Facts About The Calgary Stampede

The Calgary Stampede is a combination rodeo and outdoor festival held annually each July in Calgary, Alberta. This Canadian tradition dates back to the late 1800s and is attended by as many as a million people each year.

  1. Rodeo

    • The Calgary Stampede brings together the best cowboys in the world to compete for a million dollars in prize money. Events such as bareback bronco riding, steer wrestling and bull riding highlight the ten-day rodeo.

    Chuckwagon races

    • One highly anticipated aspect of the Calgary Stampede is the nightly chuckwagon races around an obstacle course. These wagons were important parts of old time cattle drives, carrying equipment and supplies used for making meals. They are pulled by teams of horses.

    Location

    • The event is staged at Stampede Park at 1410 Olympic Way SE in Calgary, which lies to the southeast of the city. The majority of people will take the city's rail transit system to the Stampede since parking is very limited.

    Early history

    • In 1886, the Calgary Exhibition began as an annual event, which was joined by the Calgary Stampede in 1912, a rodeo designed to attract top-notch talent. These two events combined in 1923 and became known simply as the Calgary Stampede.

    Entertainment and agriculture

    • In addition to the rodeo aspect of the event, the Calgary Stampede also has musical entertainment provided by major country and western stars as well as agricultural exhibits, expositions and competitions.