Strathmore Rodeo/2014 Strathmore Heritage Days Stampede is Canada’s 3rd largest rodeo – August 1st to 4th was held at the fairgrounds behind the Strathmore High School and Strathmore Family Centre and this year the rodeo had more than $250,000 in prize money up for grabs.
The rodeo consisted of bareback riding, bull riding, barrel racing, saddle broncs, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, team roping, novice bareback, novice saddle broncs, and wild pony races! Crowds in the pre-paid ticket and rush stands on either side of the corrals cheered wildly for the contestants – we’re sorry if you missed out on this fun-filled weekend. And, in preparation for next year’s stampede and for your benefit we’ll give you a description of each of these rodeo events from the Strathmore Stampede website.
Bareback Riding – This event is the most physically demanding of all the rodeo events where a cowboy has to try to ride a horse with no saddle for eight seconds. This is a judged event, and the more wild, high, and classy the rider spurs, the higher the marks. The cowboy with the highest score wins.
Bull Riding – The most dangerous of all the rodeo events, this is the one that Hollywood likes to make movies of. Like Bareback Riding, a rope with a handhold is wrapped around the bull, and the cowboy can only hold on to this rope (his other hand must be held up in the air) while trying to survive riding the bull for eight seconds. This is a judged event and the highest score wins.
Barrel Racing – This is the only woman’s event that we currently have at the Strathmore Stampede, which is probably just as well since guys aren’t normally known for grace and beauty under pressure…ahem. Where was I? Oh yeah. In Barrel Racing, cowgirls and their horses navigate a course consisting of circling three barrels in a cloverleaf pattern. This is a timed event, so the fastest cowgirl to successfully complete the course wins.
Saddle Bronc – Like Bareback and Bull Riding, this is another event where the cowboy must survive a ride for eight seconds without getting bucked off (cowboy speak for getting thrown off an animal). This time, the horse is saddled, and the cowboy must time his movements with those of the bronc’s buck. This is a judged event, and the cowboy with the highest score wins.
Steer Wrestling – The objective of this event is simple: wrestle a steer to the ground. Sounds simple in theory, but obviously difficult in practice. Timing, speed and control are all needed as it is quite possible for the steer to get away from the cowboy, and the steer must be wrestled to the ground in the correct manner in order for the run to count. This is a timed event, and the cowboy that can get it done correctly the fastest wins.
Tie-Down Roping – This event derives from the duties of actual working cowboys, which sometimes required catching and restraining calves for branding or medical treatment. It is a very technical sport which requires practise to perfect – both roper and horse skills are needed to successfully compete in this event. This event shares many similarities with Steer Wrestling, except instead of wrestling a steer to the ground, the cowboy must catch up to a cow and tie it up in a certain way. This is a timed event, and the cowboy that can tie the calf in the correct manner the fastest wins.
Team Roping – This event shares traits with both Steer Wrestling and Tie-Down Roping, and requires two people to complete. One person must capture the steer with his rope while the other is responsible for tying the steer’s hind legs. There are very strict rules that dictate how the steer can be roped, and violating any of them will result in penalties. This is a timed event, and the team that can perform their duties the fastest wins.
Wild Pony Races – This event is always a crowd pleaser! The Wild Pony Race is where you can watch the next generation of rodeo cowboys pursuing a wild pony. Several teams of youngsters in groups of three aged 8-12 try to tame a pony long enough to get their rider on the pony for a 2 jump ride. The team that has the fastest time doing this wins. The more you cheer the more they try, so keep cheering them on!
The chuckwagon races had everyone on the edge of their seats or standing as, during each heat, four wagons, 12 men, and 36 horses thundered through the figure-8 start in the infield and around the 5/8 mile track right in front of the crowd.
Running with the Bulls was definitely one of the biggest crowd pleasers. In the words of the announcer, running with the bulls is all about freedom; the freedom to make this decision. Runners in the race wore the standard red shirts and some even wore superman logos, a giraffe costume, and two individuals even wore masks and, um, speedos. I don’t know if those particular outfits helped them run any better with the bulls but it sure gave the crowd a giggle or two. On the Saturday running of the bulls there was a woman who someone climbed down onto the track. It is assumed that she was under the influence as she was hauled out by security, belligerent and shoeless.
At events such as these beer is ever present; it would make things much more pleasant for everyone if you set a limit and stuck to it otherwise you might find yourself being escorted from the grounds by the ever watchful security.
Great work to all the volunteers and to everyone that helped make the Strathmore Rodeo the fun time it was this past August long-weekend!
