You know it’s summer in Alberta when you can’t crack a bullwhip without hitting a rodeo. There are about 40 spanning the province from June into autumn, each an action packed and exciting stop on the professional rodeo circuit. This is the Formula One of the agriculture world, where big money and big talent collide in a melee of rawhide and Stetsons.
“Rodeo is one of the most exciting sports,” says Doug Fraser, media relations manager for the Calgary Stampede. “It brings us back to our Western heritage. It’s been going on at our ranches and farms for hundreds of years.”
Steer into the West
What better way to see Alberta than to follow the professional rodeo circuit as it twists through Wild Rose Country? For dates and locations, go here.
This is the perfect holiday for the seasoned rodeo fan and an exotic escape for the first timer. Not only is the journey punctuated by the thrills and spills of bull riding and barrel racing, but it also follows smooth tarmac through some of the most picturesque countryside in North America.
The hot summer sun shines on oceans of golden wheat swaying in the breeze, and the smell of hay carries over coulees and badlands. This is a place of endless summer.
Convenience Ponies up Choice
Some rodeos are week-long events but most occupy the weekend, which leaves plenty of time to explore any one of Alberta’s many attractions. From extravagant outdoors theatre to folk festivals, rock concerts, outdoor adventure and world-class museums, Alberta has something for everyone.
And all of it is within a scenic drive of Alberta’s two international gateway cities, Calgary and Edmonton.
“There are 10 rodeos within an hour of Calgary,” says Jim Pippelow, general manager and rodeo administrator for the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association. “There’s more rodeos in Alberta than in the rest of Canada combined. Alberta is the heart of the Canadian West. It’s the biggest ranching area in Canada and one of the biggest in North America.”
Big Rodeos, Big Prizes
Anyone thinking of following the cowboys around the pro circuit might want to begin with two of the biggest rodeos in the province – Ponoka and Airdrie. Both are week-long events at the end of June and are within a short drive of each other.
“Penoka is the biggest regular season rodeo by far and it’s been voted the best rodeo in Canada for numerous years by the competitors,” says Pippelow. “For the competitors it’s about the prize, which is $37,500 per event.”
Likewise, Airdrie has five performances late into the evening and fans get very close to the action.
“It’s right up to the fence,” adds Pippelow.
Sip with Heroes
For most, the best seats in the house are in the bleachers, high and safe from the dust and the dirt and the fury. And when that dust has settled and the timing clock is silenced, enjoy a refreshment with these incredible athletes that make their living astride half-ton beasts hell bent on destruction in the ring. These men and women will almost certainly surprise you with their size and strength and perhaps even more so with their friendliness.
“When you go to the rodeo, there’s usually access to the competitors,” says Pippelow. “In the beer stands, they like to have a beer after they compete. The cowboys are quite accessible at most rodeos. They’re more accessible than hockey players and they hang around and talk and so on.”
Getting on Top of the Action
That camaraderie is equally abundant at some of the smaller, amateur rodeos, and so is the action. The smaller arenas also let fans get so close they can almost reach out and touch their heroes. The excitement gets another dimension when the smell of the animals is in your nose and the dust settles in your hair.
“Benalto, a small community 40 minutes west of Red Deer, is a smaller rodeo but you’re right on top of the action,” says Pippelow. “There’s also two in Northern Alberta in Peace River and 100 miles south in Teepee Creek. It’s the Wild West there.”
Watch the Best Cowboys in the World
Far and away the two most lucrative rodeos in Alberta, and indeed in North America, take place in the heart of all the luxury services and modern amenities of Calgary and Edmonton.
The Calgary Stampede, the richest outdoor rodeo on earth, spans nine days, July 4-13. in a blur of lights, music, amusement and the thunder of the chuck wagon races. The competitors are the crème de la crème, the top 20 of the rodeo circuit. They are true professionals who come up through the ranks in their quest for riches.
“Stampede has the top cowboys in the world,” says Fraser, the event’s media relations manager. “It’s the top 20 that come to our event. The best cowboys come to Calgary, which means it’s the best rodeo possible. That’s why people should come to Calgary.”
Don Cowboy Hats and Plaid Shirts
Though it takes place several months later, in the middle of the crisp and clear Northern Alberta autumn, Edmonton’s Canadian Finals Rodeo is no less spectacular. Picture for a moment an entire city enveloped in Western fever. From Nov. 2-9, bars, shops and almost every Edmonton resident dusts off a cowboy hat, pulls out a plaid shirt and gets in the festive spirit.
The last stop on the professional rodeo circuit, this is the culmination of a season of knocks and tumbles for the top rodeo riders in the world.
“We get nearly 100,000 people in the building over the six performances,” says Earl Klapstein, director responsible for the CFR. “The entertainment value is amazing.
There’s something happening every two minutes or less -- another ride, another run and kids coming on for wild pony racing, mutton busting…there’s cowboy poker. It’s honestly a go, go, go kind of evening and man, it’s entertaining.”
Whatever your favorite event or entertainment, of one thing you can be sure -- this is a roof-raising, raucous week of Wild West revelry.