoroughbred and pony chuck wagon races, agricultural fair, petting zoo, midway rides and country music concerts INTERIOR PROVINCIAL EXHIBITION & STAMPEDE (September) Sometimes ‘big’ means a sizable crowd, sometimes it refers to a rodeo’s significance on the circuit, sometimes it’s an event with a large personality. In the case of the Interior Provincial Exhibition & Stampede (IPE) in Armstrong, BC, it means all of the above. The five-day event, held at the beginning of September, has been running for over 100 years and attracts thousands of city and country folk alike to the Okanagan Valley. Thigh Slappers: agricultural exhibition and fair, draft horse hitching contests, show horse demonstrations, midway rides, stage shows, chuck wagon races and Kids World
The West doesn’t hold all the aces when it comes to top rodeos. The Festival Western de Saint-Tite in Quebec is Canada’s second largest rodeo and rules the roost on the Eastern circuit. Held in mid-September, the festival is often referred to as the “Woodstock of Rodeo” as over 450,000 visitors converge on the village of Saint-Tite for 10 days of North America’s top athletes battling the clock and each other for over $300,000 in prize-money. Boot Stompers: country music concerts and stage shows, Kid’s Land, parade, and equestrian activities If you enjoyed this feature, take a look at these other great WorldWeb.com articles: • Fun in the Sun: Summer Music Festivals in Canada • Calgary Stampede PHOTOS COURTESY OF:
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