It's a Stampede Thing!

Two Happy Campers

Wow, Calgary, you sure throw a fun party.  If you haven’t experienced it yet, the Stampede should be on your bucket list.

I’m now convinced that every day is going to be an adventure for the Desormeaux’s. Our rodeo day at the Stampede was HOT. Record breaking heat. In addition to the heat, it was family day at the Stampede and admission was free. The heat did not keep people away at all. Both Keith and Parker get twitchy when they venture into a crowd, so I was a little nervous.  This had to be a great day because I needed them to go back the next day for the Grandstand event. Keith was keeping positive, but Parker was ready to jump in a cab and spend his day scootering around the campground. We got Parker some popcorn and tried not to dwell on the fact that we were ONE row away from being in the shade, but the sun was moving in our favour... Everything was going to be fine.

Notice the people behind us in the shade...

Once the sun was out of our eyes we all relaxed.

Parker: I liked the bull riding cuz it’s cool when they’re flopping around and the different techniques they had to stay on.

Abby: I liked the barrel racing because I liked seeing the girl athletes compete in it too. And I liked seeing racing horses.

Keith: I liked the broncos and the bull riding.

It was an incredible experience. I’ve seen televised events before but being there live was so much better. What I enjoyed was that they explained each event to all the Stampede newbies. We learned the origins of each event, lots about all the athletes, techniques and different violations that cause the riders to lose points.

A take away for me is the very evident respect and love the Stampede has for the rodeo animals. They brought out an entire family of horses that have competed and provided for the Stampede for 56 years. Caring for all the animals is a high priority.

Rodeo = win for Desormeaux’s! We all left talking about how great it was. Next up was some carnival eats.

We all decided against deep fried chicken feet

I chose deep fried ice cream

It was OK. The lady in front of me said the deep fried Mars bar was delish

The kids were excited for sno cones.

Parker + Food = Happy Camper

Desormeaux’s vs Stampede Round #2

The Chuck Wagon races were fascinating. Again, we got the lowdown about how and why these races originated at the Stampede. We learned about outriders and how the race starts and what constitutes a violation. What a thrilling event to witness. Every year you hear about accidents and injuries to horses. But when you hear stories about their families and hear how dedicated they are to their horses, it’s hard not to get swept up in the excitement. All that and country people are the best kind of people you can meet!

Now remember, every day is an adventure. The evening was overcast and the darker clouds started to roll in about heat #4.

No mention of the weather from the announcers. They just keep on - good country folk who are not afraid of severe thunderstorm warnings.

Only when it’s as dark as night and the fork lightning starts, does the announcer says, ‘We’re noticing some weather moving in, but we are just going to keep the races going.’

Awesome.

The rain starts. People in the open head for cover. The announcer says, ‘We’re going to continue in the rain.’

The rain starts to come at us sideways. Desormeaux’s get out their coats.

The wind starts. Like bad enough wind that I start to make a plan to get the heck out of there.

And the show goes on...

Finally, the announcer says they are going to wait out the rain and see if it stops. Really? These people are awesome. The track was a mud pit. The wind was wicked and the lightning was seriously impressive.

The Desormeaux’s retreat to the inside to wait out the storm.

It’s not stopping. 

Unfortunately, the officials cancel the rest of the heats. Never before have the races been cancelled once the heats have started.

Of course not.

We were a little disappointed but it was totally understandable considering the weather.

Where there's rain, you'll find a rainbow...

Next up, the Grandstand show that was surprisingly not cancelled despite the rain.

Abby liked when the fireworks went off and they were singing and dancing at the same time.

Parker liked the fireworks too. The best part for me was that the show was hosted by the hilariously talented Jann Arden and she sang 2 of my favourite songs.

So I say a Stampede win for us. You need to go. You will swell with Canadian pride the whole time! Way to go Calgary!

Who walked down 7 flights of stairs to get Cotton Candy?

Fantabulous!