Calgary Stampede!!!

After the Wolf Point Stampede I drove to Chinook where I met my mom and we were off to Canada! I had heard a lot of great things about the Calgary Stampede and couldn’t wait to get there. Getting across the border wasn’t too bad, but when they asked if had any weapons or firearms I told them no.  After going through security, however, I realized that I had my pink stun gun with me!

Five hours later we finally arrived and on our first night there we had dinner with Jody and Gary Rempel and toured the Calgary Stampede grounds! Gary has been the pick-up man for the last 20+ years, so it was nice to have them show us around behind the scenes.  The Calgary Stampede is an invitation only rodeo with some of the best cowboys and cowgirls in the country competing. It is not a PRCA-sanctioned rodeo and has its own rules for certain events.  For example the rough stock riders don’t have to mark the horse out (have their spurs on the horse’s point of the shoulder) when the horse leaves the chute.   In the tie-down roping event, the time stops as soon as the cowboy ties the calf and the calf only has to stay tied until the cowboy gets back on his horse.   PRCA rules state that the time stops after the calf is tied but the calf has to stay tied for a full six seconds after the cowboy gets back on his horse.

No state rodeo queens ride in Calgary, however Miss Rodeo Kansas Alyssa Morrison and I were “hosted” one day and got to do some amazing things! We were introduced at a huge breakfast, the off to go square dancing… I had never square danced but it was a lot of fun.  It’s even pretty easy because they tell you exactly what to do!  During the rodeo we were introduced in front of the whole Calgary Stampede crowd … thousands and thousands of people!!!   After we were done being hosted, my mom and I spent some quality time together and watched the legendary chuck wagon races and one of the Night Shows, which were completely AMAZING!

Coming back through the border on the way home, I was a little nervous because I heard sometimes they are a little harder. When we came through they asked if we had bought anything and we had bought jewelry cleaner.  Mom told the border patrol guard that it really made my crown shine! We told him who I was and what we had been doing in Canada and he wanted a few autographs!

I loved our trip to Calgary - we were treated like royalty and Jody and Gary Rempel were awesome hosts. It was very special to take a trip with my mother, my number one supporter. I’m off to Havre and Shelby when I get back into the states!!!