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| 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.
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| 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
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| It was OK. The lady in front of me said the deep fried Mars bar was delish |
The kids were excited for sno cones.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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!
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| Who walked down 7 flights of stairs to get Cotton Candy? |
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| Fantabulous! |
